Monument record MDO7298 - Medieval settlement earthworks associated with West and East Bradle, Church Knowle

Extensive earthworks associated with the medieval settlements of West and East Bradle are visible on aerial photographs to the east of Bradle Farm.

There are references to Bradle in Domesday and
throughout the Medieval period, and a chapel is mentioned in
1326. There was apparently two separate settlements of West
and East Bradle, and the 1843 tithe map shows an adjoining
'East Bradle Farm'. Remains occur over 4 acres immediately
north-east of Bradle Farm at SY 931807, and less regular remains
over about 3 acres at SY 932806.

Six rectangular contiguous platforms of 1/7 to 1/5 acre are
paired by six closes from 240 feet to 300 feet long, probably
representing the remains of 'tofts and crofts' Spreads of
flaggy limestone were visible around the platforms which were
covered with dark earth after ploughing.

The closes are divided by low banks, some ditched and others
scarped up to 3 feet on one side.
The boundary dividing the field in which these remains lie from that to the east apparently overlies a scarped enclosure. Beyond it a hollow-way 12 feet wide across the bottom runs north-south below a scarp 4 feet high. <1>

Remains of closes and enclosure visible on air photograph, centred SY 931806. The 19th century Bradle Farmhouse lies at SY 92968059; its farm buildings, one dwelling and the site of a second, line the farm road whch extends eastwards. The rectilinear pattern of enclosures (centred SY 93108055), clearly visible on RAF APs, can still be traced on the ground although the field is regularly ploughed and cultivated. The roughly parallel earthen banks are now approximately 7.0m wide and up to 0.5m high. The associated rectangular platforms presumably lay against the farm buildings and adjacent hard-standings.

The curviliner features centred SY 93218046 can be traced in crop on the ground but they are rather spread and difficult to interpret. The features are of minor importance to OS mapping: no AM action taken.

East Bradle Farm stood at the foot of the steep north-facing slope at SY 93348052, however, all that now remains are the level, stony stances of the house, yard and out-buildings lying in dense woodland. <3>

Extensive earthworks associated with the medieval settlements of West and East Bradle are visible on aerial photographs to the east of Bradle Farm <6-7>. They include rectilinear crofts with associated tofts and a probably hollow way. 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, 48-49 (Monograph). SDO148.

‘(30) SETTLEMENT REMAINS at Bradle (931807) cover some 4 acres immediately N.E. of Bradle Farm on ground sloping gently N. to a stream. Less regular remains cover about 3 acres to the E. (932806). The subsoil is Purbeck Beds and Wealden sand. There are references to settlement at Bradle in Domesday Book and throughout the mediaeval period (Hutchins I, 582–3; Fägersten, 132), while a chapel is mentioned in 1326 (E. A. and G. S. Fry, Dorset Records, V (1896), 319). The remains appear to belong to two separate settlements of West and East Bradle. The Tithe map of 1843 names an East Bradle Farm adjacent and shows a boundary line along the hedge E. of the main block of closes.
Six small, rectangular, contiguous platforms, most of which were apparently once of 1/7 to 1/5 acre, are paired by six long closes each ½ acre in size, varying in length from 240 ft. to 300 ft. The small platforms slope slightly N., are ill-defined to the S., and some have N.-falling scarps up to 4½ ft. high. These remains possibly represent 'tofts and crofts' (cf. Chaldon Herring, 20). The whole area had been much disturbed even before ploughing, after which dark earth could be seen to cover the small platforms; the soil in the long closes was much lighter in colour. These closes were divided by continuous low banks of yellow clay, some apparently ditched and others scarped up to 3 ft. on one side. In places these banks apparently rose up over the N. scarps of the small enclosures, indicating that they had been built after the scarps had been formed. Spreads of flaggy limestone were noted along the banks around the small enclosures.
The boundary dividing the field in which these remains lie from that to the E. apparently overlies a scarped enclosure. Immediately beyond it a hollow-way 12 ft. wide across the bottom runs N. to S. below a scarp 4 ft. high. (R.A.F. V.A.P. CPE/UK 1821: 5415.)’

<2> Papworth, M D J, Trust for Wessex Archaeology, 1983, Isle of Purbeck Survey, IOP 209 (Index). SDO147.

‘The field north of Bradle Farm is regularly ploughed. Earthworks are discernible but faint. 7/7/D.’

<3> Fletcher, Martin, Field investigator's comments MJF, F1 MJF 04-MAY-86 (Unpublished document). SDO17630.

<3.1> Royal Air Force, RAF/CPE/UK/1821 5416 (Aerial Photograph). SDO20200.

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1994, Medieval Village Research Group Index, PRN 450 (Index). SDO16386.

<5> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/093 RCHME Inventory: Dorset II (South-East) (Unpublished document). SDO17434.

<6> Royal Air Force, 27-MAR-1945, RAF 106G/LA/200 1023-4 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13489.

<7> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1824 4231-2 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13484.

<8> National Record of the Historic Environment, 457057 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Oct 23 2023 1:06PM