Monument record MDO39646 - Post medieval extractive pits, possible medieval strip field, Holdenhurst, Hurn, Christchurch

An area of post medieval extractive pits along the south bank of the River Stour at Holdenhurst is visible on 1940s aerial photographs. The angular linear form of some of the extractive scarps may fossilise former medieval strip field boundaries. The features were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP.

An area of post medieval extractive pits along the south bank of the River Stour at Holdenhurst is visible on 1940s aerial photographs and current Lidar imagery (1 and 2). A series of angular linear scarps extend across three modern field enclosures along the river bank, the boundaries of which also appear on the OS 1st Edition map (3). The linear form of some of the extractive strips appear quite regular in form although varying in width between 6m to 20m, with around 10m to 15m width being more typical. Elsewhere along this stretch of the River Stour there is an indication for post medieval gravel extraction potentially re-using former medieval strip field divisions and this may also be occurring here. The extractive earthworks feature very clearly still on Google Earth imagery of 2012 (4) and are still visible under pasture on current Google Earth imagery (5). They were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP.

Record last edited

Apr 26 2022 4:24PM