Monument record MDO5298 - Medieval settlement remains of Winterborne Quarleston, Winterborne Stickland

Earthworks of medieval settlement remains, formerly part of the village of Winterborne Quarleston. Pottery of 12th to 13th-century date was found in the area in the 1950s.

SETTLEMENT REMAINS, 836639, formerly part of Winterborne Quarleston, lie in the extreme S. of the parish on both sides of the R. Winterborne. Thirteen taxpayers were listed in 1333, but thereafter there are no population records; by 1811 there was nothing on the site but the present farm.

The remains cover about 6 acres and are in two parts. To the W. of the present farm is a very disturbed area which includes one large platform (50 yds. by 25 yds.) separated from the land to the W. by a scarp 4 ft. to 6 ft. high, with an internal ditch 15 ft. wide. To the E. of the farm were formerly six parallel closes, orientated E.-W.; they were 90 yds. long and 30 yds. to 40 yds. wide and were bounded by low banks; these have now been destroyed. A number of late 11th and 12th-century sherds have been found on the site.<1>

<1> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 308-309 (Monograph). SDO136.

'(16) Settlement Remains (836039), formerly part of Winterborne Quarleston, lie in the extreme S. of the parish on both sides of the R. Winterborne. Thirteen taxpayers were listed in 1333, but thereafter there are no population records; by 1811 there was nothing on the site but the present farm (O.W., 1811).

The remains cover about 6 acres and are in two parts. To the W. of the present farm is a very disturbed area which includes one large platform (50 yds. by 25 yds.) separated from the land to the W. by a scarp 4 ft. to 6 ft. high, with an internal ditch 15 ft. wide. To the E. of the farm were formerly six parallel closes, orientated E.-W.; they were 90 yds. long and 30 yds. to 40 yds. wide and were bounded by low banks; therse have now beendestroyed. A number of late 11th and 12the-century sherds have been found on the site (Dorset. Procs. 77 (1955), 352-3).'

<2> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1956, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1955, 152-153 (Serial). SDO55.

'Medieval sherds, Quarleston, Winterborne Stickland; about ST 837041. A number of late 11th-12th century sherds have been given to the Museum (1955.51) by Mr. Jones, of "Iredeth", near Quarleston Farm, on the road to Clenston, through Mrs. Harfield of Pen Selwood. They were found in the front garden of his bungalow. There are some side fragments of lightweight corky fabric, but most are cooking-pot rims of typical coarse sandy ware. The most interesting piece is a base sherd of a shallow flat-bottomed bowl, now recognized as a West Country type of this period, which is not always distinguishable from the ordinary bag-shaped cooking pot, unless part of the base remains. Some have spaced holes through the side above the base, and are possibly cheese-presses (Footnote 1: Cf. Whittington, Gloucs., Tans. Bristol & Gloucs. A.S., 71 (1952), pp. 6506, also fig. 7, no. 19 (Durrington, Wilts.), and fig. 8 (distribution map)). Mr. G. C. Dunning has noted perforated examples, on in 'scratch-marked ware', presumably early 12th century, from Christchurch, Hants., in the Poole Museum. A perforated variant with plain everted rim and widely splayed base was reported to the Museum in 1952 by Mr. F. Montagu-Puckle, from the medieval site on Oakley Down, Wimborne St. Giles (Footnote 2: Proc., 73 (1951), p. 104. A drawing of the Oakley Down sherd is preserved with papers relating to this year's report).'

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1994, Medieval Village Research Group Index, PRN 469 (Index). SDO16386.

<4> Fagan L and Nowell J, 1995, Quarleston Farm, Winterborne Stickland, Dorset. Archaeological Excavation May-June 1995 (Unpublished document). SDO12553.

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 205791 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Mar 18 2022 3:00PM