Scheduled Monument: Medieval settlement remains 800m south of Manor Farm (1019361)

EXTRACT FROM ENGLISH HERITAGE'S RECORD OF SCHEDULED MONUMENTS MONUMENT: Medieval settlement remains 800m south of Manor Farm PARISH: MILBORNE ST ANDREW DISTRICT: NORTH DORSET COUNTY: DORSET NATIONAL MONUMENT NO: 33542 NATIONAL GRID REFERENCE(S): SY80199635 DESCRIPTION OF THE MONUMENT The monument includes the earthwork remains of a medieval nucleated settlement 800m south of Manor Farm, lying on the western side of Milborne Brook on a gentle south facing slope. The name of the settlement is not known, but it may have been part of Milborne St Andrew or Milborne Church(s)ton. The name Milborne St Andrew, first mentioned in this form in 1294, referred originally to the southern part of the present parish, the southernmost part of which included the manor of Milborne Church(s)ton. Abandonment of the site, at an unknown date, may have been due to the movement of the village to its present location adjacent to the Dorchester to Blandford road where it crosses the Milborne Brook. The focus of the settlement appears to be a rectangular enclosure, 165m by 90m, at the southern end of the site and defined by a bank 3m wide and up to 1m high, with a 3m wide external ditch, now largely infilled. This contained at least six square internal plots, defined by banks and scarps, several of which contain the remains of buildings and other features, including an oval embanked depression. To the north of the enclosure is a series of small rectangular paddocks, defined by banks and scarps up to 0.5m high, and two possible building platforms are visible along the edge of the brook. These remains are less well-preserved and the eastern edge of the monument has been disturbed by the canalisation of the brook which has been shifted slightly to the west. Earthworks on the western side of the site have been disturbed by a track running diagonally across the site which has been worn down over the years creating a hollow way. Sherds of medieval pottery have been found on the site. At the northern end of the monument there is a large cutting, approximately 25m wide and 2m deep, which appears to be of a later date than the paddocks; its function is unclear, although it has been suggested that it may be the leat of a later mill, the exact location of which is unclear. Because of the uncertainty of its function and date it has not been included in the scheduling. In addition, further paddocks were noted on aerial photographs taken in 1934, extending northwards towards the present village but, as they are no longer clearly visible and cannot be easily interpreted, they are not included in the scheduling either. All fence and gate posts, and water troughs are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath them is included. ASSESSMENT OF IMPORTANCE Medieval rural settlements in England were marked by great regional diversity in form, size and type, and the protection of their archaeological remains needs to take these differences into account. To do this, England has been divided into three broad Provinces on the basis of each area's distinctive mixture of nucleated and dispersed settlements. These can be further divided into sub-Provinces and local regions, possessing characteristics which have gradually evolved during the last 1500 years or more. This monument lies in the West Wessex sub-Province of the Central Province, an area characterised by large numbers of villages and hamlets within countrysides of great local diversity, ranging from flat marshland to hill ridges. Settlements range from large, sprawling villages to tiny hamlets, a range extended by large numbers of scattered dwellings in the extreme east and west of the sub-Province. Cultivation in open townfields was once present, but early enclosure was commonplace. The physical diversity of the landscape was, by the time of Domesday Book in 1086, linked with great variations in the balance of cleared land and woodland. The South Dorset local region is a diverse countryside comprising the South Dorset Downs and narrow limestone ridges and clay vales which curve around the chalk escarpments. Settlement is characterised by low concentrations of scattered farmsteads, and small villages and hamlets: ancient settlements whose arable fields were, on the evidence of Domesday Book, set among substantial tracts of pasture and woodland in the 11th century. The medieval settlement remains 800m south of Manor Farm are a well-preserved example of their class, and will contain deposits providing information about medieval society, economy and the environment. SCHEDULING HISTORY Monument included in the Schedule on 7th June 1971 as: COUNTY/NUMBER: Dorset 767 NAME: Settlement remains on west side of Milborne Brook The reference of this monument is now: NATIONAL MONUMENT NUMBER: 33542 NAME: Medieval settlement remains 800m south of Manor Farm SCHEDULING REVISED ON 09th May 2001

Record last edited

Sep 12 2024 2:21PM