Monument record MDO24554 - Poxwell, strip field system

A medieval strip field system is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs to the south-east of Poxwell {1-2}. The parallel field banks were digitally plotted during the South Dorset Ridgeway Mapping Project.

A field boundary located immediately to the east of the features described above in (1-2) and visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs, may be part of the same medieval field system. The field boundary is formed of a bank and extends east-west for a distance of 150 m. (3) This feature was digitally plotted as part of the Wild Purbeck Mapping Project.

<1> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1821 3277-8 (Aerial Photograph). SDO11788.

<2> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1821 4443-4 (Aerial Photograph). SDO11784.

<3> Dorset County Council, XX-XXX-2009, Dorset CC Vertical Digital Photo Tile (Aerial Photograph). SDO13314.

<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). At the N.E. remains of open fields lie against the indented parish boundary with Watercombe. S. of this, other fields, possibly mediaeval in origin, cross the modern parish boundary into land recently transferred from Poxwell to Watercombe. … The remains are of contour type … E. of the village (746837) … 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.).’

Record last edited

Sep 18 2017 2:10PM