Monument record MDO5274 - Prehistoric field system on Muston Down, Winterborne Kingston

A prehistoric 'celtic' field system covering about 180 acres of Muston Down, now much levelled by ploughing. The field system is visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs and low earthworks on lidar imagery and was digitally plotted during the Dorset Stour AIM.

Centred at SY 861999 and SY 856992) Field Systems. Taken from air photographs in Jan - March 1949. <1> Lynchets and field banks of varying size, averaging 0.4m high. These are of IA/RB type and are visible throughout the area, partly under the plough, but mainly under grass. This system appears to be associated with two tracks or field ways and is probably connected with the Romano-British finds assumed to have been made in the neighbourhood, The relationship between the field system and Comb's Ditch (ST 80 SE 48) could not be ascertained by visual inspection. <2> 'A' (SY 85559932) Several prominent and well preserved IA/RB type lynchets occur on North Down east of the old quarry, with a bivallate trackway extending from 'X' (SY 85459933) to 'Y' (SY 85489921) 'B' (SY 86709915) North of Hill Barn. A series of near parallel lynchets, average 2.5M high situated on an eastern slope. <3>. (Group(66) MUSTON DOWN, and adjacent area (Winterborne Kingston and Winterborne Whitechurch). 'Celtic' fields, now almost levelled by ploughing, lay over some 180 acres of Muston Down in Winterborne Kingston, on gentle S.W. slopes between SY 862002, ST 872999 and the parish boundary to W. and N. They formerly continued in all directions except N., where, at least in their later phases, they were bounded by Combs Ditch Traces are detectable to N.W. along Combs Ditch, which may have been built along field edges on Whatcombe Down at 852021, accounting for its angular arrangement there. There are other outlying traces on Whatcombe Down, 842011 to 857016. A settlement is associated with long fields on Muston Down. All the fields are on Upper Chalk between about 250 ft. and 400 ft. O.D. On Muston Down a straggling settlement, (ST 80 SE 22 ) is associated with long 'Celtic' fields apparently superseding an older pattern. Iron Age 'A' coarse ware and samian pottery were found on the nearby fields. There is an indication of comparable long fields, up to 130 yds. long, on East Down, Winterborne Whitechurch, 1/2 mile N.W., at 861010. A line of apparent scarps and ditches, presumably marking a boundary, ran from the low bank, probably part of an early phase of Combs Ditch, projecting 40 yds. S.E. from its angle at 86540078, towards the N.E. of settlement Of the long fields, W. of this boundary, four were 150 yds. to 160 yds. long and 30 yds. to 40 yds. wide. One was 230 yds. long and generally about 34 yds. across, but widening to 54 yds. at the N., where it probably incorporated one of the earlier fields, making a total of 1 3/4 acres. Barrows appear to lie at field angles or sides. Group (65): NORTH DOWN (Winterborne Kingston. Some 90 acres of 'Celtic' fields are detectable on and N.E. of North Down, between SY 853991 and ST 857001, on the summit and E. flank of a broad Chalk ridge close to 300 ft. O.D. They formerly extended in all directions. Only 16 acres around Nutley Clump (SY 855994) are now unploughed. Here, substantial earthworks, including curving scarps 4 ft. to 6 ft. high with a contemporary trackway, suggest the proximity of a settlement associated with the 'Celtic' fields. A few sherds of coarse pottery, probably Iron Age, were found. <4> Field system seen to extend into fields to the north west as cropmarks in 2007 aerial photography. (5) (ST 8543 0021). One field encloses the ring ditch of a round barrow (1518212). The extensive field system is visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs and low earthworks on lidar imagery <14-20> and was digitally plotted during the Dorset Stour AIM. A number of long linears form part of the system and run north south for nearly 1.5km. The settlement enclosure described in MDO5255 is incorporated into the field system and likely to be contemporary with it.

Record last edited

Jun 21 2023 11:38AM