Monument record MDO41193 - Post medieval trackways, Dunyeat's Hill, Poole

Multiple series of ditched linear trackways on the open heath of Dunyeat's Hill are visible on 1940s aerial photographs. The majority of these features are presumed to be post medieval in date, although some may be later in origin. Some of the trackways may be associated with extensive post medieval extraction on the heath but some may alternatively be associated with military activity during the two World Wars. The features were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

Multiple series of ditched linear trackways on the open heath of Dunyeat's Hill are visible on 1940s aerial photographs (1).

The features comprise multiple ditched linears of various lengths that parallel to each other or at converging angles. Many link in with trackways or routeways across the heath recorded on the OS 1st Edition map (2). The majority of these features are presumed to be post medieval in date, some being clearly associated with areas of extensive post medieval extraction. Others may be later in origin, possibly, but not necessarily exclusively, associated with military activity during the two World Wars.

The majority of features are still within areas of open heath on current Google Earth imagery and many are still visible in places, although not all; these may be levelled but may just be obscured by vegetation. An area of modern development now encroaches on the site from the west and some of the features under this area are now destroyed. An area to the north is under dense tree cover on current Google Earth imagery and the features are no longer visible. The features were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP.

<1> Royal Air Force, 12-DEC-46, RAF/CPE/UK/1893 RP 3253-4 (Aerial Photograph). SDO16027.

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

Record last edited

Jan 6 2020 10:45AM