Monument record MDO3837 - Strip Lynchets south of Springhead, Fontmell Magna

A series of medieval strip fields survive as earthworks on the slopes to the south of Springhead, Fontmell Magna. Documentary evidence indicates these were part of Netton Field in the eighteenth century.

The monument includes a well-preserved flight of medieval contour strip lynchets, on a steep north west facing slope south east of Fontmell Magna, 450m south west of Springhead Farm. These lynchets continued to form part of the open fields in the 18th century and a map of that period shows that they lay in an area called Netton Field. At the eastern end there are three terraces merging into four at the western end, extending over a length of 380m. The terraces are up to 10m wide, rise up to 5m high and are connected by ramps at the ends. The lower terrace extends further east into an area of woodland where it is generally lower and less pronounced, degraded by past land use and current badger burrowing. <1>

Well preserved contour strip lynchets south of Springhead, in the former open field called "Netton Field". <2-3>

Centred at ST 874 166 in an area of rough pasture on the north side of Sutton Hill is an exemplary flight of Medieval type strip lynchets. Terraces extend for some 380 metres north east to south west, rise up to 6 metres high and are of average 7 metres wide. Several are connected by well defined ramps. Lynchets depicted on OS 25" <4.1>; clearly defined on OS air photographs <4.2>. <4>

ST 8740 1661: Flight of medieval contour strip lynchets south east of Fontmell Magna and 450 metres south of Springhead Farm. The area continued to see the use of this field system until at least the 18th century when this area was called Netton Field. To the east are 3 terraces merging into 4 further west. The lynchets are about 10 metres wide and up to 5 metres high connected by ramps at the ends. <5>

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1962 (Map). SWX1540.

Centred at ST 873166 Strip Lynchets (NR)

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1972, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume IV (North), 26 (Monograph). SDO99.

'(32) CULTIVATION REMAINS. The date of enclosure of the open fields of Fontmell Magna is unknown, but open fields still existed N and E of the village late in the 18th century (Map of Fontmell Magna, 1774, DCRO) ; they included large fields named Netton, New, Upp, Little Combe and Long Combe, and small fields named Shortlands, Quarrendon and Fort Hill. Welll preserved contour strip lynchets occur on the slopes of the re-entrant valleys in the E of the parish ; in 1774 they formed part of the open fields. The strip lynchets … S of Springhead (874166) were in Netton Field.'

<3> Royal Air Force, 19-AUG-1954, RAF 543/8 F22 069-70 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17864.

<4> Barrett, G, Various, Field Investigators Comments GB, F1 GB 16-JAN-1978 (Unpublished document). SDO17369.

<4.1> Ordnance Survey, 1:2500 scale, 1928 (Map). SWX1197.

<4.2> Ordnance Survey, 28.8.75, OS 75/371 110-111 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17863.

<5> DCMS, 2001, Scheduled Monument Notification EH Scheduling amendment, 11-DEC-2001 (Scheduling record). SDO17865.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 205908 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 12 2024 1:23PM