Monument record MDO7937 - Newton, Gotowre super Mare, Studland

Town known only from documentary sources. In 1286, a new town with a harbour at Gotowre super Mare in the parish of Studland, was laid out. No certain remains have ever been found. It is uncertain if it was ever established beyond a single farm.

The site of the abortive town and borough or plantation of Newton lies somewhere at the head of Newton Bay in an area of low lying heathland overlooking Poole Harbour. In 1286, Richard de Bosco and Walter de Marisco were appointed to lay out with sufficient streets, lanes and adequate sites for a market, a church and building plots, a new town with a harbour in a place called `gotowre super Mare (Goathorn Plantation - SZ 010857). Later that year, Edward I made a grant to the burgesses of Nova Villa of all the liberties of London and also of weekly markets and yearly fair; the identity of Nova Villa with Newton was first recognised by Tait. Newton is not represented at the Assize of 1288 nor in the lay subsidy or taxpaying rolls, which apparently suggests that it was a failed settlement. Attempts to locate the site have been unsuccessful but attention has been drawn to the area immediately around Newton Farm (SZ 005851) as being the most likely site. <1>

Recent field work, c.1980 <3> failed to locate the exact site or any remains but the area is mostly well-wooded. <1-4>

Recent Aps and excavations carried out in 1987 have provided the clearest evidence yet for the location of Newton, a failed Medieval port. A series of enclosures with subsidiary features were identified at SZ 002852 but no dating evidence was recovered. It is possible that the proposed settlement layout was defined but never inhabited. <6>

The town of Newton, Studland is known only from documentary sources. In 1286, King Edward I appointed two men to lay out a new town with a harbour at Gotowre super Mare in the parish of Studland. In that same year Edward granted the burgesses of Nova Villa in Dorset two weekly markets and an annual fair. It is likely that these two documents record the same place, though the precise location of the town is not known. Current thinking places the likely location of the town at the end of Newton Bay near Newton Cottage on the west side of Goathorn Point. <9>

The possible earthwork remains of the town of Newton, Studland, were recorded as earthworks on aerial photographs of 1982 during the South West Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey (Dorset). The earthworks consist of a series of enclosures, with trackways running between them, over an area measuring 430 m by 105 m. The areas enclosed measure between approximately 18 m by 12 m and 80 m by 30 m. The earthworks are centred on SZ 0025 8516. <10>

Cox, Peter W, 1993, Wytch Farm Oilfield: the proposed construction of a new water pipeline from Wellsite A to F - archaeological evaluation DRAFT (Unpublished document). SDO21178.

<1> Bowen, H C, and Taylor, C C, 1964, The Site of Newton (nova villa), Studland, Dorset; Medieval Archaeology 8 (Article in serial). SDO17171.

<1.1> Tait , J, 1921-3, Proceedings of the British Academy 10, p206 figs (Article in serial). SWX3348.

<2> Beresford, M, 1967, New Towns in the Middle Ages, p427-8 (Monograph). SWX3347.

<3> Beresford, J, and Finberg, H P R, 1973, English medieval boroughs: a hand-list (Bibliographic reference). SWX1175.

<4> Penn, K J, 1980, Historic Towns in Dorset, 77 (Monograph). SWX1202.

<5> Papworth, M D J, Trust for Wessex Archaeology, 1983, Isle of Purbeck Survey, IOP 531 (Index). SDO147.

‘NEWTON: Failed Medieval town planted by Edward I in a place called Gotowre Super Mare in 1286. Attempts to locate the site have not been successful but it has been suggested that the area new Newton Farm is most likely for the site. The farm from documentary sources was in existence by 1492. 7/7/C.’

<6> Cox, P W and Farwell, D E, 1987, Wytch Farm Oilfield Development F-D Flowline. Archaeological Assessment (Unpublished document). SDO142.

‘In Field 5 the disappointing lack of finds and general shallowness of the soil covering the natural was offset by the discovery of ditches in trial pits W204 015 and W204 016 which seem to tie in with the aerial photographic evidence. These ditches can be seen on the ground as stripes of greener vegetation with lighter, more parched, areas of possible banks running parallel. They can be traced westwards where they enter higher ground and join a group of further possible surviving earthworks. The steepness of the slope as the high ground falls away to the west, coupled with the eroded nature of the subsoil suggests that there is nothing of archaeological in the westernmost 100m of this field. The lack of finds over this area may not be in this instance be related to a lack of archaeological material but to the abrasive and acid nature of the topsoil and subsoil, and also to the ephemeral nature of the site itself. For if this is the site of Newton failed settlement, little more than the initial ground work may have been undertaken before the project foundered.’

<7> Cox, P W, and Hearne, C M, 1991, Redeemed from the Heath: the Archaeology of the Wytch Farm Oilfield 1987-1990, p91-93 (Monograph). SWX2893.

<8> Dodd, J, 1995, The Excavation of a medieval building at Ower Farm, Corfe Castle, and other archaeological observations during the construction of a new wellsite and pipeline at the Wytch Farm Oilfield, 1994 (Unpublished document). SWX8192.

<9> Le Pard, G F & Bellamy, P, 2011, Newton, Studland - Historic Urban Characterisation (Monograph). SDO12406.

<10> Ordnance Survey, 16-APR-1982, OS/82032 240-1 (Aerial Photograph). SDO12662.

<11> National Record of the Historic Environment, 457514 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Dec 10 2024 3:01PM