Monument record MDO43080 - Possible post medieval field system, Fisher's Bottom, Sydling St Nicholas

Linear banked features and areas of narrow ridged cultivation marks are visible as earthworks on 1940s aerial photographs in a field at Fisher's Bottom, Sydling St Nicholas. The features may be field boundaries and cultivation marks (possibly narrow ridge and furrow) associated with a medieval to post medieval field system. They are situated between areas of Iron Age/Romano-British field systems (MDO2623; MDO43081) so an older origin for some of the features is also possible. The features were digitally plotted during the Dorset Upper Frome AIM project.

Linear banked features and areas of narrow ridged cultivation marks are visible as earthworks on 1940s aerial photographs in a field at Fisher's Bottom, Sydling St Nicholas (1, 2). The features are narrow and regular in character and form narrow rectilinear enclosures within a larger historic field. The areas of cultivation are faint but appear to respect the linear boundaries. The features may be field boundaries and cultivation marks (possibly narrow ridge and furrow) associated with a medieval to post medieval field system. Longer banked linears on the east side of the group extend south to north along the extent of the historic field and may be an associated trackway. The features were digitally plotted during the Dorset Upper Frome AIM project.

The features are situated between areas of extensive Iron Age field systems (eg MDO2623 to the east). Some of the features have a less regular and slightly broader character and it is possible that there are older features amongst this group, or that they overlie earlier features.

The linear earthworks, but not the cultivation marks, are still partially visible on current Google Earth imagery.

<1> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-47, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FS 2382-3 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17053.

<2> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-47, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RS 4380-1 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17051.

Record last edited

Feb 17 2021 4:25PM