Monument record MDO1838 - Iron Age or Romano British field system, Upton, Osmington

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Summary

Earthwork remains of an Iron Age or Romano British field system visible as earthworks on aerial photographs.

Map

Type and Period (1)

Full Description

(Area centred SY 749827) Field system taken from air photographs. <1>

(Area centred at SY 749827) A field system of Iron Age/Romano-British type, consisting of field banks and
lynchets from 0.1m. to 0.7m. high, and from 1.5m. to 5.0m. wide, together forming irregular fields. The area is mostly pasture, the system being most prominent below the crest of the east to west ridge, on the north facing slopes. <2>

Ringstead Barn (SY 744829-754824), in Osmington parish. Traces of 'Celtic' fields between 250 ft. and 400 ft. above O.D. cover 40 acres of the gentle N-facing slope at the extreme North-east of Spring Bottom Hill, mostly on Wealden Beds with bands of greensand and gault.

Lynchets are generally about 3ft. high but up to 10 ft. towards the south. Four round barrows (SY 78 SW 10) on the ridge crest only 11yds. to 14 yds. from the southern most lynchet line, lie on ground that was perhaps never ploughed in antiquity. The area, though adjacent to Up Ringstead, was presumably pasture for West Ringstead. <3>

The field system, centred at SY 74998275, covering an area of 4.0 ha, is as described above. <4>

Earthwork remains of an Iron Age or Romano British field system visible as earthworks on aerial photographs to the south-east of Upton. The fragments of the celtic field system were digitally plotted during the South Dorset Ridgeway Mapping Project.

The Iron Age or Roman field system described above in <1-4> continues to the east for a distance of approximately 1100 m. It is visible as earthworks and cropmarks on aerial photographs. Field boundaries formed of banks delineate partial sub-rectangular fields measuring up to 83 m by 44 m in size. <5-6> The features partially survive as earthworks on aerial photographs of 2009. <7> These features were digitally plotted as part of the Wild Purbeck Mapping Project.


<1> Atkinson, R J C, 1949, spec 6 inch (RJCA 1.3.49) (Map). SWX1583.

<1.1> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1821 4443-4 (Aerial Photograph). SDO11784.

<2> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 17-DEC-54 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<2.1> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1824 4318-9 (Aerial Photograph). SWX8264.

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 628 (Monograph). SDO150.

'Group (12): Ringstead Barn (SY 78 SW, SE; 744829-754824), in Osmington parish. Traces of 'Celtic' fields between 250 ft. and 400 ft. above O.D. cover 40 acres of the gentle N.-facing slope at the extreme N.E. of Spring Bottom Hill, mostly on Wealden Beds with bands of greensand and gault. Lynchets are generally about 3 ft. high but up to 10 ft. towards the S. Four round barrows (Osmington (34-41)) on the ridge crest, only 11 yds. to 14 yds. from the southernmost lynchet line, lie on ground that was perhaps never ploughed in antiquity. The area, though adjacent to Up Ringsted, was presumably pasture for W. Ringstead, of which the strip fields (Osmington (28)) are due S. (R.A.F. V.A.P. CPE/UK 1821: 441-3.)'

<3.1> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1821 4441-2 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13844.

<4> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F2 JGB 10-JUL-80 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<5> Royal Air Force, 18-JAN-1962, RAF 58/4878 (F22) 0081-2 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13867.

<6> Dorset County Council, XX-XXX-2002, Dorset CC Vertical Digital Photo Tile (Aerial Photograph). SDO13248.

<7> Dorset County Council, XX-XXX-2009, Dorset CC Vertical Digital Photo Tile (Aerial Photograph). SDO13314.

<8> National Record of the Historic Environment, 454310 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Sources/Archives (11)

  • <1> Map: Atkinson, R J C. 1949. spec 6 inch (RJCA 1.3.49).
  • <1.1> Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 04-NOV-1946. RAF/CPE/UK/1821 4443-4.
  • <2> Unpublished document: Quinnell, N V. Various. Field Investigators Comments NVQ. F1 NVQ 17-DEC-54.
  • <2.1> Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 04-NOV-1946. RAF/CPE/UK/1824 4318-9.
  • <3> Monograph: Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England). 1970. An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3. 628.
  • <3.1> Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 04-NOV-1946. RAF/CPE/UK/1821 4441-2.
  • <4> Unpublished document: Barton, J G. Various. Field Investigators Comments JGB. F2 JGB 10-JUL-80.
  • <5> Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 18-JAN-1962. RAF 58/4878 (F22) 0081-2.
  • <6> Aerial Photograph: Dorset County Council. XX-XXX-2002. Dorset CC Vertical Digital Photo Tile.
  • <7> Aerial Photograph: Dorset County Council. XX-XXX-2009. Dorset CC Vertical Digital Photo Tile.
  • <8> Digital archive: National Record of the Historic Environment. 454310.

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (0)

Location

Grid reference Centred SY 747 828 (776m by 431m) (56 map features)
Map sheet SY78SW
Civil Parish Osmington; Dorset
Unitary Authority Dorset

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Other Statuses/References

  • Legacy UID: Dorset Sites and Monuments Record: 1 084 046
  • Legacy UID: National Monuments Record: SY 78 SW 11
  • Legacy UID: National Record of the Historic Environment: 454310
  • Royal Commission Inventory Reference: Celtic Field Group 12

Record last edited

Feb 27 2023 4:44PM

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