Monument record MDO6280 - Deer park at Rye Hill, Wimborne St Giles

A deer park of probable medieval date, possibly associated with the manor of Philipston. Most of the perimeter survives as a substantial bank with the remains of an internal ditch in places, enclosing an area of around 100 acres. Sections of the banked and ditched deer park boundaries are visible as earthworks on 1940s aerial photographs and on current Lidar imagery. The features were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

(Centred SU 043100) A Medieval deer park at Rye Hill, Wimborne St Giles was published in a detatiled account by Heywood Sumner in 1919. The well-preserved section of earthwork between 'A'-'B' on Cantor and Wilson's sketch map (also shown but not described on OS 6" 1963) was described by Sumner as 32 ft wide overall; the top of the bank being about 3 ft above the ground on the northeast side and 4 ft above the bottom of the inner ditch on the southwest side. According to Cantor and Wilson, a partly
obliterated bank and ditch extends from point 'B', along 'The Row' and connects with another well-preserved section of bank through Six Acre Copse and Park Copse, which ranges between 15-20 ft wide and 3-4 ft high. (Part of this section is shown but not described on OS 6" 1963 between SU 03791020 and SU 03941005). Around the south eastern angle of Park Copse, modern drainage channels have interfered with the line of the ditch, but the bank can still be followed, some 16-20 ft wide, though not so high as previously. At point 'C' (on plan) the bank emerges from Park Copse and continues to point 'D', which is partly covered with rhododendron thickets. At its widest the bank is not more than 14 ft across. There are now no visible traces of a connecting link between point 'D' and 'A'. Plan. <1>

Deer Park, almost certainly Medieval, occupies about 100 acres, much of it wooded, on the south east of Rye Hill (centre SU 043101). Most of the perimeter is still traceable as a substantial bank with, here and there, remains of an internal ditch. The park may be that of the lost manor of Philipston. <4>

SU 040104. An impressive length of deer park boundary bank on Rye Hill. Scheduled (Length A-B described by Cantor and Wilson). <5>

A deer park of probable medieval date, possibly associated with the manor of Philipston. Most of the perimeter survives as a substantial bank with the remains of an internal ditch in places, enclosing an area of around 100 acres.

Sections of the banked and ditched deer park boundaries are visible as earthworks on 1940s aerial photographs and on current Lidar imagery (5 and 6). These principally comprise all of the west side and sections of the north, south and east sides of the deer park. Much of the remainder is under tree cover and therefore not visible.

The visible features were digitally plotted by the Dorset Stour NMP project.

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1969, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1968, 244-248 (Serial). SDO68.

<1.1> Sumner, H, 1919, Ancient Earthworks in the Bournemouth District (Article in serial). SWX1064.

<1.2> Sumner, Heywood, 1931, Local Papers (Monograph). SWX3911.

<3> Cantor, L M and Wilson, J D, 1968, The Medieval Deer-Parks of Dorset VIII; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society (Article in serial). SDO13204.

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1975, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume V (East), 100 (Monograph). SDO129.

‘(34) DEER PARK, almost certainly medieval, occupies about 100 acres, much of it wooded, on and S.E. of Rye Hill (centre 043101). Most of the perimeter is still traceable as a substantial bank with, here and there, remains of an internal ditch. The park may be that of the lost manor of Philipston (Dorset Procs., 90 (1968), 244-6.)’

<5> Department of the Environment, 1978, Department of the Environment (IAM) Ancient Monuments of England (Vol 2), 80 (Monograph). SWX1687.

<6> Royal Air Force, 20-MAR-45, RAF/106G/LA/187 RP 3098-9 (Aerial Photograph). SDO15757.

<7> XX-XXX-2015, Environment Agency DTM Lidar 1m (Aerial Photograph). SDO15442.

<8> National Record of the Historic Environment, 213806 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Mar 29 2023 4:30PM