Monument record MDO7825 - Medieval village of Charborough, Morden

The site of the medieval village is supposed to have been in the vicinity of the church, which was rebuilt in 1775 and used as a private chapel. Banked linear and curvilinear earthworks that may be associated with the medieval village are visible to the south and east of the church on current Environment lidar imagery and these were digitally plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM project.

Charborough, mentioned in Domesday, was once a manor and hamlet, but is now depopulated. Foundations of houses, however, have been dug up on the south side of the church (area SY 925977) where the vill may have been situated. <1>

There are no visible remains of the alleged Medieval hamlet of Charborough. The area about the church is now ornamental parkland.<2>

Charborough was described by Hutchins as 'once a manor and hamlet' now distinguised and depopulated, consisting only of the seat of Mr Drax and a farmhouse. Foundations of houses have been dug up on the South side of the church where the ancient hill probably stood? Only the house is shown on Taylors map.

The village of Charborough mentioned in Domesday, seems to have been small but flourishing until at least the mid 14th century; by 1662 it was deserted except for two households, one of which was Charborough House. Presumably the parish church became redundant and deteriorated until rebuilt in 1775 and used as a private chapel. <3>

Banked linear and curvilinear earthworks are visible to the south and east of the church on current Environment lidar imagery. <8> The features comprise clusters of curvilinear banks that appear to form small enclosures and plots that may be associated with the deserted medieval village. Several hollow linear features extending south from the group might be medieval hollow ways. The features were digitally plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM project.

<1> Shipp, W, and Hodson, J W (eds), 1863, The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset. 3rd edition. Volume 2, 497 (Monograph). SWX1269.

<2> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 26-NOV-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 1, 160 (Monograph). SDO148.

'The village of Charborough seems to have been small but flourishing until at least the mid 14th century; by 1662 it was deserted except for two households, one of which was Sir Walter Erle's in Charborough House. Presumably the parish church became redundant and deteriorated until rebuilt in 1775 by the Drax family, more or less for private use as a chapel, being so described when remodelled in 1837. It has since been used as such but is in fact still the parish church.'

<4> Good, R, 1979, Lost Villages of Dorset, 30 (Monograph). SWX1569.

<5> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1994, Medieval Village Research Group Index, PRN 480 (Index). SDO16386.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 457268 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 887292 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<8> Environment Agency, 16-NOV-2021, LIDAR Environment Agency DTM (Aerial Photograph). SDO18034.

Record last edited

Oct 4 2023 1:45PM