Monument record MDO41324 - Historic field boundaries, Holmwood Park, Ferndown Town

Banked and ditched linear features in Holmwood Park are visible on 1940s aerial photographs. They are considered likely to be historic field boundaries of possible medieval date, although a later origin is also possible. The features were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

Banked and ditched linear features in Holmwood Park are visible on 1940s aerial photographs (1).

The features comprise sections of linear banks and ditches, some more rectilinear in character, others slightly curvilinear in form. The features sub-divide some of the historic enclosures and parkland around Holmwood House. Some of the features correspond with dispersed rows of trees recorded on the OS 1st Edition map, which indicates probable former field boundaries removed prior to the late 19th Century (2). The features are therefore considered likely to be historic field boundaries; the slightly curvilinear form of some potentially indicating a medieval date, although a post medieval origin for at least some of the features is also possible.

The site is still part of Holmwood Park on current Google Earth imagery, although there have been some modifications and changes in landuse since the 1940s. Some features are no longer visible but others can still be seen in the year 2012 (3). The features were digitally plotted from 1940s aerial photographs by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

<1> Royal Air Force, 20-MAR-45, RAF/106G/LA/187 RP 3043-4 (Aerial Photograph). SDO16090.

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

<3> Google Earth, 01-JUN-2012, Google Earth 2012 (Aerial Photograph). SDO12633.

Record last edited

Jul 26 2018 12:48PM