Monument record MDO73 - Medieval field system at Burnt House Bottom, Alton Pancras

Earthworks of three interlocked furlongs of contour and cross-contour lynchets covering about 20 acres around Burnt House Bottom. The remains of the medieval open field system of Alton Pancras, which was enclosed by 1741.

(Centred ST 702025) Three interlocked furlongs of contour and cross-contour lynchets covering some twenty acres. <1>

There are pronounced Mediaeval strip lynchets centred at ST 701025, 0.3m to 2.0m high, running north to south and east to west. <2-4>

These Medieval type lynchets are under pasture, and remain as described <1> <2>. Well defined on Ordnance Survey air photographs. <5>

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 1, 3-4 (Monograph). SDO146.

'(15) CULTIVATION REMAINS. The open fields of Alton Pancras still existed in 1724 (Survey of Manors of Alton Pancras, 1724, D.C.R.O.) but were all enclosed by 1741 (Court Book of Alton Pancras, 1741-1865,D.C.R.O.), presumably by agreement as there is no Parliamentary Act of Enclosure. Remains exist in three places. .. E. of the village in Burnt House Bottom (702025) are three interlocked furlongs of contour and cross-contour lynchets covering some 20 acres; immediately to the S.E. strip ploughing has modified other 'Celtic' fields'.

<2> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 14-FEB-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<3> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-1947, RAF CPE/UK/1975 1041-2 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17440.

<4> National Monuments Record, NMR ST 7002/1/2 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17441.

<5> Barrett, G, Various, Field Investigators Comments GB, F2 GB 16-OCT-78 (Unpublished document). SDO17369.

<5.1> Ordnance Survey, OS 74/058/033-34 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17442.

<6> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AO55/44/4 (Index). SDO14738.

PANORAMIC VIEW OF MEDIEVAL STRIP LYNCHETS (RIGHT HALF) SUPERIMPOSED ON IA/RB FIELD SYSTEM (AREA `B' FROM WEST) SEE ALSO ST70SW15,ST60SE50.SEE AO55/44/5 FOR LEFT HALF

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 202116 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jan 5 2022 10:49AM