Monument record MDO7641 - Shrunken medieval village, East Lulworth

Medieval settlement earthworks covering an area of approximately 12 hectares in Lulworth Park, in the form of banks, platforms and hollows. An estate map of 1770 shows standing houses to the south east of the church, but these were removed around 1790 when the area was cleared to make a landscaped park around Lulworth Castle.

Remains of part of East Lulworth village occur in two places in Lulworth Park. (i) South east of the parish church, banks platforms and hollows cover about 10 acres. Houses stood here in 1770 (a) but were destroyed circa 1790 to clear the area of the park (see SY 88 SE 37). In 1959 foundations of buildings were exposed in a pipe trench at SY 85588206 but finds were mostly of the 18th century. (b). Now in Dorset County Museum. (ii) Six hundred yards east north east of Lulworth Castle, banks define irregular closes cut by tracks and covering some 3 acres (SY 85828222). Medieval and later pottery was found here after ploughing. Blocks of narrow rig divided by banks or narrow tracks cover more than 15 acres immediately north east of the castle (c). <1> 'Lulvorde' or 'Loloworde' mentioned in Domesday 1086 is attributed to East Lulworth by Mills. Various forms of the name are recorded in documents dating from the 12 th century but the prefix 'Est' or 'East' appears to have been first used in 1268. <2> Remains of East Lulworth village cover an area of approximately 12.0 ha. Centred at SY 856821. They consist mainly of spread banks and low scarps, none more than 0.7m. In height, which are probably the boundaries of irregular closes. One or two hollow-ways are visible, notably that from SY 85658209 to SY 85738208 which was the main route from the village to the church but very few boundaries can be related to Sparrow's map (a) q.v., and some may be associated with plots which were disused in 1770. Beyond the village site fragmentary scarps and banks occur over about 10 ha. Those readily identifiable are depicted on the 1:2500 survey but many others are traceable in low sun. Few house platforms are identifiable; one is visible at SY 85828229 in the R.C.H.M. area (ii) and northwards, at SY 858824 a series of unsurveyable scarps and depressions may represent Medieval settlement. If so it is likely that they pre-date the newly discovered Medieval pale (SY 88 SE) within which they are situated; the two can hardly have been in use contemporaneously. Remains surveyed at 1:2500 (see plan). <4> Extensive medieval settlement earthworks covering an area of approximately 12 hectares in Lulworth Park. The earthworks comprise spread banks and scarps and well as the remains of parallel ridge and furrow cultivation. The features are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs <5-6> and were digitally plotted during the Wild Purbeck Mapping Project.

Record last edited

Jan 25 2024 8:24AM