Monument record MDO7296 - Shrunken medieval village, Barnston Farm, Church Knowle

Shrunken medieval settlement earthworks are visible on aerial photographs taken in 1946 in the vicinity of Barnston Farm, Church Knowle.

SY 932815. Settlement remains some 2 acres in extent lie south-east of Barnston Farm terraced on an east-facing slope. SY 93188147. <1> The site lies on a sloping pasture field which has been under the plough and partially levelled. The hedge at the foot of the slopes has been cleared and its adjacent stream culverted. The poor remains of three fairly large levelled platforms and fragmentary linear scarps are all that survive of what was probably shrinkage of a manorial complex. The parallel linear banks evident on the RAF AP are much reduced by ploughing. No AM action. <2> In 2007 by Terrain Archaeology observed topsoil stripping for a works compound in a field to the west. No features or deposits of archaeological interest were recorded. This may indicate that the existing field boundary marks the edge of the settlement and may be contemporary with it, or that all traces of earthworks in the field had been ploughed out. <4> Features associated with the shrunken medieval settlement at Barnston Farm, Church Knowle are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs taken in 1945 and 1946 <5-6>. The features were digitally plotted during the Wild Purbeck Mapping Project.

Record last edited

Oct 23 2023 4:29PM