Monument record MDO40066 - Iron Age or Romano-British field system, Knowlton, Woodlands

A series of ditched linear features within and overlying parts of the Knowlton Barrow Group are visible on 1970s and 1990s aerial photographs. The features are thought to represent an Iron Age or Romano-British field system. The features were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

SU 0236 1044. Perpendicular linear ditches, probably representing Prehistoric or Roman field boundaries, are visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs, and have been mapped by EH's Knowlton Circles Project. The ditches are fragmentary, covering an area from SU 0210 1046 - SU 0248 1026. The linear features pass through, and appear to post date, the henges and round barrows of the Knowlton Circles monument group. They also seem to be associated with two possible Prehistoric or Roman enclosures or square barrows (SU 01 SW 210, SU 01 SW 211). Further fragmentary traces of possible field systems are visible to the east (SU 01 SW 214, SU 01 SW 216) and west (SU 01 SW 217). <1-2>

A series of ditched linear features within and overlying parts of the Knowlton Barrow Group are visible on 1970s and 1990s aerial photographs <3-4>. Some of the features also show clearly on a 2014 aerial photograph <5>.

The linears run through some of the barrows and henges and clearly post-date these features. They probably represent a late prehistoric field sytem, most likely of Iron Age or Romano-British origin. Some linears appear to extend beyond the historic field boundary to the northwest of the barrow group, suggesting the field system may have continued to the northwest. The features were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP.

<1> National Monuments Record, 26-JUN-1970, NMR SU 0210/6-7 (NMR 290/107-8) (Aerial Photograph). SDO18733.

<2> National Monuments Record, 13-JUL-1995, NMR SU 0210/78 NMR 15314/15 (Aerial Photograph). SDO18723.

<3> John Boyden, 26-JUN-70, JRB290/108 (SU0210/007) (Aerial Photograph). SDO15705.

<4> John Boyden, 26-JUN-70, JRB290/112 (SU0210/10) (Aerial Photograph). SDO15709.

<5> National Monuments Record, 13-JUL-1995, NMR15326/006 (SU0210/066) (Aerial Photograph). SDO15701.

<6> GetMapping, 2014, Digital vertical aerial photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDO14101.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1409951 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<8> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1409952 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 12 2024 10:34AM