Monument record MDO2237 - Prehistoric field system, Puddletown

<1> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 331-332 (Monograph). SDO136.

'GROUP (45): DOLE'S HILL. (Piddlehinton, Piddletrenthide and parts of Cheselbourne, Dewlish and Puddletown. Folding map in end-pocket; Plate 87). (fn. 2) 'Celtic' fields, now mostly destroyed, were virtually continuous over at least 2,000 acres on either side of the Lise brook, N. from Home Eweleaze, Puddletown (SY 743958) to Kingcombe (ST 741002). Thence they continued without a break to Lyscombe (Group (44)). They lay on Middle and Upper Chalk, in places capped by clay, between about 220 ft. and 550 ft. above O.D. The drainage system, from N. to S., and the general southward fall of the ground on the dip-slope of the Chalk, leave very few N.-facing slopes. Former open fields, of Piddletrenthide on the N.W. and of Cheselbourne on the N.E., abut on the area. In Puddletown, on Home Eweleaze, remains of strip fields, presumably of the settlement of Hyde, are still traceable superimposed on 'Celtic' fields. Some of the downland, e.g. Peak at the extreme W. of Dewlish, was arable in the mid 19th century (Tithe Map, 1844). No certain settlements survive as earthworks, but two may be roughly placed by surface concentrations of occupation debris. The first is Dewlish (10), Romano-British, where air photographs show a feature 50 ft. square at 75479852, the site being perhaps significantly close to the destroyed enclosure Cheselbourne (40), undated, but probably of the Iron Age. The second, (a) in Puddletown, lies S. of Well House cottages, about 742966, and is of Iron Age or Romano-British date (Plate 87). One other settlement (e), about 737989, further considered below, is chiefly suggested by arrangements of tracks on Hog Leaze, N. of Dole's Hill (736990). A small ploughed enclosure (b), still visible, is integrated with 'Celtic' fields on Dole's Hill, Piddlehinton, and air photographs suggest the possible former existence of enclosures other than fields at (c), 72959887, in Piddletrenthide, at (g), S.E. of New Barn, Cheselbourne (754996), and at (f), 74499884, on Cheselbourne West Down; these are located on the map, but not delineated. The last, D-shaped, is comparable in size, shape and apparent situation with (a) in Group (35), Nether Cerne. Saxon charters indicate the recognition of a 'castel' (walled structure?) near (b), and a sacred place by the stream E. of (e).
The only certain tracks associated with the 'Celtic' fields are at (e). There is a likely continuation from this area E.S.E. across Cheselbourne West Down and the possibility of a continuation W.N.W. past barrow Piddletrenthide (51). There are indications of tracks elsewhere, e.g. running S.W. towards barrow Cheselbourne (34) and N.E. towards settlement area (a), but the first is on the line of an abandoned through-route from Dorchester to Shaftesbury and the second has, at least in part, been followed by later hollow-ways. A road from Plush to Dewlish, certainly later than the 'Celtic' fields, was once a deep hollow-way cutting diagonally across settlement (e), (Plate 87). A narrow track or ditch, visible only on air photographs, and perhaps contemporary with some phase of the 'Celtic' fields, ran southwards past barrow (24) on Cheselbourne West Down. A low bank and ditch (x) in Piddlehinton, at the extreme S. of the group, is later than the 'Celtic' fields there.
The alignment of the fields in the N. half of the group is markedly along a N.W. to S.E. axis. This is continuous, though broken physically, across the Lisc brook, and is unaffected by the lie of the ground. Further S., the alignment is generally the same to E. of the stream, but it changes slightly on the W., where it is congruent with the pattern of tracks at (e). There are no suggestions of boundary lines other than the stream S. from (e), an unassociated low bank (d) running N.E. across Eweleaze, N. of Dole's Ash Farm, and the tracks and ditches already mentioned. A narrow band, at the most 80 yds. across, was probably uncultivated along the line of the brook.
Original field sizes appear to run from ½ acre to 1½ acres. Fields which appear to be larger than this are almost certainly the result of destruction of field sides. Shapes are generally rectangular and proportions of length to breadth less than 2½: 1. Fields of irregular shape are notable W. of the probable settlement area (a) in Puddletown, where the turn of the spur may be partly responsible, and S.W. of barrow Puddletown (51), 741973. Immediately N. of the latter is a long field, 110 yds. by 30 yds., and another of the same dimensions occurs S. of the tip of Dole's Hill at 93839785. There are others on Cheselbourne West Down. The fields about 220 yds. long on Home Eweleaze, Puddletown, N. of Druce Farm, are almost certainly a consequence of mediaeval strip-ploughing. Lynchets were generally well-developed, frequently up to 6 ft. high on gentle to moderate slopes and up to 20 ft. high where they incorporate a natural shoulder on the edge of the stream.
Dating evidence is scanty. Round barrows, probably of earlier date than the fields, were apparently respected and generally lie by field angles or sides. The known or suspected settlements probably associated with the fields in different phases range from Iron Age 'A' to Romano-British. Pottery found on the fields is of corresponding date (Dorset Procs., 74 (1952), 87–9). References in the 9th century A.D. to walled enclosures and to a (?) holy place on the Lisc brook have been discussed by Grundy (Dorset Procs., 56 (1934), 115 ff.). Enclosure (b) on Dole's Hill is now the nearest recognisable walled or banked enclosure to the 'castel' which is mentioned in Saxon Charter B 525 K. 300, 5, after reference to the lynch, apparently above the brook W. of barrow Cheselbourne (24). The 'burnstow' was on the stream to the N., possibly below (e).
The suggestion of settlement in this area (e) is based, firstly, on the very unusual angular 'U' pattern made by the tracks. With the stream as the fourth side, these enclose a sloping area of nearly 12 acres. The bounding tracks were variously of double-lynchet form, with tread about 18 ft. wide between flattened scarps 1 ft. to 3 ft. high, or sunken 2 ft. or so between banks which were in places very flinty. The overall width is 30 ft. to 40 ft. Both sides seem to have continued down to the stream, the northern first making an angular turn N. A slight hollow and texture mark in grass continues the S. side, eastwards uphill, on Cheselbourne West Down. The interior shows incomplete and rounded remains of scarps, some still 5 ft. high, apparently lynchets. A once clear double-lynchet track with tread 13 ft. wide between lynchets up to 5 ft. high climbs around a moderate slope to join the rectangle near its S.W. angle. At the N.W. angle the banks defining the feature splay into an open triangle, with darkened earth but with no small finds. An air photograph (Plate 87) suggests former ditches here underlying the latest pattern of earthworks. There is no proof of the probable connection between this area and the shallow hollowed track system passing S. of barrow Piddletrenthide (51), 600 yds. W.N.W.
Air photographs: CPE/UK 1934: 4102–7; 1974: 1363–4, 2365–7, 3363–9; 58/RAF/5768: 0028–38; Cambridge University Collections, vertical, K.17, E.142–7; obliques, LR 45–62, AGT 17, 18, 23.'

Record last edited

Jun 23 2014 4:00PM