Monument record MDO977 - Deserted settlement at Court Close, Dewlish
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Summary
Medieval settlement shrinkage at Court Close. The settlement was visible as earthworks during the early 1980s, features identified include a possible moated site.
Map
Type and Period (1)
Full Description
Court Close (775980), remains of former settlement, lies E, S and SW of the church. The earthworks comprise a large embanked enclosure subdivided by banks and scarps, together with the remains of closes and a small moat (SY 79 NE 48); they cover some 17 acres, on Chalk, on the W side of the valley of the Devil's Brook. The name 'Court Close' appears on the Tithe Map of 1844.
The greater part of the site is occupied by a large rectangular enclosure of 11 acres bounded by banks 25ft to 30ft wide and up to 5ft high, with external ditches on the NE and SW sides only. The enclosure is divided into two parts by a similar bank, with a ditch 2ft deep on the SW side, and is further subivided by low scarps and banks which are secondary to the enclosure and the main dividing bank. The N corner of the enclosure is much disturbed and appears to have been occupied by relatively recent buildings. The remainder of the interior of the enclosure is virtually featureless. Its purpose is unknown, but apart from its larger size it has close similarities in form and position with enclosures at Milborne St Andrew and Charminster.
Immediately SE of the church and adjacent to the NE side of the enclosure are four rectangular closes bounded by scarps 2ft to 5ft high, overlying the ditch of the enclosure on the SW and bounded on the NE by an ill-defined hollow-way which runs NW-SE and continues the line of the present village street to NW. To the NE of this hollow-way are further scarps, much disturbed by quarrying. <2-3>
Village earthworks generally as described by RCHM <2>, and in a good state of preservation.
Re-surveyed at 1:2500 on MSD incorporating RCHM survey. <4>
The earthwork has been particularly badly damaged and part of the moat bankfield in order to facilitate earlier farming. <6>
Sources/Archives (12)
- <1> SWX1540 Map: Ordnance Survey. Ordnance Survey Map 6in. 6 inch to 1 mile. 1963.
- <2> SDO146 Monograph: Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England). 1970. An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 1. 88.
- <3> SDO17547 Monograph: Taylor, C C. 1974. Fieldwork in Medieval Archaeology. 107.
- <4> SDO11900 Unpublished document: Barton, J G. Various. Field Investigators Comments JGB. F1 JGB 21-OCT-80.
- <5> SDO20150 Serial: Ancient Monuments Board for England, Scotland and Wales. 1982. Annual Report. 29. 23-24.
- <6> SDO20151 Serial: Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society. Newsletter. 23 June 1984, p.
- <7> SDO17384 Unpublished document: Royal Commission on Historic Monuments. Externally held archive: RCH01/096 RCHME Inventory: Dorset III (Central). 882085.
- <8> SDO14738 Index: Historic England. Historic England Archive. 881019.
- <9> SDO14738 Index: Historic England. Historic England Archive. 881434.
- <10> SDO14738 Index: Historic England. Historic England Archive. BB76/07699.
- <11> SDO14738 Index: Historic England. Historic England Archive. CC74/00389.
- <12> SDO14739 Digital archive: National Record of the Historic Environment. 454505.
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (2)
Related Events/Activities (0)
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SY 775 979 (433m by 509m) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | SY79NE |
| Civil Parish | Dewlish; Dorset |
| Unitary Authority | Dorset |
Protected Status/Designation
Other Statuses/References
- Legacy UID: Dorset Sites and Monuments Record: 1 040 007 A
- Legacy UID: National Monuments Record: SY 79 NE 12
- Legacy UID: National Record of the Historic Environment: 454505
- Royal Commission Inventory Reference: Dewlish 7
Record last edited
Sep 22 2023 9:31AM