Monument record MDO7399 - Medieval settlement, Blashenwell, Corfe Castle

SY 950804. Medieval settlement remains at Blashenwell cover some 3 acres of pasture immediately west of Blashenwell Farm. The first known reference to 'Blechenhamwelle' or a variation occurs in 955 AD and the first element might be derived from a word meaning 'to bleach'.

The construction of a barn immediately west of Blashenwell farmyard, circa 1960, at SY 95078030 produced a number of medieval sherds, including typical 12th century cooking-pot rims. <2>

No house foundations are visible and the only area likely to have been built upon is within two scarped closes of about 1 acre and 1/2 acre, due west of the farm. A marshy hollow-way, east of these, leading north seems to have shaved a small mound (SY 95058035) about 24ft diameter and 2ft high. There are faint traces of strip fields to the south west near SY 946801. <3>

Features associated with the medieval settlement of Blashenwell are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs to the west of Blashenwell Farm <6-8>. They were digitally plotted during the Wild Purbeck Mapping Project.

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1897, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club (Serial). SDO11.

<2> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1961, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1960, 85-86 (Serial). SDO60.

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 1, 96 (Monograph). SDO148.

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1994, Medieval Village Research Group Index, PRN 446 (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 Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/093 RCHME Inventory: Dorset II (South-East) (Unpublished document).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, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1824 4228-9 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13492.

<7> Royal Air Force, 18-FEB-1970, RAF 58/0254 0081-2 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13493.

<8> Royal Air Force, 18-JAN-1962, RAF 58/4878 (F21) 0063-4 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13494.

<9> National Record of the Historic Environment, 456873 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Oct 23 2023 1:39PM