Monument record MDO4110 - Ridge and furrow in Stepleton Park, Iwerne Stepleton

Traces of ridge and furrow, part of the medieval open field system of the parish. Visible as faint earthworks in the grounds of Stepleton House.

(Centred at ST 866112) An area of parkland with widely spaced grass covered strip lynchets, averaging 1.2m high. These strip lynchets are parallel, and follow the natural contours. <1>

In Stepleton Park (ST 868115, 865115, and 865112), ten medieval contour strip lynchets are arranged in three-furlong blocks, up to 300 yds long. Also in the park (ST 863114) are faint traces of almost straight ridge-and-furrow. <2>

Note: The UID 206134 on the NRHE-to-HER database related to 3 distinct areas of strip lynchets and one area of ridge and furrow in the grounds of Stepleton House. On the HBSMR database they are represented by the strip lynchets MDO4107, MDO4108 and MDO4109 and the ridge and furrow MDO4110. Therefore the record MDO4110 only relates to the area of ridge and furrow.

National Record of the Historic Environment, 206134 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<1> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 11-JAN-56 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 1, 135 (Monograph). SDO146.

(5) Cultivation Remains. Nothing is known of the open fields of the parish although it has been suggested that there once was a two-field system, Dorset Procs., LXIX (1947), 48); about 40 acres of strip lynchets and ridge-and-furrow remain... In Stepleton Park (868115, 865115 and 865112), ten contour strip lynchets are arranged in three-furlong blocks, up to 300 yds. long. Also in thepark (863114) are faint traces of almost straight ridge-and-furrow, 6 yds. to 9 yds. wide.’

Record last edited

Jul 22 2024 12:35PM