Monument record MDO6121 - Medieval and Post-Medieval settlement at Chapel Farm, Sixpenny Handley

Earthworks suggested to represent Medieval settlement have been identified immediately northwest of Gussage St Andrew. The earthworks comprise possible building platforms plus two or three rectangular enclosures varying between 0.5 and 0.25 hectares in extent. The earthworks cover an area of two hectares across two modern fields. Pottery of 12th-13th century to Post-Medieval in date has been recovered. Note that the earthworks occur in an area marked on the Ordnance Survey 1:10000 map as disused chalk pits.

Earthworks comprising possible building platforms and, two or three rectangular enclosures from 0.5 to 0.25 ha in extent, cover an area of two hectares in two fields to the north-west of Gussage St Andrew at ST 975144. C12th-13th pottery has been recovered. Possible village shrinkage ? <1>

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1985, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1984, 123-4, Green C S (Serial). SDO84.

‘MEDIEVAL SITE AT GUSSAGE ST ANDREW AND MINCHINGTON, SIXPENNY HANDLEY
Examination of pasture north-west of Chapel Farm, Gussage St Andrew has revealed earthworks covering an area of 2 hectares within two existing fields at the corner of the lanes north-west of Minchington and north-east to Woodcutts (ST 974144). This site is not recorded in RCHME Dorset Vol. V East (1975). It lies on the lower slope of a rounded spur overlooking the Gussage Brook, and separated by a dry combe from Chapel Farm and the church of Gussage St Andrew on the opposite spur to the south-east. The brook appears to rise at the junction of the combe and the valley.

Slight lynchets and banks define two or three rectangular enclosures which range in area from 0.5 to 0.25 ha lying downhill and south-west of a linear terrace 10 m wide, parallel with the lane to Minchington. To the south-east this possibly turns north-east and is lost amidst possible building platforms, partly obscured by an existing cottage.

Half a kilo of pottery was recovered from mole-hills in the field. Jo Draper has kindly examined the pottery and comments: ‘100 gm is post-medieval (Verwood type) and a small piece of clay-pipe stem was also recovered. Five heavily scratch-marked sherds and a hammer-head bowl rim probably date from the 12th/13th century. Three small sherds with many vesicles resemble the corky Ware J from Wimborne (Norman Field, ‘Excavations at the Leaze, Wimborne … ‘, Dorset Proceedings, vol. 94, 1972, 49-62: Ware J, p. 60). The rest of the material is body sherds and a flat base with an internal over-fired green glaze, all in a fairly coarse ware with much sand temper.’

<2> National Record of the Historic Environment, 912582 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Feb 15 2023 10:22AM