Monument record MDO47575 - Royal Forest of Powerstock

There was a Royal Forest at Powerstock. "The extent of the area under Forest Law can be ascertained in each instance by identifying the bound-marks giving in the Perambulations. Most of these are given in the Pat 6A. in the Public Record Office dated 1296-1300". In the case of Powerstock no attempt has been made to identify the bound-marks. <3>

No further information was obtained about the bounds of this Royal Forest during field investigation. <4>

The forest was created by King John on lands that he obtained in 1205, and he built a royal residence there in 1206-7. (probably at Powerstock Castle). This comparatively small forest was not affected by the Forest Charter of Henry III in 1217 as it was royal demesne, and a perambulation in 1300 named a forester in fee and verderer. In the time of Edward the Confessor, the manor and Hundred of Powerstock were held by a subject in chief of the king, and hence it became precrically deforested. <1-2> <5>

<1> Shipp, W, and Hodson, J W (eds), 1863, The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset. 3rd edition. Volume 2, 317 (Monograph). SWX1269.

<2> Page, W (Ed), 1908, The Victoria History of the County of Dorset 2, 288, 292 (Monograph). SWX1805.

<3> VARIOUS, Antiquity, 1936, 324 (Serial). SDO17970.

<4> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F1 JR 04-MARY-55 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<5> Allen Brown, R, Colvin, H M, and Taylor, A J, 1963, The history of the King's Works, Volume 2: the Middle Ages, 987-8 (Monograph). SDO18003.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 450902 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Dec 18 2023 4:46PM