Monument record MDO3434 - Earthworks including fishpond north of Woodsford Castle, Woodsford

Earthworks thought to be associated with nearby Woodsford Castle, and therefore medieval in date. The nature of the earthworks is not clear, though one section is interpreted as the remains of a cluster of three fishponds.

Only the Medieval fishponds at SY 75769049 remain, overgrown and waterlogged but intact. The other earthworks have been destroyed by the construction of farm buildings. Fishponds re-surveyed from R.C.H.M. 1:500 plan on to M.S.D. 1:2500. <2>

Earthworks associated with medieval fishponds are visible on aerial photographs <3> of the 1940s to the north of the site of Woodsford Castle. Two banks, which may be part of the remains of the fishponds, are located at SY 7576 9049, visible over an area measuring approximately 58 m by 36 m. This feature was digitally plotted during the Wild Purbeck Mapping Project.

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 2, 402 (Monograph). SDO149.

‘(5) EARTHWORKS, including fishponds (758905), lie N. of Woodsford Castle (2) and were probably associated with it rather than with the village. Two groups of earthworks are separated by ditches, one some 4 ft. wide running E.-W.; S. of this are flat areas with scarped sides and N. of it are at least three partly-embanked contiguous depressions which were probably fishponds fed by leats. (R.A.F. V.A.P. CPE/UK 1934: 2076).’

<2> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F1 JGB 16-JAN-81 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<3> Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 2075-6 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13363.

<4> National Record of the Historic Environment, 454902 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 26 2023 4:15PM