Monument record MDO5213 - Philipston medieval settlement, Winterborne Clenston

Extensive settlement earthworks including building platforms and lynchets, formally part of the medieval village of Philpston are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs and lidar imagery to the west of Clenston Farm. They were digitaly plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM.

SETTLEMENT REMAINS, 836036, formerly part of the village of Philipston, lie on either side of the Winterborne valley around Clenston Farm at about 300 ft. above sea-level. The remains cover some 11 1/2 acres and fall into three groups. The largest, on the steep valley-side W. of the stream (83550385-83650349), comprises eleven closes running across the contours; they are from 84 yds. to 150 yds. long and from 30 yds. to 33 yds. wide and are bounded by low banks up to 2 1/2 ft. high. The higher parts to the W. are featureless but all the lower parts retain traces of buildings, generally rectangular platforms cut back into the slope. The southernmost close is exceptional; it is 50 yds. wide and below the double scarps which separate the upper from the lower part are two raised platforms, 1 1/2 ft. to 2 1/2 ft. high. On the opposite side of the stream, due S. of Clenston Farm (83700360), another area of land appears to have contained similar closes and house-sites, but the remains are very disturbed. N. of Clenston Farm (83710378) are the remains of a single long close with a rectangular platform at its lower, W. end. (Destroyed, 1966.)

Strip fields that were probably associated with the settlement remain in two places, on either side of the Winterborne valley, around Clenston Farm: in a dry valley N.E. of the farmhouse (838038-844040) are fragmentary strip lynchets; S.W. of the farmhouse (835034) are two end-on furlongs of contour strip lynchets. <1>.

The extensive settlement earthworks are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs and lidar imagery <8-9> to the west of Clenston Farm. They were digitaly plotted during the Dorset Middle Stour AIM.

<1> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 297 (Monograph). SDO136.

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1994, Medieval Village Research Group Index, PRN 441 (Index). SDO16386.

<4> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 881780 (Index). SDO14738.

RCHME: Settlement Remains of Philipston, Dorset: Inscription: S.V.R Winterbourne ClenstonBibliographic References : 1) Pt 2, Monument (7)

<5> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AA71/05747 (Index). SDO14738.

PLAN OF SETTLEMENT REMAINS, FORMERLY PART OF THE VILLAGE OF PHILIPSTON

<6> Historic England, Historic England Archive, RCH01/096 (Index). SDO14738.

RCHME Inventory: Dorset III (Central): A large collection of archive relating to the RCHME Dorset Inventory Volume III, published in 1970. It contains field surveys and excavation archive. Parish files containing original surveys have been given child collection status.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 205742 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<8> Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1934 FP 1089 (Aerial Photograph). SDO19774.

<9> Environment Agency, 16-NOV-2021, LIDAR Environment Agency DTM (Aerial Photograph). SDO18034.

Record last edited

Jul 22 2024 2:38PM