Monument record MDO5494 - Blagdon Park, Pentridge Hill, Cranborne

Deer park known as Blagdon Park, created soon after 1321 and incorporated part of Bokerley Dyke as part of its boundary. It was extended into Hampshire in 1485. It may have been disparked about 1570.

Blagdon Park was in existence before 1324 and in use as a hunting ground nearly a century before. In 1459 it came into possession of the Crown and presumably disposed in 1585. Extending toabout 1040 acres, 160 are in Hampshire. The boundary is mostly defined by the remains of a bank up to 18 ft wide and up to 3 ft high, and an inner ditch. Of the portion in Hampshire, which was a later extension, the boundary follows the lineof a hedge. Quick-set hedges, paling, or both may have been used instead of earthworks. <1>

Blagdon Park was the largest deer park in Dorset. It was created soon after 1321 and until 1485 it lay completely within Cranborne parish. The licence to impark does not survive but documentary records suggest this happened soon after 1321. By 1459 the park had come into the possession of the Crown and in 1485 King Edward IV enlarged the park. The park may have been disparked in about 1570 and was probably disposed of by the Crown by 1585. Bokerley Dyke was used as the north east boundary to the park. The parish boundary forms the northeast boundary of the park. Lengths of the park pale bank surviving up to about 4 m wide and 0.9 m high, in places with internal ditch still visible. <2>

Nothing surveyable of the Hampshire portion. The course as indicated by Cantor and Wilson follows modern hedgerows. <3>

NRHE (3) = English Heritage Schedule Entry 07/08/1996

National Record of the Historic Environment, 213423 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1965, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1964, 165-170 (Serial). SDO64.

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1975, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume V (East), 15 (Monograph). SDO129.

'(32) Deer Park, of about 1,040 acres, known as Blagden Park, occupies the N. part of the parish on the E. slopes of Pentridge Hill. It was created soon after 1321 (Dorset Procs., 86 (1965), 165–70) and until 1485 it lay wholly in Cranborne parish, Bokerley Dyke (Pentridge (16)) being used as the N.E. boundary. Subsequently the park was extended into Hampshire. The park pale is a bank 14 ft. wide and 3 ft. high, where best preserved, with an inner ditch.'

<3> Phillips, A S, Various, Field Investigators Comments ASP, F1 ASP 10-JUL-1969 (Unpublished document). SWX3817.

Record last edited

Oct 25 2024 11:38AM