Monument record MDO5274 - Prehistoric field system on Muston Down, Winterborne Kingston

A prehistoric 'celtic' field system covering about 180 acres of Muston Down, now much levelled by ploughing. The field system is visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs and low earthworks on lidar imagery and was digitally plotted during the Dorset Stour AIM.

Centred at SY 861999 and SY 856992) Field Systems. Taken from air photographs in Jan - March 1949. <1>

Lynchets and field banks of varying size, averaging 0.4m high. These are of IA/RB type and are visible throughout the area, partly under the plough, but mainly under grass. This system appears to be associated with two tracks or field ways and is probably connected with the Romano-British finds assumed to have been made in the neighbourhood, The relationship between the field system and Comb's Ditch (ST 80 SE 48) could not be ascertained by visual inspection. <2>

'A' (SY 85559932) Several prominent and well preserved IA/RB type lynchets occur on North Down east of the old quarry, with a bivallate trackway extending from 'X'

(SY 85459933) to 'Y' (SY 85489921)

'B' (SY 86709915) North of Hill Barn. A series of near parallel lynchets, average 2.5M high situated on an eastern slope. <3>.

(Group(66) MUSTON DOWN, and adjacent area (Winterborne Kingston and Winterborne Whitechurch). 'Celtic' fields, now almost levelled by ploughing, lay over some 180 acres of Muston Down in Winterborne Kingston, on gentle S.W. slopes between SY 862002, ST 872999 and the parish boundary to W. and N. They formerly continued in all directions except N., where, at least in their later phases, they were bounded by Combs Ditch Traces are detectable to N.W. along Combs Ditch, which may have been built along field edges on Whatcombe Down at 852021, accounting for its angular arrangement there. There are other outlying traces on Whatcombe Down, 842011 to 857016. A settlement is associated with long fields on Muston Down. All the fields are on Upper Chalk between about 250 ft. and 400 ft. O.D.

On Muston Down a straggling settlement, (ST 80 SE 22 ) is associated with long 'Celtic' fields apparently superseding an older pattern. Iron Age 'A' coarse ware and samian pottery were found on the nearby fields. There is an indication of comparable long fields, up to 130 yds. long, on East Down, Winterborne Whitechurch, 1/2 mile N.W., at 861010. A line of apparent scarps and ditches, presumably marking a boundary, ran from the low bank, probably part of an early phase of Combs Ditch, projecting 40 yds. S.E. from its angle at 86540078, towards the N.E. of settlement Of the long fields, W. of this boundary, four were 150 yds. to 160 yds. long and 30 yds. to 40 yds. wide. One was 230 yds. long and generally about 34 yds. across, but widening to 54 yds. at the N., where it probably incorporated one of the earlier fields, making a total of 1 3/4 acres. Barrows appear to lie at field angles or sides.

Group (65): NORTH DOWN (Winterborne Kingston. Some 90 acres of 'Celtic' fields are detectable on and N.E. of North Down, between SY 853991 and ST 857001, on the summit and E. flank of a broad Chalk ridge close to 300 ft. O.D. They formerly extended in all directions. Only 16 acres around Nutley Clump (SY 855994) are now unploughed. Here, substantial earthworks, including curving scarps 4 ft. to 6 ft. high with a contemporary trackway, suggest the proximity of a settlement associated with the 'Celtic' fields. A few sherds of coarse pottery, probably Iron Age, were found. <4>

Field system seen to extend into fields to the north west as cropmarks in 2007 aerial photography. (5) (ST 8543 0021). One field encloses the ring ditch of a round barrow (1518212).

The extensive field system is visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs and low earthworks on lidar imagery <14-20> and was digitally plotted during the Dorset Stour AIM. A number of long linears form part of the system and run north south for nearly 1.5km. The settlement enclosure described in MDO5255 is incorporated into the field system and likely to be contemporary with it.

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

<2> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 20-NOV-54 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<3> Swatridge, G C, Various, Field Investigators Comments GCS, F2 GCS 15-NOV-54 (Unpublished document). SWX1169.

<4> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 343-5 (Monograph). SDO136.

‘Group (66): MUSTON DOWN, and adjacent area (Winterborne Kingston and Winterborne Whitechurch). 'Celtic' fields, now almost levelled by ploughing, lay over some 180 acres of Muston Down in Winterborne Kingston, on gentle S.W. slopes between SY 862002, ST 872999 and the parish boundary to W. and N. They formerly continued in all directions except N., where, at least in their later phases, they were bounded by Combs Ditch (Winterborne Whitechurch (19)). Traces are detectable to N.W. along Combs Ditch, which may have been built along field edges on Whatcombe Down at 852021, accounting for its angular arrangement there. There are other outlying traces on Whatcombe Down, 842011 to 857016. A settlement is associated with long fields on Muston Down. All the fields are on Upper Chalk between about 250 ft. and 400 ft. O.D.
On Muston Down a straggling settlement, Winterborne Kingston (22), is associated with long 'Celtic' fields apparently superseding an older pattern. Iron Age 'A' coarse ware and samian pottery were found on the nearby fields. There is an indication of comparable long fields, up to 130 yds. long, on East Down, Winterborne Whitechurch, ½ mile N.W., at 861010. A line of apparent scarps and ditches, presumably marking a boundary, ran from the low bank, probably part of an early phase of Combs Ditch, projecting 40 yds. S.E. from its angle at 86540078, towards the N.E. of settlement (22). Of the long fields, W. of this boundary, four were 150 yds. to 160 yds. long and 30 yds. to 40 yds. wide. One was 230 yds. long and generally about 34 yds. across, but widening to 54 yds. at the N., where it probably incorporated one of the earlier fields, making a total of 1¾ acres. Barrows appear to lie at field angles or sides. Air photographs: CPE/UK 1934: 1092–5 and 5122–5.’

<4.1> Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 1099-1094 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17786.

<5> National Monuments Record, 06-JUN-2007, NMR ST 8500/14 (24629/37) (Aerial Photograph). SDO17815.

<6> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 882378 (Index). SDO14738.

RCHME: Celtic Field System, North Down, Dorset: Inscription:'Celtic Field Gp 65.Bibliographic References : 1) Pt 2, Celtic Field Gp (65)

<7> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 883011 (Index). SDO14738.

RCHME: Fields and Earthworks, Muston Down, Dorset: Scored on acetate. Publication proof. Inscription: Part of Gp 31Bibliographic References : 1) pt 2, Gp (66)

<8> Historic England, Historic England Archive, BB72/03729 (Index). SDO14738.

PLAN SHOWING THE UNPLOUGHED PART OF THIS FIELD GROUP AROUND NUTLEY CLUMP

<9> Historic England, Historic England Archive, BB72/03730 (Index). SDO14738.

PLAN OF CELTIC FIELDS ASSOCIATED WITH IA/RB SETTLEMENT, NOW MOSTLY LEVELLED BY PLOUGHING

<10> Historic England, Historic England Archive, CC72/01438 (Index). SDO14738.

SECTIONS OF FIELD REMAINS AROUND NUTLEY CLUMP

<11> Historic England, Historic England Archive, CC74/00387 (Index). SDO14738.

PLAN SHOWING THE UNPLOUGHED PART OF THIS FIELD GROUP AROUND NUTLEY CLUMP

<12> Historic England, Historic England Archive, RCH01/096 (Index). SDO14738.

RCHME Inventory: Dorset III (Central): A large collection of archive relating to the RCHME Dorset Inventory Volume III, published in 1970. It contains field surveys and excavation archive. Parish files containing original surveys have been given child collection status.

<13> National Record of the Historic Environment, 455699 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<14> Environment Agency, 16-NOV-2021, LIDAR Environment Agency DTM (Aerial Photograph). SDO18034.

<15> National Monuments Record, 10-APR-1980, NMR 1744/26-32 (Aerial Photograph). SDO19477.

<16> John Boyden, XX-XXX-XX, JRB 70/14A (Aerial Photograph). SDO19627.

<17> National Monuments Record, 27-AUG-1998, NMR 18141/21 (Aerial Photograph). SDO19626.

<18> Royal Air Force, 20-APR-1953, RAF/1090 F21 008 (Aerial Photograph). SDO19475.

<19> Ordnance Survey, 13-JUN-1986, OS/86082 V 199 (Aerial Photograph). SDO19628.

<20> Royal Air Force, 14-AUG-1953, RAF/58/1212 F22 44 (Aerial Photograph). SDO19629.

Record last edited

Jun 21 2023 11:38AM