Monument record MDO2813 - Lynchets, Up Cerne

Banked curvilinear earthworks are visible on the north and south sides of Sheephouse Bottom on 1940s aerial photographs. The features are thought likely to be medieval lynchets although an older origin for some of the features is also possible as they are located within a late prehistoric field system (MDO2812; NRHE Hob UID 199167). The features were digitally plotted during the Dorset upper Frome AIM project.

'a(9) LYNCHETS, on the N. and S. sides of Sheephouse Bottom ¾m. W. of the church'. (1)

Banked curvilinear earthworks are visible on the north and south sides of Sheephouse Bottom on 1940s aerial photographs (2, 3). The features comprise a series of four narrow parallel banks 102m long by 35m deep on the south side of Sheephouse Bottom, The features extend east as faint cropmarks into the adjacent field. On the north side of Sheephouse Bottom the features comprise a seris of more irregular banked linear earthworks, loosely parallel on a SW-NE axis. These potentially extend below and beyond a historic field boundary of potentially medieval date.
The features are thought likely to be medieval lynchets although an older origin for some of the features is also possible as they are located within a late prehistoric field system (MDO2812; NRHE Hob UID 199167). They were digitally plotted during the Dorset upper Frome AIM project.

The features on the south side of Sheephouse Bottom are still visible as earthworks and cropmarks on Google Earth imagery. Those on the north side are not evident and may be levelled.

<1> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-47, RAF/CPE/UK/1975 FP 1050-1 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17031.

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 87 (Monograph). SDO97.

<2> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-47, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RS 4376-7 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17032.

Record last edited

Feb 19 2021 11:53AM