Monument record MDO7556 - Swalland, medieval settlement, Corfe Castle

Pottery sherds dating approximately from the 12th to 17th centuries were discovered and two, or possibly three, house platforms were seen whilst field walking on the eastern side of the field in a small valley near the Iron Age/Romano British site excavations at SY 93157765. <1>

This is the likely site of the original settlement called Swalland, probably associated with John-Robert Swanland in 1376 Calendar of patent Rolls. Documentary evidence suggests that there was continuous occupation of Swalland until sometime before 1795 when Taylor's Map of Dorset of Dorset (2nd ed.) shows Little Kimmeridge (SY 97 NW 41) and Chaldecots (SY 97 NW 42) with houses but Swalland without. No pottery sherds of later date have been found on the site. It seems that some time after George Clavell acquired the Chaldecot/Swalland Estate in 1757, the remaining farmhouse previously known as Chaldecots (SY 97 NW 42) at SY 927782, became known as Swalland Farm. (1-4)

The given siting falls within a small re-entrant 50m wide and 200m long. Two vague rises cross it within the southern 100m but there is nothing of real significance and nothing which may identify or represent the former settlement other than a small clearance heap at the cliff top dumped subsequent to ploughing the field. <5>

<1> Maw R, 1981, Swalland farm (Kimmeridge) and The Lost Location of Chaldecots, p136-7 map (Article in serial). SWX2843.

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1982, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1981, 136 (Serial). SDO81.

<2> Shipp, W, and Hodson, J W (eds), 1861, The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset. 3rd edition. Volume 1, p520-525 (Monograph). SWX4496.

<3> Mills, A D, 1977, The place-names of Dorset, Part 1, 87 (Monograph). SWX2852.

<4> Good, R, 1979, Lost Villages of Dorset, 56 (Monograph). SWX1569.

<5> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 23-APR-86 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<6> Papworth, M D J, Trust for Wessex Archaeology, 1983, Isle of Purbeck Survey, IOP 332 (Index). SDO147.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 456614 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 5 2023 4:44PM