CHURCH PLACE

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The remains of a medieval hunting lodge situated on the eastern extremity of ridge at Church Place in the New Forest. The location of the lodge is indicated by earthwork banks and an external ditch which enclose a sub-rectangular raised platform measuring 35 metres north-south and a maximum of 40 metres east to west. The banks are up to 4.5 metres in width and 0.6 metres in height. Fragmentary traces of an external ditch measuring a maximum of 3 metres in width and up to 0.3 metres in depth are visible, particularly on the northern and western sides of the platform. Scheduled.

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(Name SU 33330689) Church Place (TI) (1)

(SU 33340689) Church Place compares in every respect with
Churchyard, Sloden Wood; Studley Castle and Church Place,
Ashurst; all four are situated on hill crests and are similar
in their size (about 1/3 acre), in their square shape, in the
slight profile and precise alignment of their banks and ditches
and in their gap entrances. There can be no doubt that they
were all four made for the same purpose and during the same
period. The waste and consolidation of their earthworks
suggests ancient not Medieval origin. The purpose and period
have not been exactly determined. All are overgrown and Church
Place, Denny Lodge, is so wasted and concealed that its
existence has been overlooked. Only one other literary
reference is made to it, (a) where it is said to be a
'destroyed-in-the-Forest' church enclosure which is definitely
erroneous. The banks are considerably higher at the enclosure
corners which may be attributed to the method of excavation,
more material being thrown up from a ditch where it makes a
corner. (Plan (qv) shows bank with outer ditch and southern
entrance) (2)

The earthwork is situated in a wood, or forest inclosure, a few
yards from the crest of a northern escarpment and consists of a
bank, 5.0m wide and 0.5m high and outer ditch of equivalent
width and depth, forming an enclosure 32.0m north-south by
38.0m east-west. Mutilation of the bank and north-east corner
by trenches may represent a comparatively recent attempt at
'excavation'. The interior thus enclosed is flat and with
nothing of significance, save for the old beech and elm trees
growing in it. These together with a large elm, approx 7ft in
diameter, growing on the east bank indicate a 'date of
existence' for the earthwork of at least 200 years ago. No
other suggestion as to date or purpose can be made. A southern
entrance is approx 12.0m wide. (3)

From its close resemblance to earthworks at Studley Castle must
also mark a Royal Hunting Lodge, either one of those mentioned
in public records of the second half of the 14thc or an
equivalent. Published 1/2500 survey revised. (4)

No change. Published 1:2500 survey correct. Surveyed at 1:1000
for Branch Records only. (5)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1910

( 2) General reference

Sumner H. 1917. Ancient Earthworks of the New Forest, 64-7

( 3) Field Investigators Comments

F1 WCW 15-NOV-54

( 4a) R Allen Brown, H M Colvin and A J Taylor 1963 The history of the King's Works, volume 2 : the Middle Ages

Page(s)983-6

( 4b) Hampshire Field Club New Forest Section reports

8 (1969)

( 4) Field Investigators Comments

F2 ASP 15-APR-69

( 5) Field Investigators Comments

F3 JGB 11-AUG-82

(6) Scheduled Monument Notification

19-MAR-1999

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