Monument record MDO5297 - Medieval settlement remains, Winterborne Stickland

Earthworks of medieval settlement remains, formerly part of the village of Winterborne Stickland, and situated to the west of the present village. Shrunken village remains are visible as very low earthworks on lidar imagery and were digitally recorded during the Mid Dorset Downs AIM project.

SETTLEMENT REMAINS 829044-825045, formerly part of Winterborne Stickland village, lie W. of the present village, on the S. side of the Winterborne valley, on River Gravel and Chalk at about 330 ft. above O.D. The remains, which cover about 7 acres, consist of seventeen long closes of varying size, bounded by low banks, with rectangular platforms indicating former buildings cut into the lower parts. <1-2>.

Shrunken village remains are visible as very low earthworks on lidar imagery and were digitally recorded during the Mid Dorset Downs AIM project. (EA 2023)

<1> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 308 (Monograph). SDO136.

'(15) Settlement Remains (829044-825045), formerly part of Winterborne Stickland village, lie W. of the present village, on the S. side of the Winterborne valley, on River Gravel and Chalk at about 330 ft. above O.D.

The remains, which cover about 7 acres, consist of seventeen long closes of varying size, bounded by low banks, with rectangular platforms indicating former buildings cut into the lower parts. The closes are very similar to those of Philipston, Winterborne Clenston (7). Seventeen similar closes, all now completely destroyed by ploughing, appear on air photographs on the N. side of the same valley. Immediately W. and N.W. of Stickland Church (834045), three more closes have also now been destroyed; below them was a hollow-way, the S. extension of which lies in the churchyard. Of the date of desertion of these remains nothing is known.'

<2> Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 1085-6, 1086 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17828.

<2.2> Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 1087 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17830.

<3> Historic England, National Record of the Historic Environment, 205740 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<4> Environment Agency, 15-DEC-2023, LIDAR Environment Agency DTM (Aerial Photograph). SDO20691.

Record last edited

Feb 9 2026 12:01PM