Monument record MDO40865 - Possible post medieval narrow ridge and furrow, High Hall, Pamphill

Ridged and ditched cultivation marks in a field to the north of High Hall are visible on 1940s aerial photographs. The features may be those of post medieval narrow ridge and furrow, although an earlier origin is possible. The features were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

Ridged and ditched cultivation marks in a field to the north of High Hall are visible on 1940s aerial photographs (1). The features comprises parallel ridges set around 4m apart and with 1.5m wide ditches in between. The ridges are aligned west to east and are broadly straight and regular, with a slight curve to the southeast at the estern end. The features occupy the southern section of a large irregular historic enclosure recorded on the OS 1st Edition map (2). The cultivation marks extend as far northwest as a historic trackway also marked on the 1st Edition map (2). This curve of the trackway is continued by the historic lane to the southwest and echoed by a parallel curvilinear earthwork 170m to the north (MDO40866) that may be a historic field boundary or trackway of possible medieval origin. It is possible the trackway respects the line of a former medieval boundary, possibly marking an area of medieval strip field. At their northeastern extent the cultivation marks may overlie a shallow depression in the corner of the field (MDO40864), possibly a post medieval extractive pit but possibly naturally formed, although this is not entirely evident from the aerial photographs (1). The features are considered most likely to be those of post medieval narrow ridge and furrow, although an earlier origin is possible. The site is still open ground on current Google Earth imagery but the features are no longer visible. They were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

Record last edited

May 3 2018 3:44PM