Monument record MDO47707 - Medieval deer park, Park Farm, Winterborne St Martin

A possible deer park at Winterbourne St Martin (SY6588) is referred to by Hutchins when he says "Park Farm seems to have been anciently a park, part of the demesnes belonging to the manor". <1>

This is the only documentary reference to a park, although the suggestion is supported by a group of 'park' field names in the Tithe Apportionment, which occupy the north-eastern corner of the parish. The fields virtually fill the rectangular area bounded on the north by the Roman Road (A 35), on the west by the road leading due north from the eastern end of Martinstown village, on the south by the lane past Clandon Farm and on the east by the parish boundary between Winterbourne St Martin and Winterbourne Monkton. This last is nowhere very heavily embanked and no significant embankment could be found elsewhere in the area. As the 'park' names occur on both sides of the old road from Martinstown, and characteristic earthworks are lacking, "the existance of an embanked medieval park here must be regarded as very problematical." <2>

<1> Shipp, W, and Hodson, J W (eds), 1863, The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset. 3rd edition. Volume 2, 577 (Monograph). SWX1269.

<2> Wilson, J D, 1980, The medieval deer-parks of Dorset XVI; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 7-8 (Article in serial). SDO14056.

<3> National Record of the Historic Environment, 452244 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Apr 2 2025 4:04PM