Monument record MDO7153 - Prehistoric field system, Bere Regis

An extensive prehistoric field system on Bere Down. In 1970 the visible remains of this field system were reported as covering around 20 acres, with lynchets up to 12 feet in height.

(Area SY 845 973) Field system plotted from air photographs. <1>

Traces of 'Celtic' type lynchets of the field system delineated are visible only on air photographs (a) in area SY 834976 and SY 843976 and on the ground in areas SY 846975 and SY 844968. <2>

GROUP (31): ELDERTON CLUMP(SY 843974-846973), Bere Regis and Winterborne Kingston. 'Celtic' fields, now almost destroyed, occur over 12 acres between 250 ft. and 350 ft. above O.D., S. and W. of the Clump, and formerly extended in all directions. The chalk here is capped with clay, pebbles and a deep loamy soil. There is a probable settlement in the area (cf. Hutchins I, 147) but the only earthwork to suggest it is a fragment of double-lynchet track 10 ft. wide, which runs into Elderton Clump from the direction of round barrow, (SY 89 NW43). S.W. of it, at a field angle. Coarse pottery in the Iron Age 'A' tradition and some Romano-British sherds, including New Forest ware, were found with iron slag, burnt clay and daub in the ploughed scarp, 10 ft. high, at the foot of the slope 130 yds. W. of the clump. (R.A.F. V.A.P. CPE/UK 1934: 2121-2.)

GROUP (32): BERE DOWN (SY 845969), Bere Regis. Remains of 'Celtic' fields, with lynchets up to 12 ft. high, occur over 20 acres between 200 ft. and 300 ft. above OD., N. and S. of a small dry combe where the Roman road from Badbury Rings to Dorchester probably cut across them. They formerly extended in all directions and almost certainly joined Group (31). A lynchet lies against round barrow (SY 89 NW 41) A' settlement' marked on some maps immediately S. of the Roman road at 84559684 is a quarry area. (SY 89 NW 47)

Trace of Medieval ridge -and-furrow belonging to the three-field system at Winterbourne Kingston occur south and north of West Down Barn (SY 847976) and (SY 847985). The stubs of some strip fields that probably belong to an earlier system can also be seen at SY 847975. <3-4>

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

<2> Swatridge, G C, Various, Field Investigators Comments GCS, F1 GCS 16-NOV-54 (Unpublished document). SWX1169.

<2.1> Royal Air Force, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 3350-1 (Aerial Photograph). SDO19662.

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 633 (Monograph). SDO150.

‘Group (32): Bere Down (SY 89 NW; 845969), Bere Regis. Remains of 'Celtic' fields, with lynchets up to 12 ft. high, occur over 20 acres between 200 ft. and 300 ft. above O.D., N. and S. of a small dry combe where the Roman road from Badbury Rings to Dorchester probably cut across them. They formerly extended in all directions and almost certainly joined Group (31). A lynchet lies against round barrow Bere Regis (112). A 'settlement' marked on some maps immediately S. of the Roman road at 84559684 is a quarry area. (R.A.F. V.A.P. CPE/UK 1934: 4122.)’

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

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 455932 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Mar 18 2023 8:19AM