Monument record MDO2399 - Fosters School, Tinney's Lane, Sherborne; post-medieval field boundaries

Field boundaries seemingly overlying medieval ridge and furrow were recorded during an earthwork survey at Foster’s School, Tinney’s Lane in 1995. Subsequent evaluation by trial trench showed that these were post-medieval in date.

AC Archaeology conducted an archaeological desk based assessment and field survey during 1995 of land adjacent to the former Foster’s School, Tinney’s Lane, Sherborne.

Field boundaries seemingly overlying medieval ridge and furrow were recorded. These principally comprised two linear banks which were shown to be post-medieval in date in a subsequent evaluation by trial trench. Trenches 1, 2 and 6 all contained approximately NNW-SSE aligned ditches containing post-medieval material. In Trench 2 [F12] was 1.9m wide and 0.95m deep with moderately sloping side sand a flat base; [F25] was parallel and adjacent to [F19] and measured 0.25m wide and 0.08m deep. Trench 4 contained a single ENE-WSW aligned earth bank of post-medieval date. This bank had been recorded in the earthwork survey and the trench positioned in order to sample it. Trench 6 also contained two parallel ditches [F69] & [F73] both with traces of low banks. [F69] measured 1.2m wide and 0.3m deep; [F73] was 1.5m wide and 0.45m deep (1).

The alignments of these field boundaries conform to the predominant field alignments in the Sherborne area, which may represent a late prehistoric field system that has been modified and remained in use until the modern day. [2]

The area has since been developed for housing and playing fields.

Valentin, J, 1995, Further archaeological evaluation of land adjacent to the former Foster’s School, Tinney’s Lane, Sherborne, Dorset (Unpublished document). SDO10361.

Valentin, J, 1995, The former Foster’s School site, Tinney’s Lane, Sherborne; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society (Article in serial). SDO10360.

<1> Valentin, J , Chandler, J and Geophysical Surveys of Bradford, 1995, The archaeological assessment and evaluation of land adjacent to the former Foster’s School, Tinney’s Lane, Sherborne, Dorset (Unpublished document). SDO10359.

<2> Davey, J E, 2005, The Roman to Medieval transition in the region of South Cadbury Castle, Somerset (Monograph). SDO10353.

Record last edited

Oct 21 2010 5:38AM