Monument record MDO6524 - Portland Open Fields, (Droop or Windmill Field)
Please read our guidance about the use of Dorset Historic Environment Record data.
Summary
According to the RCHM for Dorset published in 1970, 50 acres of strip fields, some still cultivated, survive here. The system of strip fields is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs of 1946.
Map
Type and Period (1)
Full Description
The Isle of Portland was a royal manor in 1086, and divided into five tithings and organised into two or three-field rotation until the communal management finished in the 19th century. It is suggested that an original settlement at Wakeham was the nucleus for the expansion of the open fields across Portland. Although the fields have been destroyed over time by quarrying, building and later cultivation, some of the strip fields, some of which are still cultivated , survive over some 150 acres. This system consists of furlongs butting at right angles. (1)
The system of strip fields described above in (1-2) is visible on aerial photographs of 1946, between Easton and Weston. The northern half of the system has now been built over. The strip field boundaries are oriented north-south and east-west. They are visible over an area measuring approximately 795 m by 560 m. (3) The strip field boundaries are visible on the 2nd edition OS map. (4) This site was digitally plotted during the South West Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey (Dorset).
Sources/Archives (5)
- --- SDO149 Monograph: Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England). 1970. An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 2. 259.
- <1> SDO150 Monograph: Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England). 1970. An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3.
- <2> SDO11594 Map: Ordnance Survey. 1900. Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, epoch two. paper. 1:2500.
- <2> SWX8582 Unpublished document: Stewart Brown Associates. 2001. Portland Castle: Archaeological Evaluations, Watching Briefs and Building recording 1999-2001.
- <3> SDO13037 Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 13-APR-1946. RAF 106G/UK/1411 4044-5.
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (1)
Related Events/Activities (0)
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SY 690 713 (621m by 808m) (15 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | SY67SE |
| Unitary Authority | Dorset |
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Other Statuses/References
- Legacy UID: Dorset Sites and Monuments Record: 4 001 095 D
- Royal Commission Inventory Reference: Portland 95
Record last edited
Oct 13 2015 10:55AM
