Monument record MDO41174 - Possible post medieval lynchets, Canford Heath, Pool

Banked and ditched linear features on Canford Heath are visible on 1940s aerial photographs. The features are set parallel to each other in closely set rows and may be lynchets with some agricultural purpose; or perhaps ridges and ditches associated with post medieval plantation. Alternatively it is possible they are trackways of some description, possibly post medieval to modern in origin. The features were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

Banked and ditched linear features on Canford Heath are visible on 1940s aerial photographs (1 and 2).

The features comprise three groups of short 62m to 65m lengths of rectilinear banks set parallel to each other, one group having ditches in between the banks of around 2m to 3m in width. The north-westernmost set of features is located on heathland on the edge of the tree line. The features appear to cut across a historic field boundary of possible post medieval date (MDO41176). One of the ditched linears on the northeast edge of this goup appears to link in with a modern road or trackway present in 1946 (1).

This northwestern set of features is divided from the other two by a modern road, present in 1946 (1). The central group of features is located within an area of trees on the east side of this road; the area is shown as fir plantation on the OS 1st Edition map (3). The southeasternmost set of features is located in open heath in 1945 and also recorded as open heath on the OS 1st Edition map (3).

The features are broadly aligned northwest to southeast, which is counter to the alignment of the historic field pattern as indicated on the OS 1st Edition map (3). The central group appear to be lynchetted against a shallow slope of ground. It may be that the features are ridges and ditches associated with post medieval plantation but this is not certain. The features may alternatively be trackways or lynchets associated with some other agricultural purpose.

The site is still partially trees and partially open heath on current Google Earth imagery and the features are no longer visible. They were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP.

<1> Royal Air Force, 12-DEC-46, RAF/CPE/UK/1893 RP 3255-6 (Aerial Photograph). SDO16029.

<2> Royal Air Force, 30-OCT-45, RAF/106G/T/16 FVp1 7074-5 (Aerial Photograph). SDO16047.

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

Record last edited

Dec 7 2021 11:10AM