Monument record MDO40927 - Possible post medieval field boundaries,White Sheet Plantation, Holt

Banked and ditched linear features to the west of White Sheet Plantation are visible in 1940s aerial photographs. The features may be historic field boundaries and/or possible plantation banks, perhaps post medieval in date, although a later origin is also possible. The features were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

Banked and ditched linear features to the west of White Sheet Plantation are visible in 1940s aerial photographs (1 and 2).

The features are narrow and slightly curvilinear in form; one has an echoing ditch along its south side. The features are situated within an area of historic plantation recorded on the OS 1st Edition map (3). The northernmost feature may correspond with historic enclosure boundaries also recorded on that map, where they possibly complete a curvilinear enclosure (3). Two curvilinear ditches run off this possible enclosure to the south towards the banked and ditched linear feature; potetnially forming a further irregular enclosure (1). Two short parallel curvilinear banks to the west of this group do not obviously correspond or align with any historic enclosure boundaries (3).

By 1946 the plantation in this area is substantially cleared, with some surviving historic boundaries visible as earthworks. The features may be historic field boundaries and/or possible plantation banks, perhaps post medieval in date, although a later origin is possible.

The site remains partially open fields with patches of trees on current Google Earth imagery; the northern part of the site is now under large ponds. The features are no longer visible, even in areas of open ground. They were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

<1> Royal Air Force, 12-DEC-46, RAF/CPE/UK/1893 RP 3106-7 (Aerial Photograph). SDO15942.

<2> Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-47, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 FS 2183-4 (Aerial Photograph). SDO15977.

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

Record last edited

May 14 2018 3:14PM