Monument record MDO4043 - Prehistoric field system

Traces of 'Celtic' fields are visible between Ranston Hill and Furzhill (ST 873128-ST 879129). <1>

<1> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 341-342 (Monograph). SDO136.

'GROUP (61): STOURPAINE, IWERNE STEPLETON AND IWERNE COURTNEY. 'Celtic' fields, all greatly distributed, appear over some 150 acres of E. Stourpaine and can be just detected in the two parishes on the N.
All the fields are on Upper Chalk between 200 ft. And 500 ft. O.D. To the E. of Manor Farm, Stourpaine, ST 865094, and E. of Ash Farm, 868101 to 873100, in both instances on N.-facing valley-sides, the remains have been overlain by or integrated with strip and subsequent cultivation. E. of the second block the plough disturbance is generally later. On Stourpaine Down, around 880107, a broken pattern can be seen in a field called Horse Leys on the Tithe Map. (CPE/UK 1944: 3322-4). The only apparently complete fields here are 120 yds. Long and about 35 yds. Wide. S. of this, traces of France Down (876091) continue S. into Pimperne, again broken by strip and later cultivation (CPE/UK 1934: 2159-61).
In Iwerne Stepleton there are traces of fields N. of Everley Coppice, around 872118, and in Iwerne Courtney there are traces between Ranston Hill and Furzhill (873128-879129).
Air photographs: CPE/UK 1944: 2323-5.'

<2> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/096 RCHME Inventory: Dorset III (Central) (Unpublished document). SDO17384.

<3> CPE/UK 1944: 2323-5 (Aerial Photograph). SDO18565.

<4> National Record of the Historic Environment, 206192 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 21 2022 12:00PM