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The deserted medieval village at West Farm is a scheduled ancient monument in Dorset comprising the earthwork remains of a settlement abandoned during the medieval period. The site preserves ridge-and-furrow field systems and structural platforms indicative of domestic occupation, reflecting the agricultural and settlement patterns characteristic of medieval rural communities. The monument provides archaeological evidence of medieval village life and the later depopulation processes that affected English countryside settlements, contributing to understanding of medieval economy and social change. Such deserted medieval villages represent important archaeological resources for studying medieval settlement hierarchy, land use, and the factors leading to rural abandonment in post-medieval England.
Deserted medieval village at West Farm is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1002378. View the official record →
The deserted medieval village at West Farm is a scheduled ancient monument in Dorset comprising the earthwork remains of a settlement abandoned during the medieval period.
Deserted medieval village at West Farm is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1002378.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bowl barrow 570m south east of Heatherdown (7.7 km), Bell barrow in Millicent's Plantation (7.9 km), Bowl barrow on Affpuddle Heath, 640m south of Wood Barn (8.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Deserted medieval village at West Farm's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Deserted medieval village at West Farm stands on White Chalk Subgroup, bedrock that formed in the Maastrichtian. The rock here is chalk.