Monument record MDO7236 - Medieval field system, Chaldon Herring

A probable medieval strip field system is visible as earthworks and cropmarks on aerial photographs to the south and west of Chaldon Herring. Further areas of probable medieval cultivation are visible to the south and east of the field system (see linked records).

(Centred SY 785831). Medieval strip fields remain in two blocks east of the probable boundary of West and East Chaldon. Faint traces suggest that the downland between was largely covered by strip fields. The Tithe map shows West Field south of the church, with East Field to the east. The remains, mostly in pasture, are generally of contour type strip lynchets with treads occasionally over 500 yds long, probably incorporating two or more strips end to end. They are 3 yds to 15 yds. wide, with risers 9ins. to 20ft. high; ends are quarter round, drawn-out or ramped. There are apparent traces of abandoned up-and-down strips about SY 785831. Around SY 785830 strips occur in a number of former fulongs over an area of some 60 acres on both sides of a valley. Some treads have a reversed - S plan.

Narrow rig remains in places. the present road, shown on OS 1" 1811, probably runs over strips but in 1765 was differently aligned (on Taylor's map), suggesting that the area was enclosed between those dates. In a hollow north of Hut Dairy remains of up-and-down type strips only 37yds. long are cut by contour strip lynchets, indicating a radical change in part of the furlong arrangements of the open field. <1>

The field system centred at SY 786831, covering approximately 4.0 ha, remains as described by RCHM. <2>

A probable medieval strip field system is visible as earthworks and cropmarks on aerial photographs to the south and west of Chaldon Herring. Further areas of probable medieval cultivation are visible to the south and east of the field system (see linked records). The field system is formed of narrow curvilinear field boundaries visible as banks and occasional ditches. The system is visible over an area measuring approximately 1620 m by 1165 m. <3-7> These features were digitally plotted as part of the Wild Purbeck Mapping Project.

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 1, 36 (Monograph). SDO148.

<1.1> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1821 4436-7 (Aerial Photograph). SDO19838.

<2> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<3> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1821 4435-6 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13863.

<4> Royal Air Force, 18-JAN-1962, RAF 58/4878 (F22) 0077-8 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13858.

<5> Royal Air Force, 16-JAN-1962, RAF 58/4878 (F22) 0076-7 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13860.

<6> Royal Air Force, 18-FEB-1970, RAF 58/0254 0046-7 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13862.

<7> Ordnance Survey, 19-APR-1982, OS/82047 492-3 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13861.

<8> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/093 RCHME Inventory: Dorset II (South-East) (Unpublished document). SDO17434.

<9> National Record of the Historic Environment, 454185 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 4:43PM