Scheduled MonumentsEnglandThe old prison and pump

The old prison and pump

England
List entry 1002727
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1002727
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
0 hectares
Grid reference
SZ 02987 78750
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

The Old Prison and Pump is a structure located in Dorset that reflects the practical infrastructure of local administration and public provision. The monument comprises elements relating to both law enforcement and community water supply, functions that were central to the organisation of English market towns and villages. Dating from the post-medieval period, the site preserves evidence of the arrangements by which local authorities managed justice and public amenities during the early modern era. The survival of both the prison structure and associated pump demonstrates the spatial proximity of these important civic functions within the historic townscape.

The old prison and pump is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1002727. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is The old prison and pump?

The Old Prison and Pump is a structure located in Dorset that reflects the practical infrastructure of local administration and public provision. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1002727.

Who is responsible for protecting The old prison and pump?

The old prison and pump 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 1002727.

What other scheduled monuments are near The old prison and pump?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including The Ulwell Barrow 400m N of Sheperds Farm (2.7 km), Group of three round barrows on Ballard Down (2.7 km), Bowl barrow at the eastern end of Ballard Down (2.8 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about The old prison and pump

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of The old prison and pump'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.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under The old prison and pump

The old prison and pump stands on Purbeck Limestone Group, bedrock that formed in the Berriasian. The rock here is limestone and mudstone, interbedded.