Monument record MDO2831 - Deer park, West Chelborough

(Centred ST 537051) The medieval deer park of West Chelborough, first mentioned in 1373 as two parks (a), has been
located on the evidence of park field and copse names found in the Tithe Apportionment Roll and on the OS 6" map of 1903 (see illus card). In the restricted area of West Chelborough it is suggested that a single but sub-divided park is more likely than two parks, although this is impossible to prove due to the absence of embankments. Nowhere was a convincing park bank found. As it seems highly improbable that a park bank in this area would have been completely obliterated by agricultural activity it is believed the West Chelborough Park was never embanked. <1-3>

'A' - 'B'. No evidence of a pale following postulated course.
'B' - 'C'. Again, no real evidence of a park pale. There is, however, a hedge boundary and a water cut gully to the north. the
overall width is 4m and the gully is 1.6m deep.
'C' - 'D'. At its eastern end, the hedge is on a very slight bank with ditch on the north side - similar to other field boundaries in the area. The overall width is 5m. The bank is 2.6m wide and 0.8m high to the north. It is 0.6m high on its south side. The ditch is 0.4m deep. Towards 'D' a slight internal ditch is evident 0.3m deep.
'D' - 'E'. Hedge follows a field boundary with ditch to the east. The bank and ditch here are very slight.
'E' - 'F' is a typical woodland boundary. However, where best preserved it could have been a park pale. The bank is strong and flat-topped with a ditch to the west. The overall width is 6.2m. The bank is 4.5m wide and 1.5m high on its west face. The ditch is 0.6m deep.
'F' - 'G' is merely a V-shaped ditch 3.2m wide and 1.3m deep. In places there is a hint of an internal bank.
'G' - 'H'. The ditch becomes much shallower and there is a low, rather intermittent bank to the east.
'H' - 'I'. A broad, terraced track runs along the watershed/lip of the valley. On its south side there is a typical field bank. The overall width is 9.5m. The field bank is, at its best 1.3m high and 1.5m wide.
'I' - 'J'. Again, typical field boundary bank, 3.9m wide and 1m high; topped with a hedge.
'J' - 'K'. Hedge line follows lip of valley there are no earthworks.
'K' - 'A'. Line of park pale continues to follow hedged field boundary which are relatively unimpressive, being generally 2m wide and 1.2m high. A very doubtful Deer Park/Park Pale on archaeological evidence alone. <4>

<1> Cantor, L M and Wilson, J D, 1965, The Medieval Deer-Parks of Dorset IV; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 164-5 (Article in serial). SDO18154.

<1.1> Record Commission, 1810, Abbrevatio Rotulorum Originalium, 328 (Monograph). SDO18155.

<2> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1967, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1966, 183-185 (Serial). SDO66.

<3> Cantor, Leonard, 1983, The Medieval parks of England: A Gazetteer, 26 (Monograph). SDO17933.

<4> McOmish, D S, Various, Field Investigators Comments DSM, F1 DSM 30-APR-87 (Unpublished document). SDO16333.

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 195771 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 2 2022 12:30PM