Castlefacts³

Pamphill, Abbott Street Wood

Has been described as a Questionable Timber Castle (Motte)

There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains

Name	Pamphill, Abbott Street Wood
Alternative Names
Historic Country	Dorset
Modern Authority	Dorset
1974 Authority	Dorset
Civil Parish	Pamphill

ENCLOSURE 98500065, in Abbot Street Copse, lies on a spur of the Reading Beds about 125 ft. above O.D. It is roughly oval in plan, 100 ft. across from E. to W. and 75 ft. from N.to S. It is bounded by a low bank up to 15 ft. across and rarely more than 2 ft. high, with a ditch 12 ft. across and 2 ft. deep outside it. There is no obvious entrance and the interior is featureless. The enclosure lies in the fork between two hollow-ways, probably later than itself (RCHME).

Scrub clearance in Abbot Street Copse has led to the discovery of an earthwork which could be the remains of a motte-and-bailey (Hall and Peem). (PastScape).

Gatehouse Comments

Dorset HER record as enclosure of unknown date. Although called a 'motte and bailey' there is no description of a mound. The site was known to the RCHME but not interpreted as a motte, that interpretation was made after scrub clearance of the site in the 1980's. A church, a DMV and a manor house of medieval date are all within 500m. Fairly small enclosure. Close to line of Roman road, but not a centre for modern roads or footpaths. Gatehouse suspects Iron Age enclosure rather than medieval.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)

209498

County Historic Environment Record

www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MDO5891&resourceID=1012

OS Map Grid Reference	ST985006
Latitude	50.8054084777832
Longitude	-2.02263998985291
Eastings	398500
Northings	100650