Monument record MDO2778 - Medieval strip lynchets, Tolpuddle

Two of the lynchets in the area of cultivation described in <1> are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs of the 1940s <2>. The lynchets are formed of two linear banks oriented south west-north east and measuring up to 135 m in length. This feature was digitally plotted during the Wild Purbeck Mapping Project.

<1> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 290 (Monograph). SDO136.

'(9) Cultivation Remains. A three-field system was probably in existence in 1401 (Dorset I.P.M., Vol. I (1916), 144) and these fields were finally enclosed in 1794 (Enclosure Award, D.C.R.O.). At the time of enclosure, a New or Common field was recorded in addition to the West, Middle and East Fields. Strip fields, probably of the former Middle Field, lie 300 yds. N.E. of the church on both sides of a small dry valley (794946); they consist of four contour strip lynchets, up to 160 yds. long. Fragmentary contour strip lynchets also exist ¾ m. S.W. of Ashley Barn (807950).'

<1.1> Royal Air Force, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 1356-1357 (Aerial Photograph). SDO20172.

<2> Royal Air Force, 20-MAR-1945, RAF 106G/LA187 3024-5 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13281.

<3> National Record of the Historic Environment, 454923 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 26 2023 4:55PM