Find Spot record MDO3506 - Medieval axe-head found at Park Cottages, Winterborne Tomson

A medieval 'bearded' axe-head, which has a maker's stamp on the right cheek of the blade. This was found in association with a piece of 13th century pottery. A small deposit of shells and a worked flint flake were found nearby.

A medieval axe-head and other finds from Winterborne Tomson. In 1949 Mr. W. Boyt presented to the Museum a mediaeval iron axe-head, with maker's stamp on the right cheek of the blade, which was found at a depth of 2ft. in the donor's garden at Park Cottages, nat. grid SY(30)/885975, in association with a piece of 13th cent. pottery identified by Mr. G. C. Dunning. A small deposit of shells and a worked flint flake about 3 ins. long were also found close by. The objects are numbered 1949.38.1-3. The haft of the axe had been secured with iron wedges which still remained in the socket. The axe-head is of derivative "bearded" type (cf. Lond. Mus. Mediaeval Catalogue (1940), fig. 13, no. 6). <1> Identified by Col Drew as a ? 13th century hand forged wheelwrights axe. In the same area of the find, a large deposit of oyster shells up to 12 ins deep, was encountered, and also sherds of pottery. No classification was given to the flint flake. SY 8835 9733 Mr Boyt pointed out the position in his garden where the above finds were made. A few oyster shells and two small sherds of pottery were picked up by me from this site. The sherds of pottery and also several more found here by Mr Boyt, are probably medieval. The axehead was not on show in the Dorset County Museum. <2>

Record last edited

Mar 14 2023 5:11PM