Monument record MDO149 - Moat in field known as Big Park, Batcombe

Possible former moat, not now identifiable with any degree of clarity or certainty. A double banked sub-circular earthwork visible on 1940's aerial photographs is considered likely to be this feature and was digitally plotted during the Dorset Upper Frome AIM project. Indeterminate earthworks nearby, no longer visible, were previously suggested to be evidence of depopulation and ridge and furrow.

The remains of a house with a moat around it, traditionally said to have been the seat of the Staffords or "some more ancient lords of the manor who resided there", are sited in a field called the Park. The Staffords were patrons of the church at Batcombe from 1397 to 1433. <1>

The OS 1st Edition map records the east side of the feature as forming part of a historic field boundary; the east side is marked by a spaced out row of trees. No earthworks are indicated on the OS 1st Edition map <2>.

A semi-circular ditch, centred at ST 61700435 in a field known as Big Park, is about 5.0m wide and 1.6m deep, now overgrown with trees. This ditch, which may have contained water, terminates in a bank and ditch on its southern side. The bank is 0.6m high and 3.0m wide and the outer ditch is 0.3m to 1.0m deep and 7.0m wide with a 20m mutilated causewayed entrance in the centre. The interior of the enclosure has numerous irregularities but no surface finds were discovered. Throughout the rest of 'Big Park' and the field to the south known as 'Little Park' there are indications of depopulation with many poorly defined enclosures and surface irregularities, all under pasture. The earthworks in the fields described above have traditionally been regarded as part of the old or former village. <3>

Indications of rig and furrow are clearly visible in the north half of Little Park on air photographs together with the features mentioned above. <4>

A double banked sub-circular earthwork visible on 1940's aerial photographs <5, 6> is considered likely to be this feature and was digitally plotted during the Dorset Upper Frome AIM project. The feature comprises a semi-circular double banked earthwork approximately 90m long by 73m deep. The interior bank is broken on its east side. The exterior bank appears to continue southwards as a historic field boundary.

Also visible on the 1940's aerial photographs is a banked and ditched linear feature which runs across the south side of the earthworks, extending into neighbouring fields to the east and west. It may be part of a former moat/leat system associated with a moated site, or alternatively a medieval/post medieval trackway - possibly re-using an earlier feature. Additional linear banks and ditches may be associated field boundaries or trackways, presumed to be medieval to post medeival in origin.

Surrounding the moat and additionally to the south, are areas of medieval ridge and furrow cultivation (MDO43015). The ridge and furrow may indicate part of the former medieval open field at Church Farm, Batcombe; the historic field pattern indicates a possible lobe of former open field extending north from Church Farm and containing the possible moated site. The ridge and furrow appears to respect this feature, suggesting the possible moated site pre-dates the ridge and furrow or is broadly contemporary with it . <5, 6>

The feature is still visible on current Google Imagery although there has been significant removal of adjacent historic field boundaries and its original form is uncertain.

The dry, moat like feature remains as described, except on the S side where recent hedge clearance and subsequent ploughing has considerably reduced the bank, ditch, and causeway. Elsewhere in 'Big Park' the surface pattern of depopulation is now very weak and generally indeterminable. Surface indications of rig and furrow is not apparent in 'Little Park'. The area is poorly defined on OS AP (b). Ditched enclosure surveyed at 1:2500. <7>

ST 618040. Medieval deer-park first noted in 1338. <8>

<1> Hutchins, J, 1873, The history and antiquities of the County of Dorset. Volume 4. 3rd edition, 422 (Monograph). SDO10245.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1864, 1886, Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, epoch one (Map). SDO10239.

<4> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, RCHM Ms File (unpublished revision of Dorset 1) (Unpublished document). SDO17382.

<4.1> Newman, S, Oral: Miss Stella Newman, owner, Harris's Farm, Batcombe (Verbal communication). SDO17423.

<4.2> Ordnance Survey, OS/74087/064 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17424.

<5> Royal Air Force, 22-JAN-48, RAF/CPE/UK/2431 RP 3365-6 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17010.

<6> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-47, RAF/CPE/UK/1975 FP 1055-6 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17011.

<7> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 29-SEP-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<8> Stone, J W, Field Investigators Comments JWS, F2 JWS 28-SEP-76 (Unpublished document). SDO11902.

<9> National Record of the Historic Environment, 199126 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Nov 26 2021 4:53PM