Monument record MDO4075 - Prehistoric field system on Bareden Down, Iwerne Minster

ST 882152 Remains of 'Celtic' fields lie around the head of a dry combe on Bareden Down. <1-2>

There is now no trace of these 'Celtic' fields on either the ground, or OS air photographs <3.1>. <3>

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1972, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume IV (North), 120 (Monograph). SDO99.

Group (77) : Sutton Hill and Bareden Down (Fontmell Magna, Iwerne Minster, Sutton Waldron). 'Celtic' fields appear formerly to have covered much of the summit and the slopes of the Chalk escarpment in these parishe. Subsequent destruction has left discontinuous areas of remains, all levelled by ploughing except on the steeper slopes, and visible only on air photographs.

Air photographs show 'Celtic' fields at the top of the escarpment in Fontemll Magna, between 877167 and 887165 on either side of the old Blandford-Shaftesbury road, and on the spur of Fontmell Down around 878180. A few lynchets survive on the upper slopes of the spur immediately S. of Littlecombe Bottom, with later strip lynchets below them. To the S. further remains are detactable on Sutton Hill, beteen 877157 and 892157, and on the steep slope overlooing Coombe Bottom (876160). In Iwerne Minster remains of 'Celtic' fields lie around the head of a dry combe on Bareden Down (885153).

Air photographs: CPE/UK 1934 : 4324-6; CPE/UK 2038 : 4082-3.

<2> Royal Air Force, 19-AUG-54, RAF/542/8 F21 104-106 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17876.

<3> Barrett, G, Various, Field Investigators Comments GB, F1 GB 22-FEB-78 (Unpublished document). SDO17369.

<3.1> Ordnance Survey, 6.6.75, OS 75/371 089 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17881.

<4> National Record of the Historic Environment, 205971 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Mar 24 2022 7:45AM