Monument record MDO41321 - Historic field boundaries, Beacon's Farm, Ferndown Town

Banked linear features to the west of Beacon's Farm are visible on 1940s aerial photographs. The features are presumed to be historic field boundaries, possibly of medieval origin.They were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

Banked linear features to the west of Beacon's Farm are visible on 1940s aerial photographs (1). The features comprise two slightly curvilinear banks situated within, and sub-dividing, a large irregular historic enclsoure recorded on the OS 1st Edition map (2). Rows of dispersed trees features on this map indicate some historic boundary removal within this enclosure prior to the late 19th Century. The features correspond with two of these rows, suggesting that they are historic field boundaries; their slightly curvilinear character indicates a possible medieval origin. One of the boundaries corresponds with further banked curvilinear features to the north (MDO41314) which may indicate that these were all elements of a contemporary agricultural landscape. This may have been medieval in origin but there is a possiblilty of at least some elements having been earlier, possibly even late prehistoric- Iron Age to Romano-British- in date. It is possible, therefore, that some of the historic pattern of enclosure at this location is fossilising parts of an older late prehistoric agricultural landscape. The site is now Beacon Farm on current Google Earth imagery and the features are no longer visible; there is evidence of much modern boundary change and modification. The features were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

Record last edited

Jul 26 2018 11:57AM