Monument record MDO3964 - Medieval cultivation remains on Thomas's Hill, Hilton

An extensive Iron Age or Romano British field system overlain in places by Medieval strip lynchets and ridge and furrow. Earthworks of enclosures, hollow-ways and a possible settlement were also identified. Scheduled.

Field Systems. Taken from Air Photos in Jan-March 1949. <1>

A. Celtic field system.

A. Centred at (ST 79100385). Fragmentary remains on the spur called Green Hill, the head and slopes of the small re-entrant valley to the south and northwards on the slopes of the main valley as far as a point due west of Oxhouse Cottages, mainly above the 600 ft contour. Damaged by quarrying on Green Hill. Large rectangular scarps and banks.

B. Centred at (ST 78100470). Fields and Double Lynchet-ways. <2>

C. centred at ST 78750312. Extensive field systems visible on APs. <3.1-3.4>

A. and B. : Two areas with fairly well pronounced field banks and lynchets of Iron Age/Romano British type, as described in Authy. 2. The areas fall on rough pasture, mainly above the 600' contour, and are confined to the rather steep valley sides, elsewhere the systems have presumably been ploughed out.

C. The indications of the Iron Age/Romano British field system are now faint, since it has been overlaid by medieval strip lynchets. These follow the contours in a NW-SE direction, are fairly parallel but irregularly spaced, and are from 0.5m. to 1.5m. high. <3>

A three-field system existed at Hilton in the 14th century <4.1>, but the date of enclosure is unknown. Strip lynchets of these fields cover about 60 acres around the village. Due W. of Manor Farm (ST 776037) a particularly well-preserved set, of contour type with massive risers, appears in part to overlie 'Celtic' fields. On Thomas's Hill (ST 793026) a series of narrow contour strip lynchets, in part cut by the Hilton-Milton Abbas Road, curves E. round the spur and runs into and over 'Celtic' fields (see below - Group 52). A more extensive group of contour strip lynchets E. of the village (ST 789029) was formerly arranged in interlocking furlongs with run-out and ramped ends. At a subsequent period but before 1769 (see Woodward's map, 1771, and Tithe Map of Hilton, 1842) the area was divided into rectangular closes and the lower treads were reploughed; this has resulted in the treads having squared-off ends delimited by old hedge banks. Listed as 'Most Worthy of Preservation'. <4>

Group 51. 'Celtic' field remains, very much disturbed, are distinguishable over some 80 acres between about 500 ft. and 800 ft. above sea-level, from W. of the head of Hilton Bottom, ST 777046, to Green Hill Plantation, Milton Abbas, ST 796037. Most are on the sides of the ridge S.E. from Bulbarrow. No certainly complete original fields survive, but many lynchets are massive, exceptionally up to 30ft. high. There has been extensive ploughing on the summit of the ridge and also below the 600 ft. contour, below which little is detectable. At the extreme N.W. of Hilton Bottom there are traces of ridge-and-furrow over 'Celtic' fields. There are numbers of deep quarry pits among the fields as well as shallower quarries. Some of the latter are regularly disposed and notably rectangular, though with sloping 'floors'. A row of such pits is cut into a lynchet on Green Hill at ST 79200392. Some sub-rectangular platforms superficially resemble the earthworks of a form of settlement; they lie uphill of a long scarp, 10ft. high, E. of Shop House Plantation, around the 600 ft. contour at ST 794037. Abandoned banks of relatively late date further confuse the remains. One, W. from ST 78510447, partly shown at (x) on plan is 6ft. across and has ditches 3 ft. wide and 2 ft. deep on either side.

Undated and unexplained features, complex or much disturbed, include: (a) 'platforms' and hollow-ways over some 250 yds. on the upper W. facing slopes above Hilton Bottom between ST 78430440 and ST 78400460; (b) incomplete indications of a rounded enclosure of perhaps 4 acres, with a ploughed bank up to 27 ft. wide, centred at ST 785040; (c) a feature defined by a scarp up to 5 1/2 ft. in height, with N.W. corner rounded, about ST 790036, E. of the Hilton/Milton Abbas parish boundary and in indeterminate relationship to it. The 'platforms' in area (a) are generally prominent, but the surfaces of the smaller examples slope up to 8 degs. The hollow-way at the N., up to 2 1/2 ft. deep, are probably earlier than the ridge-way, Ice Drove. The terrace, 50 yds. long and 4 yds. to 5 yds. wide at the S. of the area, is immediately above a 'Celtic' field. The lengths of a terrace-way which approach area (a) from the valley bottom do not accord with the lie of the 'Celtic' fields. Group 52. 'Celtic' fields are recognisable over approximately 5 acres on the tip of Thomas's Hill, between ST 792027 and ST 795027, and ST 794030. The remains, mostly much altered, survive on the fringes of strip cultivation (see Authy 4) which has probably destroyed others. Later ploughing and tree planting have added to the destruction. <5>
ST 790030. Cultivation remains on Thomas Hill and E of Hilton. Scheduled. (See illus. for extent). Partly under trees and partly under pasture, but well preserved. <6-7>

<1> Atkinson, R J C, 1949, spec 6 inch (RJCA 1.3.49) (Map). SWX1583.

<2> RCHM Mss file (Unpublished document). SWX2467.

<3> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 23-AUG-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<3.1> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1975 1028-9 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17653.

<3.2> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1975 1031-2 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17654.

<3.3> Royal Air Force, 1975, RAF/CPE/UK/1975 2431 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17655.

<3.4> Royal Air Force, 1975, RAF/CPE/UK/1975 3338-42 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17656.

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 1, 113 (Monograph). SDO146.

‘(29) CULTIVATION REMAINS: (a) A three-field system existed at Hilton in the 14th century (H. L. Gray, English Field Systems, 1915, appx. II, 461) but the date of enclosure is unknown. … A more extensive group of contour strip lynchets E. of the village (789029) was formerly arranged in interlocking furlongs with run-out and ramped ends. At a subsequent period but before 1769 (see Woodward's map, 1771, and Tithe Map of Hilton, 1842) the area was divided into rectangular closes and the lower treads were reploughed; this has resulted in the treads having squared-off ends delimited by old hedge banks.’

<4.1> Gray, H L, 1915, English Field Systems, 461 (Monograph). SDO17648.

<5> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 335, 337 (Monograph). SDO136.

<5.1> Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 1078-9 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17649.

<5.2> Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 2431 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17650.

<5.3> Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 3110 (Aerial Photograph). SDO16107.

<5.4> Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 3111 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17651.

<5.5> Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 3340-1 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17652.

<6> DOE, 1978, Scheduled Monument Notification DOE (IAM) AMs Eng 2 1978, 83 (Scheduling record). SDO17448.

<7> Department of the Environment, DOE (IAM) Ancient Monuments Record Form (Index). SDO17347.

<8> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 880987 (Index). SDO14738.

RCHME. Platforms and Hollow-ways, Celtic Field Group 26, Dorset: Bibliographic References : 1) Pt 2, Celtic Field Gp (51).

<9> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 882093 (Index). SDO14738.

RCHME. Platforms and Hollow-Ways At (a), Celtic Field Group (51), Dorset: Inscription: Detail of Features N. from 'a' on 6 in plan of Group 51. Hilton Bottom and Green Hill. Bibliographic References : 1) Pt 2, Celtic Field Gp (51).

<10> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 883074 (Index). SDO14738.

RCHME. `Celtic' Field Remains, East of Hilton Bottom, Green Hill, Dorset: Publication proof, scored on acetate, `319' written on pencil next to the site details. Inscription: Part of Gp 51Bibliographic References : 1) Pt 2, Gp (51).

<11> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 883248 (Index). SDO14738.

RCHME. St Thomas's Hill `Celtic' Fields, Dorset: Publication proof, on acetate, `320' written on the bottom in pencil. Inscription: 'Celtic' Fields with impinging strip lynchets (29a) on Thomas's Hill, Hilton. Gp (8)Bibliographic References : 1) Pt 2, Gp (52).

<12> Historic England, Historic England Archive, BB74/04563 (Index). SDO14738.

UNDATED FEATURES - PLATFORMS AND HOLLOW WAYS (GROUP 51)

<13> Historic England, Historic England Archive, CC74/00398 (Index). SDO14738.

UNDATED FEATURES - PLATFORMS AND HOLLOW WAYS (GROUP 51) SEE DOR3/P335 FOR SIMILAR PLAN

<14> 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.

<15> National Record of the Historic Environment, 201809 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Feb 15 2022 9:43AM