Monument record MDO2620 - Prehistoric field system, Sydling St Nicholas

Part of an extensive prehistoric field system, reported as surviving as well-preserved earthworks in this area. Linear and curvilinear banked earthworks and cropmarks visible on North Field Hill on aerial photographs and thought to be associated with the field system in this area were digitally plotted during the Dorset Upper Frome AIM project. They may be a continuation of further features recorded to the north under MDO2621 and MDO2622 and blanket recorded under NRHE Hob UID 199225.

(Centred at ST 61900045) Field system plotted from air photographs. <2>

An extensive Celtic field system under grass, approximately 1 1/4 miles from north to south and mainly between the 700ft and 600ft contours. Field banks and lynchets are about 5.0m wide and from 0.2m to 1.0m high, the system being stronger on the valley slopes. The fields formed are irregular. The system is visible on the air photographs but less well defined on the ground. <3>

This Celtic field system is as generally described; it remains under rough pasture. Two well preserved areas of the system occur at:
(i) Centred ST 61450120. Covering about 10 hectares on an E facing valley slope, as noted in 1955 (2).
(ii) Centred ST 62309985. A particularly fine example of Celtic fields defined by banks and lynchets, covering approx 15 hectares of a SW facing combe slope; it is clearly visible on the ground and OS APs (b) Fields area generally rectilinear and average 50.0m by 30.0m (.15 ha). <4>

'Celtic' field fragments occur on the east slope of the chalk downland from ST 612019 to ST 624007, a distance of over one mile. <5>

Linear and curvilinear banked earthworks and cropmarks visible on North Field Hill and Loscombe Hill on aerial photographs and current Lidar imagery, and thought to be associated with the field system in this area, were digitally plotted during the Dorset Upper Frome AIM project <8-13>. The features appear to form a series of irregularly sized enclosures and trackways/hollow ways on a broadly north-south axis. They may be a continuation of further features recorded to the north and south under MDO2620 and MDO2622 and blanket recorded under NRHE Hob UID 199225. The OS 1st Edition map records the site of a 'British Settlement' on Loscombe Hill <1>. An enclosure on the southern edge of Loscombe Hill is recorded seperately under MDO2603. Two substantial linear earthworks to the west of this are recorded under MDO43121.

<1> Ordnance Survey, c.1880, Ordnance Survey 25-inch map epoch one (Map). SDO18132.

<2> Atkinson, R J C, 1949, spec 6 inch (RJCA 1.3.49) (Map). SWX1583.

<3> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 14-MAY-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 236 (Monograph). SDO97.

‘(35) CELTIC FIELD-SYSTEMS have left remains in various places in the N. and W. half of the parish, particularly on East Hill, Row Hill, Wardon Hill, Combe Hill, Break Heart Hill, Peak End Hill, Ayles's Hill and South Field Hill.’

<5> Stone, J W, Field Investigators Comments JWS, F2 JWS 29-SEP-76 (Unpublished document). SDO11902.

<6> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/088 RCHME Inventory: Dorset I (West) and Revision (Unpublished document). SDO17367.

<7> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, RCHM Ms File (unpublished revision of Dorset 1) (Unpublished document). SDO17382.

<8> Ordnance Survey, 1864, 1886, Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, epoch one (Map). SDO10239.

<9> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-47, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FS 2381-2 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17071.

<10> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-47, RAF/CPE/UK/1794 RP 3380-1 (Aerial Photograph). SDO16904.

<11> John Boyden, 23-OCT-71, JRB386/2331 (ST6200/4) (Aerial Photograph). SDO17074.

<12> National Monuments Record, 10-JAN-07, NMR24507/45 (ST6100/17) (Aerial Photograph). SDO17073.

<13> Environment Agency, XX-XXX-2019, LIDAR Environment Agency Composite LAST RETURN (Photograph). SDO16524.

<14> National Record of the Historic Environment, 199225 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Nov 25 2022 11:01AM