Monument record MDO351 - Strip lynchets on The Warren, Bothenhampton

A system of medieval strip lynchets are visible as earthworks on lidar imagery and aerial photographs on the south-west facing slope to the north of Bothenmapton. They were digitally plotted during the Marshwood Vale NMP project.

[SY 4791] Lynchets forming two series N.E. of BOTHENHAMPTON village near and around the WARREN. (1)

[Area centred SY 48009188] A series of Md. strip cultivation forming terraces following the natural contours on the southern and western slopes of a hill side.
A. SY 4800 9180 Cultivation terraces on a steep slope with a vertical drop off up to 5.5m. of the sloping bank between the terraces. In view of the steepness of the hillside it is difficult to consider that these banks are solely the result of the plough forming lynchets and it would appear that some, it not all of the levelling process of the terrace took place prior to cultivation. Under pasture.
B. SY 4802 9197. Similar to A but generally of lesser dimensions.
C. SY 4792 9199. Partially fern covered making precise delineation difficult but strip lynchets are visible up to 1.5m. In height and in the northern portion modern cultivation follows the same line. <2>

Strip lynchets, survey revised. <3>

The system of medieval strip lynchets are visible as earthworks on lidar imagery and aerial photographs on the south-west facing slope to the north of Bothenmapton. They were digitally plotted during the Marshwood Vale NMP project <4-7>.

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 30 (Monograph). SDO97.

'The following lynchets (16 and 17) no doubt form part of the former field-systems of their respective villages. (17) LYNCHETS, forming two series, N.E. of Bothenhampton village, are as follows: (a) irregular series facing S. and S.W. and becoming more regular in the Warren; (b) three terraces turning at right angles to the S. at the E. end of (a) to face W.'

<2> Swatridge, G C, Various, Field Investigators Comments GCS, F1 GCS 21-SEP-54 (Unpublished document). SWX1169.

<3> LS Surveyor, 21-JUN-90 (Verbal communication). SWX1342.

<4> Environment Agency, 2010, Lidar DTM, sy4792sw_dtm_50sc.asc and sy4792se_dtm_50cm.asc (Aerial Photograph). SDO13148.

<5> Dorset County Council, XX-XXX-2002, Dorset CC Vertical Digital Photo Tile (Aerial Photograph). SDO13248.

<6> Royal Air Force, 27-APR-1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2621 3053-4 (Aerial Photograph). SDO14117.

<7> Environment Agency, 2012, Lidar DTM, sy4791_dtm_50cm.asc and sy4891nw_dtm_50cm.asc (Aerial Photograph). SDO14118.

<8> National Record of the Historic Environment, 450158 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 23 2024 3:42PM