MMO2577 - Post-medieval orchard ridging at Timberscombe (Monument)

Several linear banks are visible on aerial photographs in a field south of the A396 at Ford Bridge, Timberscombe. Centred at approximately SS 9526 4196, three banks are visible, running approximately north to south and measuring up to 150 metres long and 5 metres wide. The banks are slightly curved and run parallel to the boundaries of the field, but at 16 metres apart appear to be too close together to be boundaries themselves. The 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map shows the field at this location planted with regularly spaced deciduous trees, probably an orchard, and it is likely that the banks were constructed to provide a surface for planting. The banks and orchard most likely date to the post-medieval period and may have been part of nearby Bickham Farm. [1-3]