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

A hospital of St Leonard at Rushton was in existence by 1267, partly dependent on Tewkesbury Abbey. It passed to Christchurch Priory in 1314 and had ceased to exist by 1535. (Knowles and Hadcock 1971)

The hospital is sited by Hutchins (1868) at Tarrant Rushton, and published there on OS 6" 1901, but is now believed (PDNHAS 1943; Knowles and Hadcock 1971) to have been located at Saint Leonard's Farm, West Moors (formerly part of West Parley).

Hutchins (1868) 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 (PDNHAS 1943).

Historic England, National Record of the Historic Environment, 213130 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

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

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

John Hutchins, edited by Shipp, W, and Hodson, J W, 1868, The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset. 3rd edition. Volume 3, 388 (Monograph). SDO11486.

John Hutchins, edited by Shipp, W, and Hodson, J W, 1868, The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset. 3rd edition. Volume 3, 463 (Monograph). SDO11486.

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

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

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

Record last edited

Jun 4 2026 1:30PM