Monument record MDO87 - Prehistoric field system in Cow Leaze and Kiddle's Bottom, Alton Pancras and Piddletrenthide

Five small blocks of fragmentary and disturbed 'Celtic' fields, once probably continuous, situated in the north western part of Piddletrenthide parish and in the south western part of Alton Pancras parish.

An extensive field system of IA/RB type lynchets and field banks, almost all of which are under pasture. On the slopes of Rake Bottom, the system is fairly well pronounced consisting of scattered and fragmentary banks and lynchets. <1>

On Rake Hill, Rake Bottom and Cowleaze, ST691020 to ST696020, about 25 acres of 'Celtic' fields are almost completely incorporated in a pattern of strip fields (ST 60 SE 50). <3>

The field system has been completely ploughed-out leaving only soil marks. But in Rake Bottom (ST 6880 0220) fragmentary banks and lynchets remain. <4>

<1> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 14-FEB-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<1.1> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 4369-70 (Aerial Photograph). SDO18834.

<2> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1962 (Map). SWX1540.

(ST 68850214) Field System (NR)

<3> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 325-326 (Monograph). SDO136.

‘GROUP (38): COW LEAZE—KIDDLE’S BOTTOM (Alton Pancras and Piddletrenthide). Five small blocks of fragmentary and disturbed 'Celtic' fields, numbered (i)–(v), once probably continuous, occur in the N.W. of Piddletrenthide and in the S.W. of Alton Pancras parishes; blocks (ii)–(iv) are illustrated. The actual remains total about 110 acres, between 400 ft and 700 ft. O.D., mostly on the sides of spurs E. from the N.-S. Chalk ridge and in the valley bottoms between. There is one possible settlement, (a) in block (ii), and one certain and two probable instances of fields being overlain by enclosures of uncertain date, in (iii) and (iv). Some of the fragmentary lynchets were very high. A rare example occurs, (b) in block (iii), of close-set, parallel divisions, possibly ditched, in an enclosed area of about 5 acres; they are seen only on air photographs. The remains are generally beyond the limits of the open fields but some, in (v), are overlain by strip lynchets. Extensive destruction is apparent even in areas of old pasture. Broad ridge-and-furrow was visible in the area of block (iii).

Block (i), Kiddle's Bottom, SY 687005: traces exist over 4 acres towards the head of the valley.

Block (ii), Higher Down, SY 684013: 25 acres in all, on both sides and bottom of re-entrant S. of spur. Well-marked, though partly spread, lynchets lie parallel 28 yds. to 40 yds. apart up and down the S. slope; cross divisions are less clear. Lynchets are generally under 1 ft. high, exceptionally 4 ft. A field on the N. slope is trapezoidal, ⅓ acre in area.

On the spur top, at 68430133, is an almost destroyed nearcircular earthwork, (a), sometimes shown on maps as 'tumulus' or 'hut circle'. A spread flint-packed bank 18 ft. across, with external ditch 12 ft. across, up to 3 ft. below the bank, now encloses rather more than a semicircle 79 ft. by 66 ft. It is open, or broken, at S.E. where a slight curving scarp crosses the enclosure. There is a shallow circular depression 15 ft. across, W. of centre. Very faint traces of fields around suggest that the earthwork was avoided as if contemporary or earlier.

N. of the spur are very faint traces of cross-valley scarps, 30 yds. to 35 yds. apart; one contour scarp on the N. slope is 10 ft. high and sharply-defined as if built up or reused in an area of destruction.

Block (iii), Lower Down, from ST 691011 (formerly Serpentine Plantation) to 699010 (Morning Well Plantation): about 33 acres N. of the valley bottom and on Tenant's Hill show remains of very fragmentary 'Celtic' fields on a slope rising from gentle to an inclination of 18°. Lynchets S. of Sole Copse, about 696009, were 8 ft. to 14 ft. high. On the southern shoulder of Tenant's Hill, 697011, there is an enclosed area, (b), defined by scarps, cut by the Piddletrenthide/Alton Pancras parish boundary. It is some 170 yds. by 130 yds. with two sides slightly curved. Inside it, air photographs show at least 6 roughly parallel strips defined by flanking dark lines, presumably ditches or furrows, up to 160 yds. long (see p. 321). The enclosure is central to 'Celtic' fields which radiate from it, producing a triangular field on S.E. (CPE/UK 1974: 2371–2).
Undated enclosure Piddletrenthide (63) probably lies on 'Celtic' fields. A lynchet runs down to its N.E. angle and disappears. A platform inside its N. side and a scarp inside its S. side may derive in part from lynchets.

An isolated and disturbed section of double-lynchet track, with scarps 4 ft. high above and below and with a hollowed tread 4 yds. across, runs from the N.W. corner of Morning Well Plantation (69850098), S.W. for 200 ft. then N.W. for 150 ft.; 'Celtic' fields probably are linked with it on the S. Obscured by scrub in the plantation were strip lynchets or 'Celtic' fields modified.

Destruction is generally marked by incompleteness, but at 69130123, E. of the old Serpentine Plantation, were ten low plough ridges, 7 yds. wide, down a slope increasing to 17°, where 'Celtic' fields could not be detected.

Block (iv). In Tenant's Bottom, ST 692014 to 698017, 20 acres of very fragmentary remains are just visible on both sides of the valley. Undated enclosure (18a), on the W., is built partly on a lynchet, the inner scarp of its N. side being 5 ft. high compared with the 1 ft. of its S. bank. A lynchet approaches the S.E. angle of enclosure (18b) from S.S.E. and is probably overlain by it.

Block (v). On Rake Hill, Rake Bottom and Cowleaze, ST 691020 to 696020, about 25 acres of 'Celtic' fields are almost completely incorporated in a pattern of strip fields (cf. Alton Pancras (15)).
Air photographs: CPE/UK 1974: 2371–3; 1975: 1042–4; F. 21 540/RAF/1775: 0222.’

<4> Phillips, A S, Various, Field Investigators Comments ASP, F2 ASP 15-JUL-77 (Unpublished document). SWX3817.

<5> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/096 RCHME Inventory: Dorset III (Central) (Unpublished document). SDO17384.

<6> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 883071 (Index). SDO14738.

RCHME: `Celtic' Fields, Alton Pancras, Buckland Newton, Dorset. Publication proof, scored on acetate, `305' written in pencil above the site details.Bibliographic References : 1) Pt 2, Group (39), see also Vol 1 (Cerne Abbas)

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 199067 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 8 2024 11:58AM