Monument record MDO3739 - Strip lynchets on north west slopes of Fontmell Down, Compton Abbas

Earthwork remains of strip fields on the north west slopes of Fontmell Down formed part of the open fields of Compton Abbas. These fields were part of Culverland Field.

ST 876181 Well preserved contour and cross-contour strip lynchets occur on the north west slopes of Fontmell Down at ST 877182, and around the sides of Fore Top at ST 876179. <1-2>

Centred ST 87701820. Well defined, steep sided Medieval type lynchets extend for about 600.0m north east/south west in the area noted by RCHM <1>.

The lynchets centred at ST 87881830 are partly wooded and are of average 10.0m wide. (Detail depicted on OS 25' 1928). A strong lynchet, now for the greater part ploughed smooth, extended to the combe head at ST 88331873. Centred ST 87601810. Scarps up to 0.7m high extending diagonally across the hill side of Fore Top appear to represent the former bounds of Iron Age/Romano-British fields. Detail poorly defined on OS air photographs <3.1>.

A well defined terrace-way extends diagonally across the north west facing hill slope, from ST 87651820 to where it fades on high ground, at ST 88131831. <3>
'MEDIAEVAL AND LATER EARTHWORKS

Ordnance Survey, 6.6.75, OS 75/371 141 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17869.

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1972, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume IV (North), 14, 26 (Monograph). SDO99.

(11) CULTIVATION REMAINS. The date of enclosure of the open fields is unknown. A late 18th or early 19th-century map (D.C.R.O.) shows nine separate open fields, all apparently in the last stages of piecemeal enclosure; they existed substantially un-altered in 1844 (Tithe Map). Well preserved contour and cross-contour strip lynchets in four places in the parish represent some of these fields: those on the N. and N.E. slopes of Elbury Hill (863183) were in Hawkam Field; those on the W. of Melbury Hill (868192) were in Incombe Field; those on the S. and E. of Melbury Hill (871195) were in Forked Bridge Field; those on the N.W. slopes of Fontmell Down (877182) were in Culverland Field.

<2> Royal Air Force, 29-OCT-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1811 1082-83 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17868.

<3> Barrett, G, Various, Field Investigators Comments GB, F1 GB 16-FEB-78 (Unpublished document). SDO17369.

<4> National Record of the Historic Environment, 205967 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Mar 22 2022 10:25AM