Monument record MDO7296 - Shrunken medieval village, Barnston Farm, Church Knowle

SY 932815. Settlement remains some 2 acres in extent lie south-east of Barnston Farm terraced on an east-facing slope. SY 93188147. <1>

The site lies on a sloping pasture field which has been under the plough and partially levelled. The hedge at the foot of the slopes has been cleared and its adjacent stream culverted. The poor remains of three fairly large levelled platforms and fragmentary linear scarps are all that survive of what was probably shrinkage of a manorial complex. The parallel linear banks evident on the RAF AP are much reduced by ploughing. No AM action. <2>

In 2007 by Terrain Archaeology observed topsoil stripping for a works compound in a field to the west. No features or deposits of archaeological interest were recorded. This may indicate that the existing field boundary marks the edge of the settlement and may be contemporary with it, or that all traces of earthworks in the field had been ploughed out. <4>

Features associated with the shrunken medieval settlement at Barnston Farm, Church Knowle are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs taken in 1945 and 1946 <5-6>. The features were digitally plotted during the Wild Purbeck Mapping Project.

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 1, 47-8 (Monograph). SDO148.

‘(28) SETTLEMENT REMAINS at Barnston (932815), some 2 acres in extent, lie S.E. of Barnston Farm (Monument 2), terraced on an E.-facing slope. (Hutchins I, 507; R.A.F. V.A.P. CPE/UK 1821: 2414.)’

<2> Fletcher, Martin, Field investigator's comments MJF, F1 MJF 23-APR-86 (Unpublished document). SDO17630.

<3> Papworth, M D J, Trust for Wessex Archaeology, 1983, Isle of Purbeck Survey, IOP 207 (Index). SDO147.

‘The fields to the SE of Barnston Farm are regularly ploughed. 7/7/D.’

<4> Tatler, S and Bellamy, P, 2007, Water Main Replacement, Barnston Crossroads, Church Knowle, Dorset. Archaeological Observations and Recording. (Unpublished document). SDO14030.

<5> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1821 2413-14 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13483.

<6> Royal Air Force, 27-MAR-1945, RAF 106G/LA/200 2014-5 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13497.

<7> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/093 RCHME Inventory: Dorset II (South-East) (Unpublished document). SDO17434.

<8> National Record of the Historic Environment, 457067 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Oct 23 2023 4:29PM