Monument record MDO31532 - Medieval field system, Corfe Castle

Remains of a medieval strip field system are visible as linear earthwork banks on aerial photographs of fields to the west of Corfe Castle village.

(Area centred SY 956817) Strip lynchets. <1>

Medieval Strip plots in Corfe Castle village, extend S of the church and behind the houses in an area bounded on the W by Corfe River, on the S by Corfe Common and on the E by East Street. In 'West Hawes' (957816) the ground is flat, rising to the extreme S., and in 'Middle Hawes'(961816)there are moderate changes of slope. All are now in pasture but were once arable. In addition, the present pattern of hedgerows enclose strips E of East Street. By the 16th century (ref. Treswell's map of 1585) these plots were called 'hawes', a term normally applied to urban closes. Their arable use may be connected with the small area available for an open-field system. There are no clear remains of open-field strips anywhere else around the village, though the pattern made by modern fields S of Challow Farm (964821) suggests the enclosure of former furlongs.

The ridges in 'West Hawes', butting on the river, are 11 yards to 14 yards across and mostly between 100 yards and 150 yards long. A number are marked with merestones, often set opposite the E. ends of the ridge crests, which are inscribed with initials, including 'RB', 'NB' and 'CCC'. In two modern fields which edge Corfe Common S of this area are remains of strip fields with risers 1ft to 2ft high, markedly curved on plan to a shallow C shape. The remains in 'Middle Hawes' are predominantly ridges, but include three well marked lyncheted plots, a little over 100 yards long and from 7 yards to 12 yards wide. (See plan). <2>


Remains of a medieval strip field system are visible as linear earthwork banks on aerial photographs of fields to the west of Corfe Castle village <3-6>. These features were digitally plotted during the Wild Purbeck mapping project.

<1> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F1 JR 04-JUL-52 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 1, 98 (Monograph). SDO148.

<2.1> Royal Air Force, RAF/CPE/UK/1821 2407-08 (Aerial Photograph). SDO19653.

<3> Royal Air Force, 14-MAR-1945, RAF 106G/LA/194 257-58 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13654.

<4> Royal Air Force, 27-MAR-1945, RAF 106G/LA/200 1062-63 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13675.

<5> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1821 2408-09 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13656.

<6> Dorset County Council, 2002, VAP (Aerial Photograph). SDO13141.

<7> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AA72/01621 (Index). SDO14738.

MERE STONE - SOUTH-EAST HEADLAND STONE 1 ASSOCIATED WITH MEDIEVAL STRIP PLOTS

<8> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AA72/01622 (Index). SDO14738.

VIEW OF MERE STONE ASSOCIATED WITH MEDIEVAL STRIP PLOTS

<9> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AA72/01623 (Index). SDO14738.

MERE STONE ON RIGHT BANK OF CORFE RIVER ASSOCIATED WITH MEDIEVAL STRIP PLOTS

<10> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AA72/01624 (Index). SDO14738.

MERE STONE MARKED 'NB'. ASSOCIATED WITH MEDIEVAL STRIP PLOTS

<11> National Record of the Historic Environment, 456810 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Mar 16 2023 7:17PM