Monument record MDO40862 - Possible post medieval drive, High Hall, Pamphill

A banked and ditched curvilinear feature to the northeast of High Hall is visible on 1940s aerial photographs and current Lidar imagery. The feature itself is not recorded on the OS 1st Edition map but the positioning of trees along some sections suggest it may have been a redundant feature or one going out of use by the late 19th century. It may be a post medieval drive or approach to High Hallmade redundant through subsequent re-landscaping. The feature was digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

Low banked linear earthworks either side of a long curvilinear ditched feature to the north of High Hall are visible on 1940s aerial photographs and current Lidar imagery (1 and 2).

The features comprises a curvilinear ditch that commences from the line of a historic lane or hollow way (possibly of medieval origin) to the northeast of High Hall, continuing southeast for around 185m before curving round to the northeast where it continues to meet the road running past the northeast side of High Hall. A small ditched offshoot on the south side of this feature runs south towards a historic trackway leading to High Hall; recorded on the 1st Edition map (3).

On either side of the ditched feature are low linear banks which for most of their length correspond with trees also recorded on the 1st Edition map - although the banks and ditches themselves are not shown. In particular the western end of the feature corresponds with a pronounced line of trees on the 1st Edition map, still present in 1946 and still visible on current Google Earth imagery (1 and 3). Some of the banked features may be historic field boundaries of medieval or psot medieval date but the majority appear to be part of one coherent feature; though they may have served a dual purpose as field boundaries at some stage.

The historic lane or hollow way to the northeast of High Hall appears to be out of use on current Google Earth imagery. The line of its eastern boundary appears to correspond with adjecent historic boundaries that together form a large irregular enclosure up to 1km long by up to 760m wide. High Hall sits within this enclosure, which is now dissected by the main road. It is probable that this enclosure is of medieval origin, possibly a manorial enclosure or deer park. The curvilinear ditched and banked feature may be an ornamental drive of probable post medieval origin and clearly out of use by the late 19th century. It may have been a former approach to High Hall made redundant through subsequent re-landscaping or a drive associated with access to the wider ornamental landscape; possibly the main road supercedes part of this former feature?

The site is still open ground on current Google Earth imagery and the feature remains visible as low though less well-defined earthworks. It was digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

<1> Royal Air Force, 12-DEC-46, RAF/CPE/UK/1893 RP 3101-2 (Aerial Photograph). SDO15961.

<2> Environment Agency, XX-XXX-2015, Environment Agency DTM Lidar 50cm (Aerial Photograph). SDO15306.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1864, 1886, Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, epoch one (Map). SDO10239.

Record last edited

May 3 2018 2:49PM