Monument record MDO3629 - Prehistoric field system in Old Park, Bryanston

A later prehistoric field system is visible as earthworks on lidar imagery on the south side of the valley traversing Old Park, Bryanston. It was digitally plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM Project.

(Centred ST 863068). 'Celtic' fields in Bryanston parish are best preserved, with lynchets up to 14ft high, on the south side of the valley traversing Old Park (see plan). Even here there has been overploughing of lesser lynchets and almost complete destruction by Medieval lynchets west of Bryanston Farm, where three contour strip lynchets extend for up to 500 yds, ST 866068-ST 869068.

A settlement in Old Park (ST 80 NE 112) appears to be linked with the fields. <1-2>

ST 856 065 A rapid examination of air photography <3.1> suggests the field system continues in the fields west of Old Park Wood, and may include three possible rectangular enclosures and a possible round barrow, all of Prehistoric or Roman date, visible as cropmarks.<3>

A later prehistoric field system is visible as earthworks on lidar imagery on the south side of the valley traversing Old Park, Bryanston. It covers and area of approximately 40 hectares and was digitally plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM Project [8]. It part of a wider system of fields which includes MDO44818 to the north.

National Monuments Record, NMR 4333: 27-9 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17740.

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 1, 48 (Monograph). SDO146.

<2> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 341 (Monograph). SDO136.

<2.1> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1975 2016-7 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17739.

<3> Miller, Andrew, 1993, RCHME: AP Primary Recording Project, 27-JAN-1993 (Unpublished document). SWX1708.

<5> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 883134 (Index). SDO14738.

RCHME: `Celtic' Fields, Bryanston, Durweston, Dorset: Publication proof, scored on acetate, `316' written in pencil on the bottom. Features Old Park Wood. Inscription: Old Park, Bryanston Group 26.Bibliographic References : 1) Pt 2, Group (60)

<6> Historic England, Historic England Archive, RCH01/096 (Index). SDO14738.

RCHME Inventory: Dorset III (Central): A large collection of archive relating to the RCHME Dorset Inventory Volume III, published in 1970. It contains field surveys and excavation archive. Parish files containing original surveys have been given child collection status.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 205432 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<8> Environment Agency, 16-NOV-2021, LIDAR Environment Agency DTM (Aerial Photograph). SDO18034.

Record last edited

Nov 22 2022 6:47PM