Monument record MDO2238 - 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, 324 (Monograph). SDO136.

'GROUP (36): CHARLTON HIGHER DOWN (with adjacent areas in Charminster, Piddlehinton, Puddletown and Stinsford, comprising 'Celtic' fields, settlement and other remains. See map opposite). 'Celtic' fields covered at least 600 acres on Charlton Higher Down, Charminster (E. from SY 684954), Little Piddle Down, Piddlehinton (to 703960), Waterston Ridge, Puddletown (to 720943) and parts of Stinsford S. of this (to 710940). The remains were prominent on Charlton Higher Down, where parts towards the W. were the only portions not in modern arable, but incomplete even there owing to former destruction by ploughing. Elsewhere the pattern is much broken. Very faint traces show that the group was virtually continuous with Group (35) on the N. There are isolated fragments E. and S. of the main block: on Little Piddle Hill (711958) and N. of Seager's Barn, Charminster (698938).
A settlement, Charminster (30), on Charlton Higher Down (see plan, p. 73), is at the junction of local roads associated with the 'Celtic' fields. There are two other possible settlements, (a) and (b), W. of this, also on Charlton Higher Down.
The fields lie mostly on gentle slopes between about 300 ft. and 550 ft. O.D. on and about a ridge E. from the N.-S. ridge between the rivers Cerne and Piddle. They are generally on Chalk, but at least 20 acres are on sandy loam of the Reading Beds on the summit of Charlton Higher Down (690956). Sandy clay also occurs in patches E. of this. Some podsolisation was visible near Settlement (30) and water was held in a modern pit there. Purple 'heathstone' was scattered in the settlement area.
Settlement (30) existed between the 1st century, at latest, and the 4th century A.D. It is approached for ¾ mile from the E. by a road, now incomplete and all of it under the plough, which shows as a double-lynchet track with surface 7 yds. wide on the E. of Little Puddle Down, and as a hollow between banks of chalk and clay where the ground rises W. from the Down. 'Celtic' fields were arranged on either side of it. The road forks N.W. and S., just N.E. of the settlement, the junction forming a small open space about 20 ft. across. It is possible that a road also continued W. from the settlement.
Possible settlement (a), 68919521, is suggested by a scarped and banked rectangular enclosure, 38 yds. by 14 yds. on the edge of a block of fields with a shallow gully immediately W. A circular depression about 27 ft. across, almost surrounded by a slight bank, lies N. of it. A gap in the bank facing S.W. is, however, uncharacteristic of hut-circles. There is a curving bank, unusual amongst ordinary fields, 100 yds. N.W. of the circle.
Possible settlement (b) depends chiefly on air-photographic signs of a possibly banked enclosure, roughly 100 ft. square, but with the S. side rounded, at 68599562 (CPE/UK 2475: 3189–90) near the summit at the W. of Charlton Higher Down, above 500 ft. The ground S. of this is uneven and there is a break in the regular pattern of fields.
The remains of a continuous belt of fields have survived for 2 miles from W. to E. At 702953 an almost straight line of lynchets running for 600 yds. S. from Peak Coppice suggests a boundary. Staggered angles are common, especially S.E. of Charlton Higher Down. Destruction has left very few complete individual fields. There are indications of proportions of about 2:1, lengths from 83 yds. to 100 yds., sides from 30 yds. to 50 yds., and sizes from ½ acre to under 1 acre. Lynchets up to 6 ft. high occur over the whole area and are up to 10 ft. high on Charlton Higher Down. Relationships with other earthworks are few. Barrows appear to have been respected. Two, Charminster (45) and Piddlehinton (18), clearly lay at field angles. Puddletown (38), a probable barrow, is also at a field angle. All parish boundaries cut across 'Celtic' fields as does the ridgeway connecting Puddletown with the Dorchester-Sherborne ridgeroad; the line of this ridgeway is visible running S.E. from 700952.
Air photographs: CPE/UK 2475: 3185–93; 4115–6. Cambridge University Collections, oblique, AY 7 and 8. Other oblique photographs of settlement Charminster (30) taken by W/Cdr. H. J. Penrose.'

Record last edited

Jun 23 2014 3:58PM