Monument record MDO41462 - Historic field boundaries, Henbury House, Corfe Mullen

Banked and ditched curvilinear features to the east of Henbury House are visible on aerial photographs and current Lidar imagery. The features are presumed to be historic field boundaries, possibly medieval in origin, although a later date for some features is also possible. They were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

Banked and ditched curvilinear features to the east of Henbury House are visible on aerial photographs and current Lidar imagery (1-2).

The features are broad and slightly curvilinear in form. They correspond at some points with extant historic field boundaries recorded on the OS 1st Edition map, suggesting at least partial correlation with the historic pattern of enclosure at this location, which contains boundaries of probable medieval origin, although with some later post medieval alteration and sub-division in places (3). Some of the features are situated in an area showing as woodland (Park Copse) on the OS 1st Edition map; it is not clear whether the features pre-date the woodland or post-date its removal (it is still extant in 1947 (4) but removed by 1968). Two sections of banked linear in the southwest of the group (one with a section of flanking ditch along its north side) are clearly continuations of historic field boundaries also featured on the OS 1st Edition map and potentially of medieval origin, judging by their form, although a later date is also possible (3).

The features are presumed to also be historic field boundaries, potentially medieval in origin, although a later date for at least some of the features is also possible. The features may be related to additional historic field boundaries to the northwest (MDO41461), also features of potentially medieval origin and possibly part of a wider are of historic enclosure at this location.

The site is still open fields on current Google Earth imagery but the features are no longer visible. They were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

<1> BKS Surveys Ltd, 07-FEB-68, BKS/3161 V 629398-9 (Aerial Photograph). SDO16146.

<2> Environment Agency, xxx-xxx-2015, Geomatics Lidar DSM 50cm (Aerial Photograph). SDO16012.

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

<4> Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-47, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 V 5196-7 (Aerial Photograph). SDO16144.

Record last edited

Aug 24 2018 8:57AM