Monument record MDO1924 - Chapel yard, Plush, Piddletrenthide

An almost square enclosure surrounded by a low bank. The chapel, which was pulled down around 1848, was situated in the southern part of the enclosure. The chapel yard enclosure is visible as low earthworks on lidar imagery and was digitally recorded during the Mid Dorset Downs AIM project.

'Chapel Yard (72450288), belong to the former chapel of Plush, <2>.

The area is almost square, with sides about 30 yds long, and is bounded by a low bank 12 ft wide and up to 2 1/2 ft high on the outside; the entrance is at the centre of the E side. The S quarter of the area is separated from the rest by a low bank 15 ft wide and 6 ins high. The chapel, which was pulled down in about 1848 (Hutchins III, 710), lay in the S part of the yard; an old engraving shows it as a simple nave with a small tower at the W end. (S & DN & Q,X (1906-7), 356).' <2>

At ST 72430287 on top of a small, isolated hill are the remains of a small rectangular earthwork known as 'Chapel Yard'. It consists of a low bank 4.0m wide, and up to 0.9m high enclosing an area some 0.25 of a hectare. The southeast side is broken midway along its length by an (original) entrance. No trace of a building remains in the interior, which is densely wooded. <3>

The chapel yard enclosure is visible as low earthworks on lidar imagery and was digitally recorded during the Mid Dorset Downs AIM project. (Lidar 2021 (5)). The enclosure is 42m by 35m across and associated with a number of field boundaries, partially marked on the OS 1st edition map (6).

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1962 (Map). SWX1540.

(ST 72430287) Chapel

<2> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 219 (Monograph). SDO136.

'(39) Chapel Yard (72450288), belonging to the former chapel of Plush, lies on a small S-facing spur ½ m. N.E. of (2). The area is almost square, with sides about 30 yds. long, and is bounded by a low bank 12 ft. wide and up to 2½ ft. high on the outside; the entrance is at the centre of the E. side. The S. quarter of the area is separated from the rest by a low bank 15 ft. wide and 6 ins. high. The chapel, which was pulled down in about 1848 (Hutchins III, 710), lay in the S. part of the yard; an old engraving shows it as a simple nave with a small tower at the W. end. (S. & D. N. & Q., X, (1906-7), 356.).'

<3> Barrett, G, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigator's Comments GB, F1 GB 20-NOV-78 (Unpublished document). SDO17369.

<4> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, epoch 2 (Map). SDO11594.

(ST 72430287) Church

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 201964 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<5> Environment Agency, 16-NOV-2021, LIDAR Environment Agency DTM (Aerial Photograph). SDO18034.

<6> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, epoch 1 (Map). SDO10239.

Record last edited

Nov 10 2025 5:20PM