Monument record MDO7505 - Late prehistoric or early medieval settlement and field system, New Mills Heath, Corfe Castle

The remains of a deserted settlement and associated field system of probable late prehistoric or medieval origin are visible as cropmarks and earthworks on aerial photographs.

Recent aerial photography <5> reveals the parchmarks of a probable small deserted settlement site and associated field system, of uncertain date, visible in an area bounded by SY 958 843, SY 960 843, SY 960 845 and SY 958 845. <1>

Irregular features, perhaps traces of field boundaries seen on aerial photographs (RAF VAP//1946//1821:4404, DCC//1972//5585 202008). Site in a ley pasture field, occasionally ploughed. <2>

A group of enclosures and field boundaries are visible as cropmarks and earthworks on aerial photographs <3-6> and Lidar imagery <7> of New Mills Heath, Corfe Castle. They are considered likely to be the remains of the deserted settlement and associated field system described above. It is probable they are of late prehistoric or medieval origin. These features were digitally plotted during the Wild Purbeck Mapping Project.

National Record of the Historic Environment, 1079930 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<1> 1996, RCHME Aerial Reconnaissance, 25-JUL-1996 (Aerial Photograph). SWX3189.

<2> Papworth, M D J, Trust for Wessex Archaeology, 1983, Isle of Purbeck Survey (Index). SDO147.

New Mills Heath: Irregular features, perhaps traces of field boundaries seen on aerial photographs (RAF VAP//1946//1821:4404, DCC//1972//5585 202008). Site lies in an occasionally ploughed field in ley pasture. 7/7/D

<3> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1821 4399-4400 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13648.

<3> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1821 4401-02 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13644.

<4> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1821 4404-05 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13636.

<5> National Monuments Record, 25-JUL-1996, SY 9584/4 NMR 15557/01 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13643.

<6> Dorset County Council, 2002, VAP (Aerial Photograph). SDO13141.

<7> Geomatics, 2011, Lidar DTM (Aerial Photograph). SDO13637.

<8> Papworth, M, 1992, Middlebere, Corfe Castle Estate, Dorset. Wessex Region, 18 (Unpublished document). SWX1394.

A series of banks and ditches on New Mills and Middlebere Heaths are shown on the air photograph RAF CPE/UK/1821 4406. They form a series of enclosures on either side of the Snag Valley covering an area of 18 hectares (fig 7) Their alignment is ignored by the modern road which dates to the 19th century and they are not shown on William Woodward’s map of 1775 or Ralph Treswell’s map of 1586. The Snag Valley is used as a boundary between Arne and Corfe Castle parishes and between Rowbottom and Haslar hundreds. It is unlikely that a settlement would cross such a boundary in the medieval or later period and the focus of the site around the valley indicates that the now silted water course was navigable when the site was occupied. This would suggest a Romano British or prehistoric date for the enclosures (see 112685). The circular bank at SY96028465 would indicate the latter as it appears to be a hut circle. It measures 14m dia. externally and is 0.3m high and 2m wide. The banks of the enclosure on this the north side of the valley are 3.0m and 0.3m high and are clearly visible on the ground on the west side of the road but have been levelled by ploughing on the east side. Gaps in the banks approximately 3 – 5m wide probably represent the positions of gateways. On the south side of the valley and east side of the road a larger enclosure bank marks the limit of the site, it is 5m wide and up to 1m high with a ditch on the east side. The continuation of this bank which encloses the rest of the site on the west side of the road is no longer visible and unfortunately this is the focus of the settlement as it appears on the aerial photograph. The enclosures vary in size from 0.2 – 1.0 hectare with the boundary banks forming straight sided rectangles. A possible Bronze Age field system lies on the south side of this site (see 112766). Visited 17/7/1992.

Record last edited

Sep 10 2024 9:52AM