Monument record MDO6146 - Shrunken medieval settlement of Mapperton, Sturminster Marshall

Earthworks of medieval settlement remains, formerly part of the village of Mapperton in the parish of Almer. Several enclosures can be seen as distinct earthworks. Earthworks to the east of Mapperton are visible on 1940s aerial photographs and current Environment Agency lidar imagery and were digitally plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM project.

SY 907986. Settlement remains, formerly part of Mapperton village, consist of enclosures covering 3 acres
spanning a valley bottom just south east of the road junction in the village. <1>

In the field centred at SY 907987, are remains of settlement consisting of two probable building platforms, one large and one small, a rectangular scooped-out area, and banks and scarps which may be the remains of closes. Further remains have been observed by quarry pits and spoil heaps. A hollow way along the east side of the field may be contemporary with the settlement.

To the south, within 1.0 ha. of pasture centred at SY 90739859, there are a few vague and unsurveyable scarps, mostly contour-following which, with traces of a boundary bank and ditch visible on the air photograph,indicate an original extent of about 1.7 ha. Surveyed at 1:2500 on M.S.D. <2>

Earthworks of medieval settlement remains, formerly part of the village of Mapperton in the parish of Almer. Several enclosures can be seen as distinct earthworks.

Earthworks to the east of Mapperton are visible on 1940s aerial photographs and current Environment Agency lidar imagery <3-4>. The features include the remains of probable tofts on the north side of the road through the village, alongside two larger rectilinear enclosures and a possible hollow way on the south side of the road. The features were digitally plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM project.

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 2, 290 (Monograph). SDO149.

'(44) Settlement remains (907986) were formerly part of Mapperton village in the old parish of Almer. Enclosures covering 3 acres span a valley bottom just S.E. of the road junction in the village. (R.A.F. V.A.P. CPE/UK 1934 : 5130).'

<2> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F1 JGB 06-MAY-81 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<3> Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 FS 2132 (Aerial Photograph). SDO19964.

<4> Environment Agency, 16-NOV-2021, LIDAR Environment Agency DTM (Aerial Photograph). SDO18034.

<5> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/093 RCHME Inventory: Dorset II (South-East) (Unpublished document). SDO17434.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 457363 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 8 2023 12:39PM