Bournemouth University archaeologists have returned to a mysterious Dorset site
A recently discovered structure near Poole Harbour has been identified by archaeologists as a 15th century farmstead
A mysterious structure hidden beneath a Dorset field for centuries has been identified as a medieval farmstead after Bournemouth University archaeologists returned to the site that puzzled them for years.
Dr Derek Pitman, associate professor in archaeology and anthropology at Bournemouth University, first discovered the site during a student training excavation in 2018.
Although the dig revealed substantial walls, there was not enough evidence to establish when they were built, what they were used for or who had occupied the site.
Seven years later, Dr Pitman returned with a larger team of archaeologists and heritage specialists to reopen the investigation.
The latest excavation has led researchers to believe they have confirmed the location of a farmstead previously recorded only in the general area on a local 15th-century map.
“This site has bugged me ever since I first put a trench through it in 2018,” Pitman said. “We knew there were substantial walls beneath the field, but we couldn’t explain what they belonged to, when they were built or why the structure was there.”
The return to the site allowed the team to carry out a more detailed investigation and begin piecing together its history.
The project brought together specialists from Bournemouth University, Forestry England, Wessex Archaeology, the National Trust and TCMS Heritage.
Dr Pitman said the significance of the discovery extended beyond the walls themselves, pointing to the wider archaeological landscape surrounding the site on the edge of Poole Harbour.
“There’s also a much bigger story here,” he said. “This little field sits within an extraordinary archaeological landscape where people have lived, worked and exploited its resources for centuries.”
The excavation offers a glimpse into a landscape shaped by generations of people whose lives have left traces beneath the modern countryside.
The team have documented the investigation in a new documentary exploring both the discoveries and the challenges of archaeological fieldwork, which is now on the YouTube channel, Career in Ruins.