Monument record MDO44787 - Strip lynchets, Alton Pancras

Strip lynchets crossed by traces of ridge and furrow. Banked linear and curvilinear features to the west of Alton Pancras are visible as earthworks on 1940s aerial photographs and Environment Agency lidar imagery. The features are considered to possibly be medieval strip lynchets, possibly part of the former open field of Alton Pancras, recorded under MDO77. Areas of probable ridge and furrow are also visible between some of the field boundaries on lidar. The features were digitally plotted during the Dorset Upper Cerne and Piddle AIM project.

(Centred ST 691033) In and around Holcombe Bottom are extensive remains of contour and cross-contour strip lynchets and ridge-and-furrow. Examples occur at ST 687034 ('A'), 694032 ('B') and 694035 ('C'). To the west the lynchets run into "Celtic" fields (ST 60 SE 17). <1-2>

An area of rough pasture centred ST 693035 ('C') contains several irregularly spaced medieval strip lynchets, running E/W and curving to conform to the contours. <3>

'A', 'B' and 'C' from <1> have been destroyed by modern cultivation, though at ST 6960 0300 in the field south-east of 'B', over an area of four hectares, a few widely spaced, contour following lynchets 0.3m high and 100.0m long are visible with broad rig and furrow just discernible crossing them. <4>

Banked linear and curvilinear features to the west of Alton Pancras are visible as earthworks on 1940s aerial photographs and Environment Agency lidar imagery. The features are considered to possibly be medieval strip lynchets, possibly part of the former open field of Alton Pancras, recorded under MDO77. Areas of probable ridge and furrow are also visible between some of the field boundaries on lidar. The features were digitally plotted during the Dorset Upper Cerne and Piddle AIM project. <6, 7>

<1> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 3-4 (Monograph). SDO136.

(1) 'CULTIVATION REMAINS. The open fields of Alton Pancras still existed in 1724 (Survey of Manors of Alton Pancras, 1724, D.C.R.O.) but were all enclosed by 1741 (Court Book of Alton Pancras, 1741-1865,D.C.R.O.), presumably by agreement as there is no Parliamentary Act of Enclosure. Remains exist in three places. .. Nothing is known of the date of enclosure of the open fields of Barcombe but remains are found in a few places. … In and around Holcombe Bottom are extensive remains of contour and cross-contour strip lynchets, and ridge-and-furrow (e.g. 694032, 694035, and 687034). To the W. strip lynchets run into 'Celtic' fields (Group (39), p. 326).'

<2> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 4370-71 (Aerial Photograph). SDO18835.

<3> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 15-SEP-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<4> Attrill, N J, Field Investigators Comments NJA, F2 NJA 28-OCT-76 (Unpublished document). SDO14743.

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 198937 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<6> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RS 4370 (Aerial Photograph). SDO20851.

<7> Environment Agency, 16-NOV-2021, LIDAR Environment Agency DTM (Aerial Photograph). SDO18034.

Record last edited

Aug 8 2024 2:52PM