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Mayfield strip lynchets

A Scheduled Monument in Mayfield, Staffordshire

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Coordinates

Latitude: 53.0122 / 53°0'43"N

Longitude: -1.7696 / 1°46'10"W

OS Eastings: 415551.465846

OS Northings: 346123.246239

OS Grid: SK155461

Mapcode National: GBR 48V.3DY

Mapcode Global: WHCF4.SKH4

Entry Name: Mayfield strip lynchets

Scheduled Date: 13 June 1968

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1002963

English Heritage Legacy ID: ST 168

County: Staffordshire

Civil Parish: Mayfield

Traditional County: Staffordshire

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Staffordshire

Church of England Parish: Mayfield St John the Baptist

Church of England Diocese: Lichfield

Summary

Strip lynchets 130m south east of Ivy Cottage.

Source: Historic England

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 3 July 2015. The record has been generated from an "old county number" (OCN) scheduling record. These are monuments that were not reviewed under the Monuments Protection Programme and are some of our oldest designation records.

The monument includes a series of six strip lynchets on an east facing slope situated in an elevated position overlooking the River Dove. The strip lynchets survive as terraces between 1.5 and 2m high and 10 and 20m wide. They are shortest in length at the higher end of the slope and increase in length down the slope ranging from 80 and 140m in length. Although the origin of the terraces is unknown it is believed they are the result of ploughing or cultivation from the medieval period or earlier.

A feature thought to be the possible site of a barrow lies to the south west corner of the monument and as this feature has not been formally assessed its relationship, if any, with the terraces is unknown. Other well preserved cultivation terraces or lynchets appear to survive 500m to the north west but any relationship between the two sites has not been formally assessed.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Strip lynchets are artificially created cultivation terraces found on hillslopes which create a characteristically stepped profile. They were created by ploughing around the hillslope following the contours. The effect of this ploughing was to cut into the hillslope and to spread soil out onto the downslope to form a level platform which could then be used for cultivation. Such contour ploughing prevented major soil erosion on the hillslope and probably also helped retain moisture. Such terraced field systems originated in the prehistoric period and continued in practice into the medieval period.

The cultivation terraces 130m south east of Ivy Cottage survive well as prominent landscape features. They are one of relatively few types of ancient field system and an important source for studying the history of land use and agricultural practices.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
Pastscape: 307473, HER: DST5882 & NMR: SK14NE14

Source: Historic England

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