Monument record MDO5323 - Medieval settlement, formerly part of La Lee, Winterborne Whitechurch

The remains of a medieval settlement, the hamlet of La Lee, situated on the east side of the Winterborne valley and alongside the present road. Earthworks of at least nine long closes bounded by low banks with traces of building platforms in places. The remains of parallel strips are visible as low earthwork on lidar imagery and were digitally plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM.

SETTLEMENT REMAINS, 840010, formerly part of the hamlet of La Lee, lie immediately S. of Lower Whatcombe on the E. side of the Winterborne valley. The settlement is one of the Winterbornes in Domesday Book and can be identified because it was held by Milton Abbey. The recorded population in 1086 was only three, but twenty-six tenants were listed in an early 14th-century customary of the abbey. Only six householders were recorded in 1662. The remains consist of nine long closes, up to 100 yds. long and from 20 yds. to 50 yds. wide, bounded by low banks up to 15 ft. wide; they lie along the present road. The higher E. ends of the closes are much disturbed by quarrying into the valley side but there are traces of building platforms. At the western ends there are no certain remains of house sites, but disturbed areas indicate possible sites. <1-2>
The remains of parallel strips are visible as low earthwork on lidar imagery <7> and were digitally plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM.

Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 3119-20 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17835.

<1> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 312 (Monograph). SDO136.

‘(17) SETTLEMENT REMAINS (840010), formerly part of the hamlet of La Lee, lie immediately S. of Lower Whatcombe on the E. side of the Winterborne valley. The settlement is one of the Winterbornes in Domesday Book and can be identified because it was held by Milton Abbey (Hutchins I, 199; D.B. Vol. I, f. 78a). The recorded population in 1086 was only three, but twenty-six tenants were listed in an early 14th-century custumary of the abbey (Hutchins I, 199; ibid. IV, 389). Only six householders were recorded in 1662 (Meekings, 77). The remains consist of nine long closes, up to 100 yds. long and from 20 yds. to 50 yds. wide, bounded by low banks up to 15 ft. wide; they lie along the present road. The higher E. ends of the closes are much disturbed by quarrying into the valley side but there are traces of building platforms. At the western ends there are no certain remains of house sites, but disturbed areas indicate possible sites.’

<3> Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 3110 (Aerial Photograph). SDO16107.

<4> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1987, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1986, 185 (Serial). SDO86.

‘A HOARD OF 9TH-CENTURY COINS FROM WINTERBORNE WHITECHURCH. In February 1985 Messrs Darke, Gibbs and Farnham found seven silver pennies of Burgred, king of Mercia (852-74) at Lower Whatcombe, Winterborne Whitechurch. They were the subject of an inquest held at Blandford on 6 December 1985, when they were declared Treasure Trove. With the help of a Victorial and Albert Museum grant they have been bought by the County Museum. The coins are all of known types and moneyers (J. J. North, English Hammered Coinage, vol. I (1963); (67): (1) obv. BVRGRED REX, diademed bust right, moneyer Hussa, weight 1.3 g. North type d; (2) moneyer Cunhel (m), weight 1.2 g, type c; (3) moneyer Dudda, weight 0.7 g, type 1; (4) moneyer Dudwine, weight 1.14 g, type 1; (5) moneyer Heavvi, weight 1.0 g, type a; (6) moneyer Eanred, weight 0.95 g, type a; (7) moneyer Liafman, weight 1.4 g, type d. Anglo-Saxon hoards in Dorset are extremely rare and indeed single coins are uncommon. These are the first 9th century coins to have been discovered and reported.’

<5> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1994, Medieval Village Research Group Index, PRN 514 (Index). SDO16386.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 205805 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

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

Record last edited

Apr 25 2023 10:59AM