Domesday BookDorsetRollington
Dorset · Local History

The History of Rollington

A place in Dorset with a history you can trace through the records: its entry in the 1086 Domesday Book, the archaeological finds and scheduled monuments around it, and the nearest Roman sites and battlefields. Everything below is drawn from the historical record.

In 1086, Rollington was held by Robert, Tilly.

The record

What the Domesday Book records for Rollington

When William the Conqueror's commissioners surveyed Rollington in 1086, they recorded a manor held by Robert, Tilly, who held from Roger Arundel. Before the Conquest, in the time of King Edward, it was held by thanes, nine.

The settlement was assessed at 2.43 hides for tax. There was land for 2 ploughs. Its recorded resources included meadow (4 acres). The manor was valued at 2 pounds in 1086.

The record in full
Held in 1086 by
Robert, Tilly
Held in 1066 by
thanes, nine
Tenant-in-chief
Roger Arundel
Value in 1086
2 pounds
Taxable assessment
2.43 hides
Ploughland
land for 2 ploughs
Meadow
4 acres

The Domesday Book was the great survey of England ordered by William the Conqueror in 1085 and completed in 1086, the oldest surviving public record in the country. How the survey worked →

Rollington was one of the settlements recorded in Dorset in the 1086 survey. Dorset in the Domesday survey →

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Rollington

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Rollington's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
First month just £4.99, then £9.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Rollington report
Or see a real report first
Historical context

Notable places nearby

Dorchester
Roman town · ~17.7 miles
Conflict

Battlefields near Rollington

Nationally registered historic battlefields within 25 miles of Rollington.

Siege of Maiden Castle
Registered battlefield · 43 · ~18.8 miles
Archaeology

Archaeological finds near Rollington

287 recorded finds have been logged within about 5 miles of Rollington, reported by members of the public and entered in the national record of archaeological finds. They span these periods:

Roman: 94Medieval: 69Post medieval: 54Neolithic: 26Iron age: 23Bronze age: 13Palaeolithic: 3Mesolithic: 2Early medieval: 2
Landscape

The ground beneath Rollington

The bedrock beneath Rollington is White Chalk Subgroup (Maastrichtian).

Common questions

Questions about Rollington

Was Rollington in the Domesday Book?+
Yes. Rollington was recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book as a settlement in the historic county of Dorset.
Who held Rollington in 1086?+
In 1086, Rollington was held by Robert, Tilly. The tenant-in-chief was Roger Arundel.
Who held Rollington before the Norman Conquest?+
Before the Conquest in 1066, Rollington was held by thanes, nine.
What was Rollington worth in the Domesday Book?+
In 1086, Rollington was valued at 2 pounds.
What land did Rollington have in 1086?+
The Domesday Book records Rollington as having land for 2 ploughs, 4 acres of meadow.
Where is Rollington today?+
Rollington is a settlement in the historic county of Dorset, England.
Aubrey Research

Discover Rollington's Complete Historical Record

Aubrey's full report for this location includes every Domesday manor, the complete record of medieval lordship, archaeological context, and the story of how this settlement evolved from 1086 to the present day.

Start your Aubrey reportView a sample report
Covers any location in England, Scotland or Wales