Monument record MDO1192 - Deer park, Frome St Quintin

The northwest corner of the deer park boundary at Frome St Quintin is visible as two parallel earthwork banks on aerial photographs taken in 1947. Sections of the northern and southern deer park boundary are also visible as parallel banked and ditched earthworks on 1940s aerial photographs. The features were digitally plotted during the Upper Frome and Sydling Valley AIM project.

The northwest corner of the deer park boundary at Frome St Quintin is visible as two parallel earthwork banks on aerial photographs taken in 1947 <2>. They were digitally plotted during the Upper Frome and Sydling Valley AIM project. The site appears levelled and visible as cropmarks on Google Earth imagery <2>.

Sections of the northern and southern deer park boundary are also visible as parallel banked and ditched earthworks on 1940's aerial photographs <4-6>. The northern section comprises an outer curvilinear bank with an inner parallel ditch, part of which now forms the northern boundary of Frome Park Coppice. The earthworks are visible even below the tree line on a 1948 aerial photograph (5). The southern section comprises a curvilinear bank with an inner ditch just visible. The earthwork curves from east to west along the north side of a trackway <4-6>. The trackway is recorded on the OS 1st Edition map and the earthwork is recorded as a historic field boundary (7). The deer park boundary continues to the northwest where it is visible as broken sections of curved linear earthworks, significantly levelled (4-6). At ST 60133 02839 a further section of double banked linear earthwork (see MDO43071) meets the deer park boundary on its west side (6). This earthwork is also recorded as a historic field boundary on the OS 1st Edition map but its morphology is similar to the deer park boundary and it is possible it is related, although it may also be a later feature.

At ST 60065 02904 the deer park boundary is documented as making 90 degree turn to the west <>. A historic boundary (see MDO43071) is also visible continuing north from this point to join the northern section of the deer park boundary (5, 6). This boundary is recorded as a historic field boundary on the OS 1st Edition map <1>. On a 1948 aerial photograph it is visible as a slightly irregular curvilinear boundary, possibly double banked in places <5, 6>. It may be a later division of the deer park but may alternatively represent an earlier deer park boundary - although this is conjectural and would merit ground truthing.

The features were also digitally plotted during the Upper Frome and Sydling Valley AIM project. They are also visible as earthworks and cropmarks on Google Earth imagery <3>.

The remains of a park pale are traceable N.E. of the village of Frome St Quintin; the earthwork seems originally to have formed an enclosure some 900.0 m. from E. to W., and 300.0 m. from N. to S. From A, ST 59750296, to B, ST 59880308 there is now no trace of the earthwork, and from B to C, ST 60630280 a rebuilt plantation bank appears to occupy the line of the original bank, and the inner ditch has been virtually destroyed. The S. part of the enclosure, from C to D, ST 60220276 has the original bank and ditch, though both are slightly mutilated. The bank now averages 4.0 m. wide and 1.0 m. high, and the ditch 2.5 m. wide and 0.5 m. deep. From D to E, ST 60040290 bank and ditch have been ploughed over, are wider than previously and now average 0.2 m. high and 0.2 m. deep respectively. From E to F, ST 59900287 the bank is higher but otherwise similar to section C - D. From F to G, ST 59820285 there is an 80.0 m. section of completely modern bank. Between G and A a strong bank with inner ditch crosses the neck of the coombe. This bank averages 4.0 m. wide and 1.5 m. high, and the ditch averages 3.0 m. wide and 0.7 m. deep. There are two causewayed breaks now in use as field entrances, which may be original or later. No information was obtained during field work to date this park, and the park is not mentioned in the usual reference works by COKER, HUTCHINS, the V.C.H. etc., though the the coppice within the park boundary, called Frome Park Coppice on the OS. 6", is additional evidence. (1) The medieval deer park of From St Quentin enclosed an area of 55 acres. The park bank runs alongside the bridle path from `A' (ST 60590278) to `B' (ST 60230277) and is about 20' wide and 5' high with a steeper face and a ditch on the northern side. At `B' it turns off across the open field and at `C' (ST 60180279) is about 19' wide and 2' or 3' high. As the slope becomes steeper the bank is more eroded but still clear as it curves westward to join a hedge line at `D' (ST 60090282). It is noticeable that once this hedge has been joined by the park bank it has a ditch on the northern side. At `E' (ST 59820284) the bank turns off at right-angles and between `E' and `F' (ST 59770293) is between 21-23' wide and 4-5' high with a wide, deep ditch on the inside. The bank has a broad, flat top with a steep inner face. Between `F' and `G' (ST 59720300) the bank becomes progressively more disturbed. At `G' a kink in the line suggests the bank turned eastward. It is clearly located again at `H' (ST 59890207), there being no trace between `G' and `H', and measures 15' wide and 3-4' high with a clear ditch on the inside. At `I' (ST 60100310) the bank has increased to 22' wide and 6' high with a ditch on the outside also. It diminishes slightly as it follows the northern line of the wood; the smallest measurement being 16' wide and 4' high. <8>


The circumference of the park encloses a steep sided, dry coombe. The first measurement across the surviving remains ('A' - see Cantor's plan for detail) illustrates a well-preserved median bank, ditched on either side. The overall width is 9m; 5m of which is the bank width. This feature stands to a height, internally (ie to the north) of 1.8m. The ditches are c. 0.4m in depth. The second measurement, taken midway between 'A' and 'B' has an overal width of 8.6m. The bank, 1.6m high on the north side, is 5.4m broad. On the north side the ditch is 2.2m wide and 0.5m deep. To the south the ditch is 1.6m wide and 0.3m deep. For a stretch of c. 36m immediately to the east of 'B' (ie the hedge/fence line), the park pale is severely denuded, surviving only as a slight, ditch-like feature. After 'B', the park boundary descends the coombe in a north west direction. The length between 'C' and 'D' has been 'ploughed' at some stage. No west ditch was evident; though the internal ditch was 2.5mwide and 0.4m deep. The spread bank here is 5.5m wide and 0.7m high on its east face. Between 'D' and 'E', the north ditch is very well preserved, being 4m wide and c. 2m deep. The greater dimensions here are needed to counter the higher natural internal level. The section between 'E' and 'E1' is superbly preserved. The overall width is 10m. The bank, standing to a height of 1.4m on the east, is 5.6m broad. The east ditch is 1.4m deep. From 'E1' to 'F' the park pale has been badly mutilated - only the faint trace of the west ditch can be seen. 'F' - 'G' - 'H' has been ploughed; this stretch is in permanent arable. 'H' - 'I' consists of a very well defined bank with internal ditch (ie on the south). The overall width is 7.2m; the height of the bank on the north side is 0.6m. On the south side it stands to a height of 1.5m. This feature is 6m wide. The ditch on the south is 0.4m deep. Near 'I' an outer (north) ditch is present. The park pale defining the north limit of Frome Plantation consists again of a central bank flanked by an internal and external ditch. The overall width is 10m; the bank is 6.1m wide - on its north side it is 0.8m high. To the south the bank stands c. 2m in height. On the north the ditch is 0.4m deep. On the south it is of a similar dimension. North of Park Coppice the overall width is 8.8m. The bank is 5m wide. It is 1.3m high to the south. Both ditches are 0.4m deep. At the eastern extreme of the park pale, the bank is flat-topped and very steep sided, internal and external ditches are present. Overall width is 9m, the bank is 5m in breadth. Bank height on inner (south west) face is 2m. The inner ditch depth is 0.4m; the outer is 0.8m. <9>

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1864, 1886, Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, epoch one (Map). SDO10239.

<2> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RP 3382-3 (Aerial Photograph). SDO16585.

<3> Google Earth, XX-XXX-2005, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM (Aerial Photograph). SDO12698.

<4> Royal Air Force, 15-APR-45, RAF/106G/LA/218 FS 2017 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17034.

<5> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-47, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RS 4382-3 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17037.

<6> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-47, RAF/CPE/UK/1975 FP 1057-8 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17003.

<7> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, 29-SEP-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<8> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1966, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1965, 229-231 (Serial). SDO65.

<9> McOmish, D S, Various, Field Investigators Comments DSM, F2 DSM 29-APR-87 (Unpublished document). SDO16333.

<10> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 899571 (Index). SDO14738.

Frome St Quintin/ink survey

<11> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AF0662344 (Index). SDO14738.

RCHME: Frome St Quintin, Somerset. An original plan of the medieval park pale surveyed by RCHME Salisbury in 1986. Contents : 1 planCondition : INTACT

<12> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/088 RCHME Inventory: Dorset I (West) and Revision (Unpublished document). SDO17367.

<13> National Record of the Historic Environment, 195786 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Mar 1 2022 9:30AM