Monument record MDO42966 - Iron Age/Romano-British field system, Combe Hill Sydling St Nicholas

Linear banks and ditches forming part of an Iron Age/Romano-British field system are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs across the area of Combe Hill and Folly Hill, Sydling St Nicholas. The field system is recorded under NRHE Hob UID 453023. Outlying linear banked earthworks to the southwest suggest the field system continues in this direction. The features were digitally plotted during the Dorset Upper Frome AIM project.

(Centred SY 623 988) Field system plotted from air photographs (not cited) by Atkinson in 1949. <1>

The remains of a Celtic field system exist at Combe Hill (name centred SY 626 985). <2>

(Centred SY 623 988) An extensive Iron Age/Romano British `Celtic' field system situated on downland. In areas 'A' - SY 618995; 'B' - SY 626994; 'C' SY 621988 and 'D' - SY 623 985 the system is plainly visible as lynchets and low field banks forming rectilinear enclosures. Throughout the remaining areas only fragmentary remains may be seen. Well defined in places on air photographs. <3, 7>

These lynchets and field banks have been much smoothed and spread. They are mostly discernible centred at the following areas where the lynchets are visible up to a height of 1.3m. (A) SY 61989954; 6.6 ha. (B) SY 62439962; 7.5 ha. (C) SY 62599838; 19.7 ha. Areas delineated on 1:10000 Record Sheet. <4>

Field system traced from APs. <5>

Central ST 621988. The lynchets and field banks described by authorities 3 and 5 remain well preserved in the area W of Half Moon Coppice (area C). Areas A and B not investigated. <6>

Linear banks and ditches forming part of an Iron Age/Romano-British field system are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs across the area of Combe Hill and Folly Hill, Sydling St Nicholas <7-13, 15, 16>. The field system is recorded under NRHE Hob UID 453023. Outlying linear banked earthworks to the southwest suggest the field system continues in this direction. The features were digitally plotted during the Dorset Upper Frome AIM project.

The majority of features are still visible on current Google Earth imagery.

<1> Atkinson, R J C, 1949, spec 6 inch (RJCA 1.3.49) (Map). SWX1583.

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 236 (Monograph). SDO97.

<3> Swatridge, G C, Various, Field Investigators Comments GCS, F1 GCS 13-JAN-55 (Unpublished document). SWX1169.

<4> Attrill, N J, Field Investigators Comments NJA, F2 NJA 24-FEB-81 (Unpublished document). SDO14743.

<5> Unpublished revision RCHME Dorset I (West) Undated (Sydling St Nicholas file) (Unpublished document). SDO13182.

<6> Probert, S A J, Ordnance Survey field investigator's comments SAJP, 21-OCT-1991 (Unpublished document). SDO19870.

<7> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-47, RAF/CPE/UK/1794 RP 3380-1 (Aerial Photograph). SDO16904.

<8> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-47, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FP 1377-8 (Aerial Photograph). SDO16859.

<9> Royal Air Force, 21-OCT-71, RAF/29/3012 V 2012-3 (Aerial Photograph). SDO16878.

<10> Royal Air Force, 11-NOV-71, RAF/39/3829 V 0037-8 (Aerial Photograph). SDO16899.

<11> Ordnance Survey, 15-SEPT-79, OS79124/306 V (Aerial Photograph). SDO16907.

<12> Ordnance Survey, 13-APR-84, OS84024/003 V (Aerial Photograph). SDO16905.

<13> National Monuments Record, 10-JAN-07, SY6299/6 (NMR24507/43) (Aerial Photograph). SDO16906.

<14> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 236 (Monograph). SDO97.

<15> John Boyden, 23-OCT-71, JRB386/2331 (ST6200/4) (Aerial Photograph). SDO17074.

<16> National Monuments Record, 10-JAN-07, NMR24507/45 (ST6100/17) (Aerial Photograph). SDO17073.

<17> National Record of the Historic Environment, 453023 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jun 15 2023 4:10PM