Monument record MDO1869 - Roman settlement near Moigne Court, Owermoigne

Evidence of a Romano-British settlement was found during excavation of a Tudor farmstead in the early 1970s. The excavators reported that pottery of 3rd and 4th century date and pieces of worked Kimmeridge shale were common on the site, and suggested that the settlement was associated with a high-status building, possibly a villa, somewhere in the vicinity. Building debris including painted wall plaster and slate roof tiles to level the site of the Tudor buildings.

Earthworks To the east of the moat, "extensive remains of foundations" were discovered according to Hutchins, and beyond these lay a series of enclosures surrounded by a ditch and for a much of the perimeter by an inner bank now 1 metre high. Excavation of this enclosure area by D J Viner and P R Walker in 1971-73 … Large quantities of 3rd and 4th century pottery and some building debris were found in a 'sondage' (deep trench to investigate stratigraphy) about 100 metres south east of the yeoman farmer's house, and suggested that a substantial structure, possibly a villa, stood in this part of the field. Further evidence of Romano-British material was found sealed beneath the floor of the yeoman farmer's house and included quantities of painted wall plaster, pegged roof-tiles and other building debris; this had apparently been used as packing for the foundations of the yeoman's house in the early 16th century. <1-6>

SY 772857. Tudor and 17th century farmstead, and Romano British Settlement. Scheduled. (See illustration for scheduled area). <7>

The site of the sixteenth-century yeoman's farmhouse and the Romano-British occupation and possible villa site lie in the field centred SY 772857 to the east of the house. <8>

DO 22 Listed as the possible site of a Roman villa. <9>

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 1, 185 (Monograph). SDO148.

'A series of enclosures E. of the moat, in pasture, is surrounded by a ditch and, for most of the perimeter, by an inner bank 3 ft. high. 'Extensive remains of foundations' were removed apparently from the area of these enclosures, and foundations of a supposed chapel, of which there is now no sign, were just W. of them (Hutchins I, 457–8).'

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 482 (Monograph). SDO150.

<3> Society for Medieval Archaeology, 1972, Medieval Archaeology: journal of the Society for Medieval Archaeology 16, 193 (Serial). SWX9220.

<4> Society for Medieval Archaeology, 1973, Medieval Archaeology: journal of the Society for Medieval Archaeology 17, 174 (Serial). SDO17137.

<5> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1974, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1973, 101 (Serial). SDO73.

INTERIM REPORT ON EXCAVATIONS AT MOIGNE COURT, OWERMOIGNE, 1973
Summary of Previous Excavations [Footnote 49: This summary is based on short progress reports published by the Department of the Environment in “Archaeological Excavations 1971” and ibid. 1972 (H.M.S.O.), contributed respectively by Mr D. J. Viner and Mr P. R. Walker, and on further information from the latter – R. A. H. Farrar]
In 1971, in advance of levelling operations, the ditch of the enclosure bank surrounding most of the earthworks of c. 4-5 acres associated with the moated manor site of Moigne Court (SY 772857) was sectioned and showed evidence for two re-cuts, both undated, and some preliminary work was done on part of one central platform, which proved to be of unitary build, of limestone capped with chalk.

In 1972 this investigation was continued and a second platform was stripped. On the first, Building A, c. 36 by 8 m., with a chalk floor and limestone walls almost totally robbed, had possessed internal wooden partitions and two entrances on the north side, one of them indicated by a burnt wooden door and a large threshold-stone. There was no firm evidence for a date before the late mediaeval or early post-medieval period, but the finds suggested use as a cow-shed and stable. Building B, at right-angles to A and separated from it by a cobbled yard, measured 30 by 7 m. with at least three rooms. Finds, including 15th-century door-keys and a fine bronze stirrup of the 16th/17th century, suggest that the building may, ultimately at least, have been the main dwelling of an emerging late mediaeval yeoman farmer.

Residual Romano-British sherds and pieces of worked Kimmeridge shale were fairly common.

Excavations in 1973
The final season’s excavation confirmed the hypothesis that Building B was the main living-house of a Tudor yeoman farmer. Some 20 m. by 7 m., with walls of random-coursed rubble limestone and flints jointed with lime mortar, the house comprised screens-passage, hall, closet (separated from the hall by a screen), “parlour”, and kitchen. Evidence pointed towards an early 16th century date of construction, with extensive robbing in the late 17th to early 18th century. Most of the walling, the fireplace and the stone door-frame had been totally robbed. Some early woodland window glass, and other glass finds, have been chemically analyzed by Dr. D. C. Watts of Guy’s Hospital Medical School; important light has been shed on manufacturing techniques.

A stable annexe [Footnote 50: Inability to distinguish this feature in 1972 led to the supposition that the house was 27 m. instead of 20 m. long] to the north of the building had an off-centre limestone-paved drain, hard-standing, and timber slots indicating stalls. A roadway to the west was fronted by an entrance near which were found a number of iron and bronze horse-harness buckles, with three iron spurs on a cobbled yard to the north. Small end-wall buttresses were located, one totally robbed-out. This stable would have accommodated the house-hold riding horses, the work horses being housed in Building A, the stable/cow-shed at right-angles to the farmhouse and excavated in 1971-2.

Beneath the Tudor farmhouse were the remains of a Romano-British settlement. A preliminary investigation of the pottery suggests that it flourished during the 3rd and 4th centuries. That these remains were some of the outbuildings of a more imposing structure is suggested by quantities of painted wall-plaster, pegged slate roof-tiles and other building debris, sealed by the floor of the Tudor farmhouse and apparently used by the farmer as make-up. Large quantities of 3rd to 4th-century pottery and some building debris were found in a sondage about 100 m. to the south-east. It is suggested that a substantial structure, possibly a villa, stood over in this part of the field, and provided a source of make-up for the Tudor farmer’s house foundation, and probably also of building stone.

The period between the 4th and the 16th centuries is represented solely by a shallow ditch, which produced 13th-century pottery, and by scattered 15th-century sherds. A silver halfpenny of Richard II belongs to a phase before the Tudor farmhouse.

Worthy of note amongst the finds were a base silver groat of Edward VI, struck in the name of his father, Henry VIII, and dating to 1547-8; a base silver groat of Mary, bent at some stage in the form of a love-token [Footnote 51: The writer is indebted to D J. P. C. Kent of the British Museum for comments on the coins]; sherds of “Donyatt” slip-ware of the 16th/17th centuries similar to wares from the recently excavated Somerset kiln site; an uncommon sherd of delftware from the second half of the 16th century; an intact glass pharmaceutical vial, probably dating to about 1600; and a complete and rare late 16th-century decorated bronze stirrup.

<6> Society for Medieval Archaeology, 1975, Medieval Archaeology: journal of the Society for Medieval Archaeology 18, 209 (Serial). SDO17138.

<7> Department of the Environment, 1978, Department of the Environment (IAM) Ancient Monuments of England (Vol 2), 82 (Monograph). SWX1687.

<8> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F2 JGB 25-JAN-80 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<9> Scott, E, 1993, A Gazetteer of Roman villas in Britain, 53 (Bibliographic reference). SWX1795.

<10> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/093 RCHME Inventory: Dorset II (South-East) (Unpublished document). SDO17434.

<11> Historic England, Historic England Archive (Index). SDO14738.

Object Number
Object Title
Scope And Content
A35486 OVERMOIGNE
P35380 OVERMOIGNE-GENERAL VIEW OF SITE
P35381 OVERMOIGNE-EXCAVATIONS
P35382 OVERMOIGNE -GENERAL VIEW OF SITE
P35383 OVERMOIGNE -UNSPECIFIED VIEW OF SITE
P35384 OVERMOIGNE -SITE AFTER SOIL COVER REMOVED
P35385 OVERMOIGNE -TOP COVER REMOVED
P35386 OVERMOIGNE-LOOKING DOWN ON SITE
P35387 OVERMOIGNE -LOOKING DOWN ON SITE
P35388 OVERMOIGNE-LOOKING DOWN ON PARTIALY EXCAVATED WALLS
P35389 OVERMOIGNE-PARTIALLY EXCAVATED WALLS
P35390 OVERMOIGNE -UNSPECIFIED VIEW OF SITE
P35391 OVERMOIGNE-UNSPECIFIED VIEW
P35392 OVERMOIGNE-LOOKING DOWN ON LATER VIEW OF SITE
P35393 OVERMOIGNE-WORK PROCEEDING
P35394 OVERMOIGNE-GENERAL VIEW OF SITE
P35395 OVERMOIGNE-GENERAL VIEW OF SITE
P35396 OVERMOIGNE -EXCAVATED DITCH
P35397 OVERMOIGNE-VIEW OF SITE SHOWING CAMERA ROSTRUM
P35398 OVERMOIGNE-WALLS AND FLOOR
P35399 OVERMOIGNE -WALLS AND FLOOR
P35400 OVERMOIGNE -WALLS AND FLOOR
P35401 OVERMOIGNE -WALLS AND FLOOR
P35402 OVERMOIGNE -ARTWORK ON THE WALLS
P35403 OVERMOIGNE-DITCH
P35404 OVERMOIGNE-WALLS AND FLOOR
P35405 OVERMOIGNE -WALLS AND FLOOR
P35406 OVERMOIGNE-WALLS AND FLOOR
P35407 OVERMOIGNE -STONE SCATTER
P35408 OVERMOIGNE-FLOOR AND WALLS
P35409 OVERMOIGNE-OVERHEAD ROSTRUM VIEW OF EXCAVATIONS
P35410 OVERMOIGNE-WALLS AND FLOOR
P35411 OVERMOIGNE -VIEW SHOWS UNEXCAVATED PART OF SITE.
P35412 OVERMOIGNE -FLOOR AND WALLS
P35413 OVERMOIGNE-OVERHEAD ROSTRUM VIEW OF WORK PROCEEDING
P35414 OVERMOIGNE- VIEW SHOWING UNEXCAVATED PART OF SITE.
P35415 OVERMOIGNE-GENERAL VIEW OF EXCAVATIONS
P35416 OVERMOIGNE
P35417 OVERMOIGNE-EXCAVATIONS AT WORK
P35418 OVERMOIGNE- ROSTRUM VIEW OF EXCAVATIONS
P35419 OVERMOIGNE-ROSTRUM VIEW OF EXCAVATIONS
P35420 OVERMOIGNE-SITE SHOWING WALLS AND DITCH
P35421 OVERMOIGNE-EXCAVATION CLEARING NONE SOIL
P35422 OVERMOIGNE -ROSTRUM VIEW OF SITE
P35423 OVERMOIGNE -CLOSE UP OF WALL BY EXCAVATOR
P35424 OVERMOIGNE -CLOSE UP OF VOLUNTEER
P35425 OVERMOIGNE-ROSTRUM VIEW OF SITE
P35426 OVERMOIGNE-OVERHEAD ROSTRUM VIEW OF EXCAVATION
P35427 OVERMOIGNE -OVERHEAD ROSTRUM VIEW OF EXCAVATION
P35428 OVERMOIGNE -OVERHEAD LONG VIEW OF SITE
P35429 OVERMOIGNE-UNDISTURBED VIEW OF SITE
P35430 OVERMOIGNE- VIEW OF UNDISTTURBED SITE
P35431 OVERMOIGNE -TOP SOIL BEING REMOVED
P35432 OVERMOIGNE -SOIL BEING REMOVED
P35433 OVERMOIGNE -OUTLINE OF WALLS APPEAR
P35434 OVERMOIGNE-ROSTRUM GENERAL VIEW AROUND SITE
P35435 OVERMOIGNE -ROSTRUM VIEW OF EXCAVATION
P35436 OVERMOIGNE-VIEW OF SITE SHOWING WOODLAND
P35437 OVERMOIGNE-VIEW OF SITE SHOWING WOODLAND
P35438 OVERMOIGNE -OVERHEAD VIEW OF SITE
P35439 OVERMOIGNE
P35440 OVERMOIGNE-CLOSE UP OF SITE SHOWING WALL IN BACKGROUND
P35441 OVERMOIGNE -STONE SCATTER
P35442 OVERMOIGNE-LOOKING TOWARDS ROSTRUM
P35443 OVERMOIGNE-ROSTRUM VIEW OF EXCAVATION
P35444 OVERMOIGNE -CLOSE UP OF WORK
P35445 OVERMOIGNE -GENERAL VIEW OF SITE
P35446 OVERMOIGNE-WALL PARTIALLY CLEARED
P35447 OVERMOIGNE-INTENSIVE WORK AT NORTH END OF SITE
P35448 OVERMOIGNE-GENERAL VIEW
P35449 OVERMOIGNE -GENERAL VIEW OF SITE
P35450 OVERMOIGNE-EXCAVATED WALLS AND DITCH
P35451 OVERMOIGNE-GENERAL VIEW
P35452 OVERMOIGNE-VIEW OF PARTIALLY CLEARED FLOOR.
P35453 OVERMOIGNE-VIEW OF PARTIALLY CLEARED FLOOR
P35454 OVERMOIGNE -GENERAL VIEW OF SITE
P35455 OVERMOIGNE -GENERAL VIEW OF SITE
P35456 OVERMOIGNE-GENERAL VIEW SHOWING EXCAVATED STOREY.
P35457 OVERMOIGNE -VIEW SHOWING DITCH IN FOREGROUND WITH NEW AREA IN BACKGROUND.
P35458 OVERMOIGNE -PARTIALLY CLEARED AREA
P35459 OVERMOIGNE-GENERAL VIEW
P35460 OVERMOIGNE -VIEW OF SITE WITH WOODS IN BACKGROUND
P35461 OVERMOIGNE -WALLS, DITCH WITH INVADED WALLS
P35462 OVERMOIGNE-FLOOR AND WALLS
P35463 OVERMOIGNE -FLOOR AND WALLS
P35464 OVERMOIGNE-VIEW SHOWING OUTLINE OF BUILDINGS
P35465 OVERMOIGNE-OVERHEAD VIEW OF SITE
P35466 OVERHEAD VIEW OF BUILDINGS OVERHEAD VIEW OF BUILDINGS
P35467 OVERMOIGNE -FLOOR AREA
P35468 OVERMOIGNE -GENERAL VIEW OF SITE
P35469 OVERMOIGNE-LOOKING TO WEST OF SITE
P35470 OVERMOIGNE -WALLS WITH CRUMBLING WALL IN BACKGROUND
P35471 OVERMOIGNE -GENERAL VIEW OF SITE
P35472 OVERMOIGNE-WORK IN PROGRESS
P35473 OVERMOIGNE -GENERAL VIEW OF SITE
P35474 OVERMOIGNE-VIEW SHOWING WALLS OF BUILDING
P35475 OVERMOIGNE-FLOOR AREA
P35476 OVERMOIGNE-TOP SOIL BEING REMOVED
P35477 OVERMOIGNE -OVERHEAD VIEW CLEARLY SHOWING BUILDING OUTLINE
P35478 OVERMOIGNE-EXCAVATION IN PROGRESS
P35479 OVERMOIGNE -EXCAVATIONS IN PROGRESS
P35480 OVERMOIGNE-EXCAVATIONS IN PROGRESS LOOKING WEST
P35481 OVERMOIGNE-LOOKING WEST OVER EXCAVATION
P35482 OVERMOIGNE-CLOSE UP OF WALLS
P35483 OVERMOIGNE -CLOSE UP OF WALLS
P35484 OVERMOIGNE-SOUTH END OF SITE
P35485 OVERMOIGNE -SOUTH END OF SITE
P35486 OVERMOIGNE-VIEW OF WALLS
P35487 OVERMOIGNE-WALLS LOOKING WEST
P35488 OVERMOIGNE-GENERAL VIEW OF WALLS AND STOREY
P35489 OVERMOIGNE -OVERHEAD VIEW OF EXCAVATION
P35490 OVERMOIGNE -SOIL STRIPPING
P35491 OVERMOIGNE-GENERAL VIEW OF STOREY
P35492 OVERMOIGNE -OVERHEAD VIEW OF WALLS AND STOREY
P35493 OVERMOIGNE-WALLS/ STOREY
P35494 OVERMOIGNE-VIEW SHOWING 2 AREAS BEING EXCAVATED
P35495 OVERMOIGNE-VIEW OF BUILDING OUTLINE AND 2ND AREA IN PROCEEDING
P35496 OVERMOIGNE -TOP SOIL STRIPPING
P35497 OVERMOIGNE -WORK ON WALLS
P35498 OVERMOIGNE -OVERHEAD VIEW OF SITE
P35499 OVERMOIGNE- OVERHEAD VIEW OF SITE
P35500 OVERMOIGNE -GENERAL VIEW WITH EXPOSED WALL IN FOREGROUND
P35501 OVERMOIGNE -WORK ON FLOOR AND DITCH
P35502 OVERMOIGNE-GENERAL VIEW OF SITE
P35503 OVERMOIGNE-UNSPECIFIED VIEW OF SITE
P35504 OVERMOIGNE-LOOKING SOUTH AT EXCAVATION
P35505 OVERMOIGNE -WALLS WITH STONE SCATTER
P35506 OVERMOIGNE-GENERAL VIEW WITH DECAYING WALL IN BACKGROUND
P35507 OVERMOIGNE-WALLS AND STONE SCATTER
P35508 OVERMOIGNE -WALLS AND STONE SCATTER
P35509 OVERMOIGNE-UNSPECIFIED VIEW OF SITE
P35510 OVERMOIGNE-GENERAL VIEW OF SITE
P35511 OVERMOIGNE-GENERAL VIEW
P35512 OVERMOIGNE-GENERAL VIEW
P35513 OVERMOIGNE-BUILDING OUTLINE AND DITCH
P35514 OVERMOIGNE-UNSPECIFIED VIEW OF SITE
P35515 OVERMOIGNE -UNSPECIFIED VIEW OF SITE
P35516 OVERMOIGNE-FLOOR AREA
P35517 OVERMOIGNE-FLOOR AREA
P35518 OVERMOIGNE-GENERAL VIEW OF SITE
P35519 OVERMOIGNE-WALLS/ STONE SCATTER
P35520 OVERMOIGNE -CLOSE-UP OF WALLS/BUILDING
P35521 OVERMOIGNE-CLOSE UP OF BUILDING OUTLINE
P35522 OVERMOIGNE -NORTH END OF SITE
P35523 OVERMOIGNE -WALLS AND FLOOR AREA
P35524 OVERMOIGNE-EXPOSED WALLS AND FLOOR
P35525 OVERMOIGNE-EXPOSED WALLS AND FLOOR
P35526 OVERMOIGNE-VIEW OF 3 AREAS BEING STRIPPED
P35527 OVERMOIGNE -UNSPECIFIED VIEW
P35528 OVERMOIGNE-WALLS AND FLOOR
P35529 OVERMOIGNE-WALLS AND FLOOR
P35530 OVERMOIGNE-DITCH/WALLS/FLOOR
P35531 OVERMOIGNE -DITCH/WALLS/FLOOR
P35532 OVERMOIGNE -WALLS/FLOOR AREA
P35533 OVERMOIGNE-WALLS/FLOOR AREA
P35534 OVERMOIGNE-VIEW OF VARIOUS EXCAVATED AREAS
P35535 OVERMOIGNE -WALLS
P35536 OVERMOIGNE-GENERAL VIEW
P35537 OVERMOIGNE-GENERAL VIEW
P35538 OVERMOIGNE-FLOOR AREA BEING CLEARED
P35539 OVERMOIGNE-EXPOSED WALLS
P35540 OVERMOIGNE -EXPOSED WALLS OF BUILDINGS
P35541 OVERMOIGNE-EXPOSED WALLS OF BUILDING
P35542 OVERMOIGNE-SECTIONS OF DITCH
P80000 OVERMOIGN

<12> National Record of the Historic Environment, 453903 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jan 22 2024 10:53AM