Monument record MDO5299 - Medieval strip lynchets, Winterborne Stickland

A block of four medieval contour strip lynchets surviving as earthworks. Part of the open field system around Winterborne Stickland. A map of 1771 shows these in 'Nether Mitchell Wood Furlong' in North Field. The strip lynchets are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs and lidar imagery and were digitally plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM project. They extend to the east towards Normandy Farm and are part of a wider field system extending to the west and southwest which is likely to be of prehistoric origin.

Fairly well pronounced but very scattered field banks and lynchets under grass. The lynchets are from 0.3m. to 1.5m. high and the field banks average 0.3m. high and 8.0m. wide. <2> Traces of Iron Age/Roman-British 'Celtic' fields extend north-east from Winterborne Stickland to beyond Normandy Farm (ST 840059), continuing to the parish boundary at ST 842063 and into Bryanston parish. These remains have all been much altered or degraded, especially by strip and later cultivation (see below), and they were formerly much more extensive. A group of four Medieval or later strip lynchets, now almost ploughed out lie on the north side of a dry valley at ST 837056, north-east of Winterborne Stickland church. Another group of four contour-strip lynchets, also almost ploughed out, lies on the south side of a dry valley immediately south-east of New Barn Cottages at ST 830053. <3> The parallel strip lynchets are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs lidar imagery [6-7] and were digitally plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM project. They extend to the east towards Normandy Farm and are part of a wider field system extending to the west and southwest which may be of prehistoric origin.

Record last edited

Oct 10 2023 7:13PM