Monument record MDO555 - Cultivation remains, Buckland Newton

Part of the former medieval open field system in the form of earthwork terraces known as strip lynchets. A block of particularly well-preserved contour strip lynchets can be seen on the south east side of Ridge Hill. Buckland Newton had a two-field system which was finally enclosed in 1734, and these lynchets lie in the area of the West Field. The features are visible on 1940s aerial photographs and Environment Agency lidar agency and were digitally plotted during the Dorset Upper Cerne and Piddle Valleys AIM project. Features may continue as part of the same field systems recorded under MDO44780.

Centred at ST 68150495 An area of rough pasture with field banks and lynchets of Iron Age/Romano British type visible on air photographs. Though fragmentary, they are fairly well pronounced. At 'A' (ST 68290497) the east end of the Iron Age/Romano-British system is overlayed by widely spaced but pronounced Medieval strip lynchets. These follow the contours and are aligned northeast-southwest. <2>

On the south-east side of Ridge Hill, from ST677046 to ST 685052, are extensive remains of contour strip lynchets arranged in four end-on interlocking furlongs 100 yds to 250 yds long. To the south-west the strip lynchets run over 'Celtic' fields. <3>

Upon the flat summit of Ridge Hill, the field system has been ploughed out, but the field banks upon the southeast facing slopes below are well-pronounced, being 6.0 to 8.0m wide and up to 0.7m high where they lie across the contours. Lynchets are weak, whilst to the northeast the Medieval Lynchets are much reduced and spread by ploughing and are now difficult to follow. <4>

The features are visible on 1940s aerial photographs and Environment Agency lidar agency and were digitally plotted from these sources during the Dorset Upper Cerne and Piddle Valleys AIM project. Morphologically, more irregular curvilinear banks centred on ST 67952 04916 are suggestive of field boundaries associated with a field system of later prehistoric, potentially Iron Age/Romano British, date. More curvilinear parallel banks to the south, centred on ST 68100 04829 are more suggestive of medieval strip lynchets. It is not clear to what extent the areas might overlap. <6, 7>

<1> Royal Air Force, 11-01-1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2431 3355-56 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17386.

<2> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, 15-SEP-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 1, 53-54 (Monograph). SDO146.

'(22) Cultivation remains. Traces of open fields occur in three distinct areas of the parish. Buckland Newton had a two-field system in 1548 (Buckland Manor Court Roll, 1548, P.R.O., S.C.2, Bundle 169, No. 4); it was finally enclosed in 1734 (Enclosure Award, D.C.R.O.). On the S.E. side of Ridge Hill (677046 - 685052), S.W. of the village, are extensive remains of contour strip lynchets arranged in four end-on interlocking furlongs, 100 yds. to 250 yds. long. To the S.W. the strip lynchets run over 'Celtic' fields (Group (39)). In 1734 all but the S.W. furlong lay in West Field'.

<4> Phillips, A S, Various, Field Investigators Comments ASP, F1 ASP 27-OCT-77 (Unpublished document). SWX3817.

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 198790 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<6> Royal Air Force, 11-01-1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2431 3355-56 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17386.

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

Record last edited

Aug 8 2024 2:45PM