Monument record MDO7402 - Medieval fish ponds, Vineyard Farm, Corfe Castle

Remains of channels and banks associated with medieval fish ponds are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs of a field to the north of Vineyard Farm.

SY 958822: Ponds and channels north of The Vineyard, Corfe Castle are now dry and turf-covered. Two long parallel-sided depressions, each about 50 yards long, 8 yards wide and 3 ft deep are linked by a narrow channel. A third depression to the west, thought much damaged, was probably another in a chain of ponds. The whole area was `Mill Close' in 1585 and `Drye Close' south-west of it was surely so named in contrast; West Mill lies just downstream. The form of the ponds, however, is reminiscent of fish-breeding ponds. Wooden sluices have been dug up recently and a channel can be traced leading upstream to large stone sluices about 1/4 mile to the south on Corfe River. <2> Remains of channels and banks associated with medieval fish ponds are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs of a field to the north of Vineyard Farm <4-5>. These features were digitally plotted during the Wild Purbeck Mapping Project.

Record last edited

Mar 16 2023 10:30AM