Monument record MDO1354 - Medieval fishpond, Lillington

[Area centred at ST 63101275] Probable Medieval depression; [ST 62921272] barn; [ST 62931264]
The field east of Manor Farm is grass covered, witha gentle west facing slope, upon which is a series of widely spaced enclosures and platforms formed by scarps and banks 2.0m to 5.0m wide and 0.3m to 1.0m high. These indications of what is probably Medieval depopulation suggest that the hamlet once extended eastwards. <2>

In the pasture field to the east is a pattern of lynchetted Medieval or later fields (a), the lynchets being up to 0.5m in height and reduced and spread by ploughing. No evidence of Medieval desertion found here.
The pond to the south is again waterfilled, but the bay and margins of the pond, which is used as a farm sump, are so obscured by the dumping of rubbish that no dating or original purpose can now be determined. <3>

ST629127. Lillington fish pond, scheduled. A large pond to the south of the church measures some 100 yards by 50 yards. It is fed by a spring and artificially dammed by a drystone revetted dam some 12 feet high. Lillington was part of the estate of Sherborne Abbey in the Mediaeval period, and this pond is probably a fish pond connected with a monastic grange. <4>

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 135 (Monograph). SDO97.

'(2) Manor Farm, barn and fishpond, W. and S. of the church. ... The Fishpond, S. of the church has a dam at the S. end but is now nearly dry.'

<2> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 06-JAN-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<3> Phillips, A S, Various, Field Investigators Comments ASP, F2 ASP 11-NOV-77 (Unpublished document). SWX3817.

<4> Department of the Environment, DOE (IAM) Ancient Monuments Record Form, 27-Jun-1974 (Index). SDO17347.

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1086081 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Nov 23 2022 9:55AM