Monument record MDO41150 - Possible medieval field boundary, Knighton, Poole

A substantial banked curvilinear feature to the south of Knighton is visible on 1940s aerial photographs. The feature is considered to be a historic field boundary of probable medieval origin and possibly formed the south side of a possible medieval drove road onto Knighton Heath. It was digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

A substantial banked curvilinear feature to the south of Knighton is visible on 1940s aerial photographs (1).

The feature is situated within a large irregular historic enclosure as recorded on the OS 1st Edition map (2). The adjacent historic field boundaries are sinuous in character suggesting a probable medieval origin. By the late 19th century a tree-line track or routeway is recorded running across the enclosure towards its west side. The track is very straight and regular in form and potentially post medieval in date.

The feature comprises a curving section of bank at its northeast end with a long scarped bank extending for around 230m from the west end of the curve, running south to meet a sinuous historic field boundary enclosing the south side of the field; a northeast to southwest aligned field boundary bordering a small historic enclosure to the south appears to echo or possibly continue the line of the feature to the southwest. The curve of the feature at its northeast end follows round to the east where it meets the eastern historic field boundary, effectively forming a large curvilinear enclosure. To the west of the feature the western field boundary of the historic enclosure closely mirrors the line of the feature, broadening out to the northeast to form a funnel shape between the historic field boundary line and the ouside edge of the feature. The shape of the funnel is mindful of a possible drove way, which at its south end would lead onto the north side of Knighton Heath (1 and 2).

The feature is considered likely to be a historic field boundary of probable medieval origin. It may also, or alternatively, have formed the south side of a medieval drove road onto the heath.

The site is under modern housing development on current Google Earth imagery and the feature is no longer visible. It was digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP.

<1> Royal Air Force, 08-MAR-45, RAF/106G/LA/163 RP 3023-4 (Aerial Photograph). SDO16033.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1864, 1886, Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, epoch one (Map). SDO10239.

Record last edited

Jan 6 2020 10:49AM