Monument record MDO2155 - Poxwell, medieval strip lynchets

Area centred at SY 739842 Strip Lynchets. <1>

Several low lynchets are visible in the area which is under grass. They are well spaced and indicative of Medieval field strips, each lynchet has a baulk between strips. <2>

Four contour strip lynchets 170 yards long run south from the track to Poxwell Barn, Scarps still visible across this track could relate to other strip lynchets or to "Celtic" fields. Other strips later cut across by cultivation continue the flight
downhill eastwards and two more at right angles run up the main slope on the north-east edge of the spur. <3-4>

These lynchets are subject to annual ploughing and are reduced to low and inconspicuous scarps. <5>

Medieval strip lynchets visible as earthworks on aerial photographs <6> to the west of Manor Farm, Poxwell. The features were digitally plotted during the South Dorset Ridgeway Mapping Project.

<1> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, RCHM Mss file (Unpublished document). SDO18524.

<2> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 15-DEC-54 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<3> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1968, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1967, 135-139 (Serial). SDO67.

‘An examination of strip lynchets W. of Poxwell while they were being levelled in November 1967 … the strip lynchets lay in two flights, both considerably disturbed and both on Upper Chalk: (a) at SY 737843 immediately W. of Poxwell Manor Farm … Both flights formed part of the western open field arrangements of Poxwell though the area W. of (a) and N. of (b) had been later enclosed by slight hedge banks, still visible. Both flights had been ploughed for three seasons since clearance of scrub from (a) and parts W. of it in 1957, but the higher risers, of over 2 ft. or so, had been preserved since they could not be ploughed without preliminary levelling by other means, such as that now used. Air photographs taken 20 years ago (CPE/UK 1821: 4445-6 and 6435-6; CPE/UK 1824: 3278-9) show narrow rig, an almost certain indicator that the last previous ploughing had been in the 19th century. This had contributed to the destruction of the remains of former strip fields. Examination on the ground showed that large parts of the area had also once been covered by ‘Celtic’ fields which probably extended W. into what is now Osmington parish. It is clear that some of the ‘Celtic’ field lynchets had needed to be broken down before strip cultivation, just as the strip lynchets in their turn had to be levelled … Area (a). Four contour strip lynchets on air photographs, 170 yds. long almost straight S.-N., fall gently northwards on the N.E. of the spur which drops to the valley bottom E. at Poxwell Manor and Church. These ended at a line of later ploughing to the S. but ‘ran out’ N. short of the track to Old Down Barn. Scarps still visible across this track could relate to other strip lynchets or to ‘Celtic’ fields. Other strips, later cut across by cultivation, continued the flight downhill eastwards. Two more, at right angles, ran up the main slope at 8⁰ on the N.E. edge of the spur. The most westerly of the contour risers, now about 1 ft. high, has immediately above it a scarp of the same height which marks the bank of the enclosure already noted. A cut, I, by mechanical-shovel, 8 ft. 6 ins. wide, was made at right angles across the tread next downhill and the riser, the highest survivor in this block, below it. This exposed the negative lynchet of an otherwise invisible strip under the tread 6 yds. Uphill of the riser and traces of a possible marking-out baulk under the riser itself.’

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 2, 263 (Monograph). SDO149.

‘(10) STRIP LYNCHETS: fragmentary remains at eight places, cover 41 acres. Traces of other strips just visible on air photographs, as well as characteristic angular indents in field banks and details on the Tithe Map of 1839, add to the picture of former open-field arrangements. These open fields seem to have covered virtually the whole parish E. of the curving boundary line linking Poxwell Grove (739848) to the angle in the parish boundary S.E. of Old Down Barn (734840). … The remains are of contour type W. of the village (around … 739842 … Treads are up to 300 yds. long and 20 yds. wide and risers up to 12 ft. high. (R.A.F. V.A.P. CPE/UK 1821:4443–5, 6435–7.)‘

<5> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F2 JGB 05-SEP-80 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<6> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1821 4444-5 (Aerial Photograph). SDO11767.

<7> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/093 RCHME Inventory: Dorset II (South-East) (Unpublished document). SDO17434.

<8> National Record of the Historic Environment, 454389 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 23 2024 12:45PM