Monument record MDO70 - Barcombe medieval settlement, Alton Pancras

(Centred ST 700032) Settlement remains, part of the hamlet of Barcombe, lie north of Barcombe Farm. Within an area of four acres are a number of small closes and platforms bounded on the north east and east by a bank 16ft wide and up to 2ft high with an outer ditch 10ft wide. Listed under Medieval and later earthworks. <1-2>

The plough-spread linear bank extending northwest to southeast across the present pasture-field north of Barcombe Farm can be traced as a soil-mark on air photographs <3.1> for a further 150.0m north-westward. There is no coherent settlement plan within the adjoining area centred ST 700032; it would seem therefore that this denuded earthwork represents a portion of the settlement perimeter-boundary bank. Existing ground evidence points to the nucleus of settlement occurring in the 7-acre pasture field (ST 69780320) to the northwest of Barcombe Farm. This pasturage contains well defined closes, platforms and boundary banks. Poorly defined on OS air photographs <3.1>. <3>

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 1, 3 (Monograph). SDO146.

'(14) SETTLEMENT REMAINS (700032), PART OF THE HAMLET OF Barcombe, lie N. of Barcombe Farm. Within an area of 4 acres are a number of small closes and platforms bounded on the N.E. and E. by a bank 16 ft. wide and up to 2ft. high, with an outer ditch 10ft. wide.'

<2> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-1947, RAF CPE/UK/1975 1041-2 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17440.

<3> Stone, J W, Field Investigators Comments JWS, F1 JWS 20-OCT-78 (Unpublished document). SDO11902.

<3.1> Ordnance Survey, OS 74/058/031-32 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17444.

<4> Historic England, Historic England Archive, BB74/04504 (Index). SDO14738.

VIEW OF SETTLEMENT AND CELTIC FIELDS (GROUP 41) EX-HAMLET OF BARCOMBE

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 202104 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 8 2024 1:24PM