Monument record MWX616 - Iron Age and Romano-British field system, Worth Matravers

Iron Age/Romano-British field system overlain by medieval strip fields on St Aldhelm's Head. The features are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs and lidar.

Iron Age/Romano British Celtic fields, variously preserved and in places overlain by strip fields, are found over about 60 acres north and north east of St. Aldhelms Head. There are two relatively well- preserved blocks (i). Pier Bottom. East-north-east from SY 959759, lynchets cross the valley floor and terraceways, not necessarily contemporary, run along the foot of the valley sides above them to both north and south. Other fields lie on the shoulders. One of these has round barrow (SY 97 NE 19) at its south-east angle. (ii) St Aldhelms Chapel. East of the chapel are Celtic fields bounded by lynchets about 1 1/2ft high and stone banks, recently exposed by ploughing in an area that could not be adequately examined. Apart from the spread banks there was no scatter of stones on the fields. On pasture south of this, about SY 96557545, disturbed lynchets are up to 7ft high. Traces of strip fields are best seen on air photographs (a) but remains of strip lynchets occur at SY 964759. The name 14 for plan showing the bounds of these fields). <2>

The greater part of this complex is now under the plough although still recognisable close to, or under the right conditions. A small area remains intact under rough pasture on the coombe sides, near its head, at SY 963760. <3>

The field system centred on SY959759 has been considered for scheduling. The surviving earthworks are regularly ploughed and are generally in poor condition. <4>

An extensive system of prehistoric celtic fields overlain in part by medieval lynchets. The probable site of a settlement lies at SY96257595. The field system and setttlemeny are visible as earthworks on lidar and aerial photographs <5-7>. They were digitally plotted during the South West Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey (Dorset).

<1> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1821 1396-97 (Aerial Photograph). SDO12902.

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 630 (Monograph). SDO150.

<3> Wardale, C F, Various, Field Investigators Comments CFW, F1 CFW 05-FEB-1986 (Unpublished document). SWX2704.

<4> English Heritage, English Heritage Alternative Action Report, MPPA, 05-May-1999 (Scheduling record). SDO18279.

<5> Channel Coastal Observatory, 23-MAR-2008, Lidar (Photograph). SDO12878.

<6> Channel Coastal Observatory, 25-FEB-2009, Lidar (Aerial Photograph). SDO12879.

<7> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1821 1398-99 (Aerial Photograph). SDO12897.

<8> National Record of the Historic Environment, 456417 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 6 2024 4:39PM