Archaeologists from Bournemouth University believe they have identified a lost medieval farmstead in southern England, matching a site recorded on a 15th-century map.
The remains, located in a field near Poole Harbour in Dorset, were first discovered during a Bournemouth University student training excavation in 2018. Substantial walls were uncovered, but there was not enough evidence to determine their date, purpose or who had once occupied the site.
Seven years later, Derek Pitman, Associate Professor in Archaeology and Anthropology at Bournemouth University, returned with a larger team to investigate the structure.
“This site has bugged me ever since I first put a trench through it in 2018,” Pitman said. “We knew there were substantial walls beneath the field, but we couldn’t explain what they belonged to, when they were built or why the structure was there. We wanted to return with a larger team, carry out a more detailed excavation and see whether we could finally begin to answer some of those questions.”
A medieval farmstead identified
Photo courtesy Bournemouth University
The new investigation has led the team to believe that the structure was a farmstead recorded on a local 15th-century map. While the farmstead was known to have existed in the general area, archaeologists now believe they have confirmed its location.
“There’s also a much bigger story here.” Pitman added. “This little field sits within an extraordinary archaeological landscape on the edge of Poole Harbour, where people have lived, worked and exploited its resources for centuries.”
The project brought together specialists from Bournemouth University, Forestry England, Wessex Archaeology, the National Trust and TCMS Heritage. Pitman and Dr Lawrence Shaw, a Bournemouth University Visiting Fellow and Lead Historic Environment Advisor at Forestry England, have also produced a documentary about the excavation for their Career in Ruins YouTube channel.
Archaeologists from Bournemouth University believe they have identified a lost medieval farmstead in southern England, matching a site recorded on a 15th-century map.
The remains, located in a field near Poole Harbour in Dorset, were first discovered during a Bournemouth University student training excavation in 2018. Substantial walls were uncovered, but there was not enough evidence to determine their date, purpose or who had once occupied the site.
Seven years later, Derek Pitman, Associate Professor in Archaeology and Anthropology at Bournemouth University, returned with a larger team to investigate the structure.
“This site has bugged me ever since I first put a trench through it in 2018,” Pitman said. “We knew there were substantial walls beneath the field, but we couldn’t explain what they belonged to, when they were built or why the structure was there. We wanted to return with a larger team, carry out a more detailed excavation and see whether we could finally begin to answer some of those questions.”
A medieval farmstead identified
The new investigation has led the team to believe that the structure was a farmstead recorded on a local 15th-century map. While the farmstead was known to have existed in the general area, archaeologists now believe they have confirmed its location.
“There’s also a much bigger story here.” Pitman added. “This little field sits within an extraordinary archaeological landscape on the edge of Poole Harbour, where people have lived, worked and exploited its resources for centuries.”
The project brought together specialists from Bournemouth University, Forestry England, Wessex Archaeology, the National Trust and TCMS Heritage. Pitman and Dr Lawrence Shaw, a Bournemouth University Visiting Fellow and Lead Historic Environment Advisor at Forestry England, have also produced a documentary about the excavation for their Career in Ruins YouTube channel.
Top Image: Photo courtesy Bournemouth University
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