Monument record MDO1544 - Gorwell Deer Park, Long Bredy

(Centred SY 579873) Medieval deer-park at Gorwell. Although the date of imparking is unkown a deer-park at 'Gorewelle' is mentioned in 1349. There is little doubt about the position of the park or about the suggested course of the park boundary (see illust.), even though for much of the perimeter such earthworks as remain are not very characteristic of a park pale.
A. Bank worn down to a height of approx. 1ft. About 14ft wide with steeper face towards the ditch, which is on the north side.
A-B. There is little rise to be seen in the bank within Park Coppice although its inside face is 4 or 5 ft high with indications of a flat shelf rather than a ditch. Towards B a second bank appears for a short distance.
B-C. Double bank feature continues about as far as the Grey Mare, beyond which is only a hedge bank 2 or 3 ft high and about 12ft wide, with no noticable traces of a ditch. C-D. The acute angle of the boundary at C is unusual for a medieval park, but there seems no likely alternative. From C-D the line follows the brow of the ridge and is from 4 to 6ft high on the inside and 12 to 15ft wide. The inside ditch seems to have been obliterated.
D-A. It is suggested the line of the bank ran down to Gorwell Farm although the existing hedge bank has nothing remarkable about it except that it was evidently at one time bulkier than it is now.
A former ornamental pond near Gorwell Farm, now drained, may mark the site of a medieval fish pond. <1>

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1965, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1964, 172-174 (Serial). SDO64.

<2> National Record of the Historic Environment, 450421 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Apr 11 2023 1:51PM