Monument record MDO6222 - St Leonard's Hospital, West Moors

A hospital of St. Leonard at Rushton was in existence by 1267, partly dependenton Tewkesbury Abbey. It passed to Christchurch Priory in 1314 and had ceased to exist by 1535. <5>

The hospital is sited by Hutchins <2> at Tarrant Rushton, and published there on OS 6" 1901, but is now believed <3> <5> to have been located at Saint Leonard's Farm, West Moors (formerly part of West Parley).

Hutchins <1> notes that a chapel once existed at the farm, which occupies the site of the Medieval settlement of 'Rushton' <6> and documents of 1288 and 1304 refer to the hospital as being at "Rushton-juxta-Parley" and "Rushton-juxta-Palmersbrigg" (Palmer's Ford at SU 099009 is called "Palmersbridge" on map of 1760 <3>.

<1> Shipp, W (ed), 1868, The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset. 3rd edition. Volume 3, 388 (Monograph). SWX3207.

<2> Shipp, W (ed), 1868, The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset. 3rd edition. Volume 3, 463 (Monograph). SWX3207.

<3> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1943, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1942, 34-42 (Serial). SDO42.

<4> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey 1:10,000 scale map, 1971 (Map). SDO17396.

(SU09460156) St. Leonard's Farm (NAT)

<5> Knowles, D and Neville Hadcock, R, 1971, Medieval religious houses in England and Wales (Monograph). SDO11249.

<6> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1975, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume V (East), 74 (Monograph). SDO129.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 213130 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Nov 6 2023 4:14PM