Monument record MDO6388 - Deer park ponds, Wimborne St Giles

A chain of three deer park ponds, now largely dry, formed by damming a small stream which flows south. The ponds cannot be dated, but they appear to be integrated structurally with the Medieval deer park.

(Centred SU 052105) Deer Park Ponds (NAT). <1>

Deer Park Ponds are a small chain of three ponds, within the medieval deer park of St Giles (SU 10 SE 4). Now largely dry, they were formed by damming a small stream. Although undated they appear to be integrated structurally with the park, the park bank aligned on the lowest and largest of the pond dams. <2, 4>

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1963 (Map). SWX1540.

<2> Cantor, L M and Wilson, J D, 1968, The Medieval Deer-Parks of Dorset VIII; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 246-8 (Article in serial). SDO13204.

<3> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1969, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1968, 247-248 (Serial). SDO68.

'… Perhaps the most interesting feature of the park is the chain of three "Deer Park Ponds". Though these are now largely dry, each still retains the earth bank which dammed the stream coming down from the middle of the park. Though little trace of the park bank is left where it leaves the wood at I, there is no doubt that it is aligned on the lowest of these pond dams, which in effect served both as dam and park bank. It is doubtful if such an arragement can be paralled in Dorset. At Sherborne (Proceedings, Vol. 87) the medieval ponds were well away from the edge of the park, and at Hooke while the pond may indeed have been artificailly created and the park bank may have played the part of a dam, there is now no clear indication of this. There is, however, no doubt that at Deer Park Farm, the park bank was aligned on the lowest and largest of the pond dams. The culvert through this dam was at one time evidently lined with bricks, of a date which we are not competent to judge, though they are coarse and probably locally made.'

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1975, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume V (East), 100 No 35 (Monograph). SDO129.

'(15) Deer Park and Ponds, probably the original park of St. Giles's manor, lie E. of the present park (around 049109). The park covers about 110 acres, N. and E. of Deer Park Farm, and is bounded for the greater part by the remains of a substantial bank and ditch. Within the park a chain of three ponds, now largely dry, was formed by damming a small stream which flows S.; although undated they appear to be integrated structurally with the park. (Dorset Procs., 90 (1968), 246-8).'

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 213751 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jul 26 2024 2:43PM