Monument record MDO4889 - Tarrant Abbey, Tarrant Crawford

The site of the lost nunnery of Camestrum documented around 1186. An area of scarps and banks at ST 92030338 could be the site of the abbey church. The features are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs and lidar imagery and was ditigally plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour Catchment AI&M.

Tarrant or Tarrant Kaines. A small nunnery was built circa 1186 for three ladies with their servants living as anchoresses, under no recognised order. This may well be the unidentified monastery of `Camestrum' in Dorset mentioned by Gervase of Canterbury as being of White Nuns and dedicated to St Mary Magdalene; though not yet belonging to the Cistercian order, the ladies may have adopted white habits. The abbey of St Mary and All Saints was founded before 1228 for Cistercian nuns and was surrendered in 1539. <2>

Tarrant Crawford Abbey originated at the end of the 12th century as a small community of nuns which by 1233 had adopted Cistercian rule. In 1237 Bishop Poore of Salisbury was buried there, and in the following year Henry III's sister, Queen Joan of Scotland. By the end of the 13th century Tarrant was one of the richest Cistercian nunneries in England. There is little doubt that there was a convent church, built about 1240-46, in addition to the small parish church which survives, and that the tombs of the Bishop and the Queen were in it, but nothing is visible today. Most of the abbey buildings appear to have been demolished at the Dissolution. Tarrant Abbey House, at ST 92060330, has a short transverse range orientated NW to SE which is of Medieval origin, the stone lower storey being perhaps early 15th century while the timber framed upper storey may be of later 15th century date. The NE range is 16th century with the walls refaced in brickwork about the middle of the 18th century. The SW wing is of the late 18th century.

At ST 92110339 is a range of late 15th century farm buildings, part of which retains its original hammerbeam roof.

A barn at ST 92160344 dates from the 15th century to the 18th century. The eight bay roof has 'sling-brace' trusses. A bank and ditch, presumably bounding the abbey precincts, appears to have enclosed a roughly rectangular area of some 7 1/2 acres. On the SE side a double bank 2 ft to 3 ft high, with a ditch 3 ft deep on the NW, extends about 150 yds SW from ST 92180338. The SW boundary is marked by a bank 3 ft high with a slight inner ditch, immediately SW of Tarrant Abbey House. Formerly this part of the bank was over 200 yds long, but only 80 yds now remain at the NW end. On the NW the precinct was probably bounded by the Tarrant. The NE boundary is no longer defined.

An area of scarps and banks at ST 92030338 could be the site of the abbey church. Covering an area some 200 ft by 50 ft, and roughly L-shaped in plan, the longer side is orientated E to W. Mounds up to 3 ft appear to contain masonry from the walls of a substantial building, and is reported locally that Medieval floor-tiles have been found on the site. <3>

The site of the lost nunnery of Camestrum c1186AD which became a Cistercian nunnery founded before 1228 and dissolved in 1539. The succeeding 16th and 18th century house probably incorporates parts of the former abbey. An area of scarps and banks at ST 92030338 could be the site of the abbey church. The features are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs and lidar imagery <6-7> and was ditigally plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour Catchment AI&M.

Emden, A B, 1977, Medieval Decorated Tiles in Dorset (Monograph). SDO13180.

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1928, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club for 1927-1928, 1-24 (Serial). SDO31.

<2> Knowles, D, and Neville Hadcock, R, 1971, Medieval religious houses in England and Wales, 276 (Monograph). SDO11249.

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1972, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume IV (North), 88 (Monograph). SDO99.

‘(8) SCARPS AND BANKS (92030338), much disturbed in unrecorded 19th-century excavations, lie on the W. of (5) and cover an area some 200 ft. by 50 ft., roughly L-shaped in plan; the longer side is orientated E.-W. Mounds which appear to contain masonry from the walls of a substantial building stand up to 3 ft. high. It is reported locally that medieval floor-tiles have been found on the site, but none could be produced for examination.’

<4> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey 1:10,000 scale map, 1978 (Map). SDO17396.

(ST 92130340) Tithe Barn (NR) (ST 92060330) Tarrant Abbey and remains of (NAT) Abbey (NR) (Cistercian Nuns) (NAT)

<5> Anon, 1999, Tarrant Abbey: geophysical survey (Unpublished document). SDO16993.

<6> Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 FP 1129 (Aerial Photograph). SDO18298.

<7> Environment Agency, 16-NOV-2021, LIDAR Environment Agency DTM (Aerial Photograph). SDO18034.

<8> National Record of the Historic Environment, 209609 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Oct 30 2024 10:33AM