Monument record MDO2945 - Medieval settlement, Whitcombe

Remains of a deserted medieval settlement at Whitcombe visible as earthworks and cropmarks on aerial photographs. Located at the head of a dry valley west of the present hamlet at Whitcombe, which occupies the eastern part of the settlement. Surviving features include 6 artificial terraces, possibly representing the site of Medieval buildings, several hollow ways, the outer boundary which survives as a bank and ditch and the parish church and churchyard which is now redundant.

SY 717882. Settlement remains of Whitcombe village, of which by the late 18th century only the church, the farm buildings and a few cottages remained, cover 14 acres east and north east of the existing buildings. <1-2>

The earthworks of the deserted Medieval village at Whitcombe have been surveyed by the Dorset Institute of Higher Education, Weymouth. <3>

SY 71708830 Whitcomb shrunken Medieval village earthworks are well preserved in permanent pasture and cover an area of approximately 3.3 ha (8.0 acres). Remains consist of portions of the perimeter boundary bank and ditch, part of a hollow-way at least seven identifiable house platforms with associated enclosures and minor scarps and banks. Earthworks poorly defined on OS air photographs. Surveyed at 1:2500 on MSD.

Area SY 71838809 Vague and unsurveyable banks are visible in the plough-land to the south-east of the village. Surface scatterings of brick, pottery, and domestic debris, are indicative of former settlement. <4>

Whitcombe DMV: Scheduled. (6)

Remains of a deserted Medieval settlement at Whitcombe located at the head of a dry valley, west of the present hamlet at Whitcombe, which occupies the eastern part of the settlement. Surviving features include 6 artificial terraces, possibly representing the site of Medieval buildings, several hollow ways, the outer boundary which survives as a bank and ditch and the parish church (listed Grade I) which is now redundant and churchyard with post Medieval graves, some of which are listed Grade II. The reduction in size of the settlement occurred gradually during the 17th and 19th centuries. <8>

Remains of a deserted medieval settlement at Whitcombe visible as earthworks and cropmarks on aerial photographs. Surviving features include 6 artificial terraces, possibly representing the site of medieval buildings, the parish church and churchyard, which is now redundant, several hollow ways, the outer boundary which survives as a bank and ditch, and an associated field system. <9-15>

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 2, 376 (Monograph). SDO149.

'(4) Settlement Remains (717882) of Whitcombe village, of which by the late 18th century only the church, the farm and a few cottages remained, cover 14 acres E. and N.E. of the existing buildings. (R.A.F. V.A.P. CPE/UK 1934: 3082; T. Weld, Estate Map (after 1790), in D.C.R.O.; Hutchins II, 518; Fägersten, 162; C. A. F. Meekings, Dorset Hearth Tax Assessments (1951), esp. Appx. VII.)'

<2> Beresford, M, and Hurst, J G, 1971, Deserted Medieval Villages, 186 (Monograph). SWX1568.

<3> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1978, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1976, 62 (Serial). SDO76.

<4> Baird, James, 1980, Field Investigators Comments JB, F1 JB 14-DEC-79 (Unpublished document). SWX1956.

<4.1> Ordnance Survey, OS 78/080 055 (Aerial Photograph). SDO20133.

<5> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1981, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1979, 143 (Serial). SDO79.

<6> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1994, Medieval Village Research Group Index, PRN 462 (Index). SDO16386.

<7> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/093 RCHME Inventory: Dorset II (South-East) (Unpublished document). SDO17434.

<8> English Heritage, Scheduling Amendment, 05-SEP-2001 (Scheduling record). SDO17245.

<9> 15-FEB-2005, NMR SY 7188/10-11 (2346/00-00A) (Aerial Photograph). SDO10889.

<10> 15-FEB-2005, NMR SY 7188/8 (23797/15) (Aerial Photograph). SDO10888.

<11> Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 3081-3 (Aerial Photograph). SDO10887.

<12> Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 3081-3 (Aerial Photograph). SDO10887.

<13> Royal Air Force, 11-MAR-1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2491 3008-10 (Aerial Photograph). SDO10859.

<14> Royal Air Force, 09-MAR-1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2475 4008-10 (Aerial Photograph). SDO10821.

<15> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1824 4263-5 (Aerial Photograph). SDO10820.

<16> National Record of the Historic Environment, 454089 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 13 2024 11:04AM