Monument record MDO5929 - Gardens at West Woodyates Manor, Pentridge

Gardens thought probably to be of 18th-century origin can be seen as earthworks south of the manor house, and consist of a roughly square enclosure with a ha-ha on three sides and a circular mound at the southern corner.

The surviving extent of post-medieval garden earthworks which are situated to the south of West Woodyates Manor. These comprise a ha-ha containing a rectangular area of undulating ground, 175 metres south west to north east by 100 metres, which slopes down towards the house on its north west side. On the south west and south east corners of the garden the ha-ha diverts to enclose two circular areas, resembling bastions, the south western of which includes a prospect mound 8 metres in diameter at the base and around 4 metres high. The ha-ha is at its largest north west of the prospect mound where it has a maximum depth of 1.35 metres and is up to 6.5 metres wide. What survives today is likely to be a substantial part of a once larger garden which, given the location of the remnants of a third 'bastion' south west of the house, would have been square in overall plan, with the ha-ha extending behind the house to its north west. All of the surviving garden features are interpreted as being of 18th century date. Scheduled.

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1975, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume V (East), 53 (Monograph). SDO129.

‘Earthworks on the S. and E. of the house comprise a level enclosure, 170 yds. by 130 yds., defined on S.W., S.E. and N.E. by a ha-ha some 15 ft. wide and 4 ft. deep. A mound at the S. corner of the enclosure is 80 ft. in diameter and 14 ft. high and is surrounded by a ditch 2 ft. deep. A low circular platform occurs at the W. corner of the enclosure. These features are probably of 18th-century origin.’

<2> Historic England, Scheduled Monument Notification, 04-Feb-99 (Scheduling record). SDO17468.

<3> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1222162 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Nov 30 2022 11:33AM