Monument Number 456856 |
| Hob Uid: 456856 | |
Location :
Dorset
Corfe Castle
|
| Grid Ref : SY9580080900 |
| Summary : An impressive prehistoric or Romano-British field system defined as 'Celtic' fields occupies the reasonably steep south and southwest-facing slopes across the whole of the common. The best-preserved area, comprising well-defined rectilinear plots is, centred at SY95758086 on the southern fringe of part of the barrow cemetery. Here small linked unenclosed square plots, resembling a chequerboard, with distinctive rounded corners and straight sides are formed from the material excavated out of the steep slope are anything up to 2m in height with back scarps up to 1.6m in height. There are no obvious inter-connecting ramps to the plots. Scattered patched of dense gorse and ground cover vegetation obscure parts of this extensive and impressive field system. The 'Celtic' fields extend across the lower, south-facing slopes and consequently are not as well defined with front scarps or 'risers' up to 0.8m high. These plots clearly respect the courses of the broad and natural shallow valleys which are formed by the action of spring sapping, by inturning along the line of the valley slope.The 'Celtic' field system on the common resembles the fields located to the north on the exposed Challow Hill (SY 98 SE 49). |
More information : Corfe Common. SY 955809-SY 960810. Remains of Celtic
Fields cover 15 acres of sandy soil on a maximum south slope of
10o. A block of at least six fields lies relatively
well-preserved at about SY 95758086 within a total area of some 2
acres. Lynchets are up to 8ft high. There is no ascertainable
relationship with the barrows (see SY 98 SE 16, 17). (See plan
with SY 98 SE 21).
An impressive prehistoric or Romano-British field system defined as 'Celtic' fields occupies the reasonably steep south and southwest-facing slopes across the whole of the common. The best-preserved area, comprising well-defined rectilinear plots is, centred at SY95758086 on the southern fringe of part of the barrow cemetery. Here small linked unenclosed square plots, resembling a chequerboard, with distinctive rounded corners and straight sides are formed from the material excavated out of the steep slope are anything up to 2m in height with back scarps up to 1.6m in height. There are no obvious inter-connecting ramps to the plots. Scattered patched of dense gorse and ground cover vegetation obscure parts of this extensive and impressive field system. The 'Celtic' fields extend across the lower, south-facing slopes and consequently are not as well defined with front scarps or 'risers' up to 0.8m high. These plots clearly respect the courses of the broad and natural shallow valleys which are formed by the action of spring sapping, by inturning along the line of the valley slope.
The 'Celtic' field system on the common resembles the fields located to the north on the exposed Challow Hill (SY 98 SE 49).
See Corfe Common report AI/28/2003 (2)
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