Monument record MDO3873 - Park Pale, Park Farm, Gillingham

A medieval deer park known from documentary sources to be extant in 1228 and disparked in 1628. Earthwork remains of the park pale of Gillingham deer park survive west of the modern Park Farm buildings and west of the garden centre, adjacent and parallel to Shaftesbury Road. A short and poorly preserved section of the park pale was destroyed during the development of the Kingsmead Business Park in 1999 and its access roundabout on the B3081 Shaftesbury Road.

Part of the medieval royal deer park, disparked in the early 17th century. <1>

A section of the park pale survives as an earthwork west of the modern Park Farm buildings and west of the garden centre, adjacent and parallel to Shaftesbury Road. A short and poorly preserved section of this park pale was destroyed during the development of the Kingsmead Business Park in 1999 and its access roundabout on the B3081 Shaftesbury Road <2>.

(ST 829259) Gillingham Park, a deer park of some 760 acres in the south east of Gillingham parish and extending into Motcombe, was already in existence in 1228, its history is well documented from that date until disparkment in 1628. The park is bounded by a bank, 20 ft to 30 ft wide and up to 3 ft high, with shallow ditches on both sides, one of the most impressive park boundaries in the county. Within the park is Kings Court Palace a royal hunting lodge (ST 82 NW 3). <1> <3> <4>

(ST 826249 - 837262) An impressive and well-preserved bank around the east and south side of what was once Gillingham royal deer park, virtually unbroken for about 1 1/3 miles except for a gap at Waterloo Farm and some farm crossing points. It now forms a boundary between pasture fields and has a hedge of old trees on top. The bank averages 4ft in height. Scheduled No 796. <5>

The park boundary within ST 82 NW was perambulated. There are remains of a medieval earthen park pale for most of the distance covered. On the South west side, past Park Farm, across open pasture fields, the pale is reduced by ploughing to a height of 0.6m with an exaggerated width of 7.0 to 8.0m. There are traces of an outside ditch across one field, 4.0m in width, 0.2m or less in depth. On the north east side, the pale, carrying a hedgerow averages 5.0m width and is from 0.3 to 0.6m in height. A shallow ditch on the outside is 4.0m wide and 0.2m deep. South-east of King's Court Wood, the pale reappears with modern-cut ditch to either side. Below Donedge Lodge Farm, across pasture slopes; it has been ploughed out and a hedgerow takes up the course below 'The Kennels'. From here southwards, the pale is more or less continuous, 4.0 to 6.0m wide, 0.7 to 1.0m high. There are remains of an inside ditch by The Kennels, 3.0m in width, 0.4m in depth, but only modern ditches to one or both sides thereon.Remains of park pale surveyed at 1:2500 on AM's: ST 8225; 8226; 8227; 8325; 8326. <6>

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1966, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1965, 223-227 (Serial). SDO65.

<2> Royal Air Force, 17-APR-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/2018 3018-9 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13284.

<3> Royal Air Force, 17-APR-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/2018 3123-26 (Aerial Photograph). SDO18374.

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1972, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume IV (North) (Monograph). SDO99.

<5> Department of the Environment, Inspector of Ancient Monuments (IAM) Record Form, 29 October 1973 (Scheduling record). SDO17470.

<6> Phillips, A S, Various, Field Investigators Comments ASP, F1 ASP 28-JUL-77 (Unpublished document). SWX3817.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 206382 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 25 2022 2:32PM