Monument record MDO8369 - Deserted settlement earthworks at Weston, Worth Matravers

SY 969774. Settlement remains at Weston, over at least 3 acres, lie immediately west of Weston Farm. They include a scarped platform about 1 1/2ft high in a field bounded west and south by the present road; beyond it are five contiguous plots, each 60ft to 90 ft wide and up to 120ft long from north to south, divided from each other by very spread banks up to 15ft wide and 2ft high. There are in addition very faint indications of something similar in form and area east of the farm, and broken remains of uncertain form lie south of the road. (See plan with SY 97 NE 14 which also shows remains of strip fields north of the settlement remains; although these are not described). <2>

SY 969773. Weston Farm is derived from `Westeton' first mentioned 1281 and `Westyngton' recorded 1304; known as `Weston-Worth' in 1545-75. <3>

The features noted by the RCHM is the field centred SY 96887736 can be more or less identified although they have been smoothed and spread by regular ploughing. The "broken remains" to the south of the road (centred SY 96877729) have been destroyed by the extension to Weston Farm outbuildings. The features to the east of the farmhouse are now difficult to interpret. No survey action, not suitable for inclusion on OS Basic Scale. <5>

Earthworks visible on aerial photographs <1> possibly associated with a medieval settlement at Weston Farm. Amorphous features are visible in the field immediately to the north of the Coastguard Station, they were digitally plotted during the South West Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey (Dorset).

<1> Royal Air Force, 20-MAR-1945, RAF 106G/LA187 3010-1 (Aerial Photograph). SDO12894.

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 2, 414 (Monograph). SDO149.

‘(28) Settlement Remains at Weston (969774), over at least 3 acres, lie immediately W. of Weston Farm, on apparently well-drained ground (Lower Purbeck Beds) rising gently N. They include a scarped platform about 1½ ft. high in a field bounded W. and S. by the present road; beyond it are five contiguous plots, each 60 ft. to 90 ft. wide and up to 120 ft. long from N. to S., divided from each other by very spread banks up to 15 ft. wide and 2 ft. high. There are in addition very faint indications of something similar in form and area E. of the farm and broken remains of uncertain form lie S. of the road. (R.A.F. V.A.P. CPE/UK 1821: 3403.)’

<3> Mills, A D, 1977, The place-names of Dorset, Part 1: the Isle of Purbeck, the hundreds of Rowbarrow, Hasler, Winfrith, Culliford Tree, Bere Regis, Barrow, Puddletown St George, 66 (Monograph). SWX972.

<4> Papworth, M D J, Trust for Wessex Archaeology, 1983, Isle of Purbeck Survey, IOP 260 (Index). SDO147.

‘The site lies in small paddocks unploughed to the W. of Weston Farm. OS SY97NE57. RAF/VAP/1821: 3403. 7/7/C.’

<5> Fletcher, Martin, Field investigator's comments MJF, F1 MJF 25-APR-86 (Unpublished document). SDO17630.

<6> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/093 RCHME Inventory: Dorset II (South-East) (Unpublished document). SDO17434.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 456490 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Dec 7 2022 6:52PM