Monument record MDO5090 - Field system in Long Crichel, Tarrant Launceston and Tarrant Monkton

A Later Prehistoric and / or Roman field system, of the form often referred to as a "Celtic" field system, is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs taken in the 1940s and subsequently as soilmarks. The site comprises assorted and slightly sinuous linear banks and ditches that form a coaxial pattern of conjoined but incomplete rectangular enclosures, which are probably fields. The field system extends over an area that measures 1270m north to south by 1535 east to west. The majority of the field boundaries appear to define long rectangular fields measuring between 30m and 60m wide, although this pattern is more fragmentary in the south and west of the area. The fields share the WNW / ESE orientation of similar "Celtic" field systems identified in the area which suggests that they may once have joined together into a single field system (eg ST 90 NW 159). The linear bank recorded as ST 91 SE 209 appears to form a field boundary within the general pattern. The eastern-most banks, on Crichel Down, appear straighter and narrower than the others, and appear to follow the contours more closely. This could indicate a later re-use or adaptation of the "Celtic" fields, perhaps in the Medieval or Post Medieval periods. The field system is overlain by a Medieval / Post Medieval sheepfold (see ST 90 NE 72) and its northern edge has suffered damage from the Second World War bombing range (see ST 91 SE 248).

(ST 957098) Field System (NR). <7>

(Centred ST 956098) Field system visible on air photographs. <3>

Well-preserved lynchets 0.5m high are visible in the area centred ST 959098. Around ST 961102 are traces of lynchets almost ploughed out, and vague lynchets also occur at about ST 951098, under plough
and pasture. <4>

'Celtic' fields on Crichel Down are probably part of a more extensive network that once covered much of the downland W and SW of the Crichel Brook. They have been largely destroyed by intensive ploughing since enclosure of the downland (about 1950), but air photographs show that they had been substantially damaged by earlier cultivation and that some had ridge-and-furrow on them. The fields extend W across Crichel Down towards Hyde Hill Plantation (ST 949105). They appear mostly to have been of the elongated rectangular type and some were probably integrated with the linear dyke (ST 91 SE 209 / UID: 1306571). <6>

The Later Prehistoric and / or Roman "Celtic" field system referred to above <3-4, 6-7> is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs taken in the 1940s and subsequently as soilmarks. The site is centred at ST 9575 0989 and comprises assorted and slightly sinuous linear banks and ditches that form a coaxial pattern of conjoined but incomplete rectangular enclosures, which are probably fields. The field system extends over an area that measures 1270m north to south by 1535 east to west.

The majority of the field boundaries appear to define long rectangular fields measuring between 30m and 60m wide, although this pattern is more fragmentary in the south and west of the area. The fields share the WNW / ESE orientation of similar "Celtic" field systems identified in the area which suggests that they may once have joined together into a single field system (eg ST 90 NW 159 / UID: 1481007). The linear bank recorded as ST 91 SE 209 (UID: 1306571) appears to form a field boundary within the general pattern.

The eastern-most banks, around ST 9613 1017 on Crichel Down, appear straighter and narrower than the others, and appear to follow the contours more closely. This could indicate a later re-use or adaptation of the "Celtic" fields, perhaps in the Medieval or Post Medieval periods. The ridge and furrow noted by source <6> is not visible on the aerial photographs. The coaxial field system is overlaid by a Post Medieval sheepfold (see ST 90 NE 72 / UID: 1479126) and its northern edge has suffered damage from the Second World War bombing range (ST 91 SE 248 / UID: 1481331). <1-2, 5, 8-9>

<1> Royal Air Force, 13-JAN-1943, NMR RAF/HLA/651 1136-1137 (Aerial Photograph). SDO19184.

<2> Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 2149-2150 (Aerial Photograph). SDO18433.

<3> Atkinson, R J C, 1949, Annotated Record Map Rec. 6 (R J C Atkinson 1 3 49) (Map). SWX2397.

<4> Swatridge, G C, Various, Field Investigators Comments GCS, F1 GCS 05-APR-54 (Unpublished document). SWX1169.

<5> Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photography, 1-DEC-1965, CUCAP AMO5-8 (Aerial Photograph). SDO19185.

<6> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1975, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume V (East), 117-8, Group 80 (Monograph). SDO129.

Group (80): Crichel Down (Long Crichel). 'Celtic' fields on Crichel Down are probably part of a more extensive network that once covered much of the downland W. and S.W. of the Crichel Brook; they have been largely destroyed by intensive ploughing since enclosure of the downland (c. 1950), but air photographs show that they had been substantially damaged by earlier cultivation and that some had ridge-and-furrow on them (Long Crichel (5)). The fields extend W. across Crichel Down towards Hyde Hill Plantation in Tarrant Launceston (966100–953102). They appear mostly to have been of the elongated rectangular type and some were probably integrated with the linear dyke which extends S.W. from the small rectangular enclosure, Long Crichel (6). (Plate 85.)

Air photographs: CPE/UK 1845: 4055–7, 6056–8; F 21 58 RAF 1090: 0136–7; C.U.A.P., AMO 6–8, ANC 67–71.

<7> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey 1:10,000 scale map, 1977 (Map). SDO17396.

<8> Ordnance Survey, 13-SEP-1982, NMR OS/82203 150-151 (Aerial Photograph). SDO19186.

<9> Ordnance Survey, 24-APR-1988, OS/88055 187-188 (Aerial Photograph). SDO18351.

<10> National Record of the Historic Environment, 209273 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jan 10 2023 5:09PM