Monument record MDO3760 - Medieval strip lynchets north of Norton Wood, Durweston

A block of contour strip lynchets, part of the medieval open field system of the parish. The date of enclosure of the open fields is not known, but it took place at some point between 1580 and the start of the 19th century. The lynchets were digitally plotted from lidar imagery during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM project.

A block of contour strip lynchets, part of the medieval open field system of the parish. The date of enclosure of the open fields is not known, but it took place at some point between 1580 and the start of the 19th century. The lynchets were digitally plotted from lidar imagery during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM project [2].

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 1, 91 (Monograph). SDO146.

‘(12) CULTIVATION REMAINS. It is probable that originally both Durweston and Kingston had separate open fields, but by 1580 there was only one system for both villages (map of Durweston c. 1580, copy in D.C.R.O.); enclosure took place some time after 1580, but before the 19th century.
E. and N. of Norton Wood (863089 and 849091) and S. of Norton Lane (853086) are three blocks of contour strip lynchets up to 400 yds. long and now ploughed down. To W. of Knighton House (864081) on both sides of a dry valley are well-preserved remains of fifteen contour strip lynchets, up to 250 yds. long. The upper three strip lynchets on the S. side of the valley run up to the hill top and fan out; on the resulting wide treads is ridge-and-furrow, 5 yds. to 7 yds. wide. The S.W. part of this group overlies ‘Celtic’ fields (Group 60). S.W. of Four Acre Coppice (860074) are five fragmentary contour strip lynchets.’

<2> Environment Agency, 16-NOV-2021, LIDAR Environment Agency DTM (Aerial Photograph). SDO18034.

Record last edited

Nov 8 2022 2:38PM