JCA 136 South Purbeck
FGU Summary: South Purbeck, also known as the Isle of Purbeck, forms part of the South Coast of Dorset
running west from Swanage and including St Albans Head and Lulworth Cove. 4.5% of the area is urban and the
entire Character Area falls within the Dorset AONB and offers some of the most spectacular coastal scenery in
southern England.
3 sub-units: Chalk ridge; Corfe Valley; limestone plateau; Kimmeridge Beds;
1.
Settlement & Development
Density of flint scatters and tools provide evidence of intensive use in Mesolithic period.
Many
Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age sites, field systems and barrows on plateau and chalk downs.
Kimmeridge Shale ornaments manufactured and exported in the Iron Age, when occupation of the
valley was quite dense, and in Romano-British period (when pottery manufactured). There was a high
density of Roman settlements in south Purbeck, including villa sites such as Bucknowle.
By the 11th century a complex pattern of estates was in existence across the area – the boundaries of
most of these estates can still be traced on the ground. The associated settlements are predominantly
small, nucleated villages. Isolated farms and hamlets are usually the result of settlement shrinkage
from the 14th century onwards, often evidenced by earthworks.
The main town of the area was Corfe, dominated by the castle which probably developed on the site of
a Saxon royal residence. The town developed outside the gates of the castle and around its market
place.
Remains of quarrying on the plateau are highly distinctive: hundreds of abandoned small quarries with
more recent ones near the coast. Deeply worn holloways run across the island, linking settlements,
quarries and extraction routes.
Stone quarried from limestone plateau from Roman period. The use of Portland Stone increased in the
12th century and it was used in many major ecclesiastical buildings across the south of England. From
the 17th century it was particularly favoured for facing ashlar work and was used on many major
buildings in London, until the arrival of the railways it was transported there by coastal shipping The
Purbeck Marble quarries near Corfe developed into a major industry in the 13th and 14th centuries
providing monumental masonry for ecclesiastical buildings – routeways cross Corfe Common to the
town from the quarries. Its use declined in the 15th century with the increasing use of alabaster. Much
stone was shipped from long-lost ports like Redcliffe, Stepe and Ower situated in the Dorset Heathlands
and Swanage (established as a trading settlement by the 9th century) developed into a small port for
handling the stone.
Shale, clay alum and, most recently, oil have been extracted from the Kimmeridge Shales and, in the
19th century, there was a short-lived oil-shale industry manufacturing a wide range of products from the
jet-like bituminous shales.
Country houses and associated parks – e.g. Lulworth which originated as a hunting lodge in the 17th
century.
Swanage expanded into a resort in the Victorian period.
The majority of vernacular buildings are of Purbeck or Portland Stone with stone slate roofs. Brick has
had limited use in the area. There are some higher status houses of early 17th century date but it was
not widely used until the 18th century. There was an occasional use of cob.
2.
Agriculture
Medieval strip lynchets on the coastal headlands and steeper valley sides are evidence for extensive
arable farming in the medieval period. Much of these marginal areas were given over to pasture for
sheep from the 14th century.
The Chalk provided extensive common grazing, particularly for sheep, and was partly subject to
conversion to arable from late 18th century although much open downland survives.
Mixed farming was typical in the valley of the River Corfe where settlements had access to downland,
arable on the side of the valley and good meadowland in the valley. Dairy farming increased in the later
19th century, supplying the expanding towns of Bournemouth and Poole with liquid milk, assisted by the
arrival of the railway through to Swanage.
Dispersed plan farmsteads predominate. Stone-built threshing barns, typically of 5 bays with central
threshing floor. Many combination barns, typically with cowhouse, stabling and first-floor granary, some
of early 18th century or earlier date. Shelter sheds to cattle yards a common feature, dating from 18 th
century. Some 19th century outfarms and field barns.
3.
Fields and Boundary Patterns
Hedgerows are predominant, with dry stone walls to limestone plateau.
Earthwork remains of deserted and shrunken medieval settlements and associated field systems as at
North Egliston, Afflington and East Lulworth.
Open field agriculture practised around villages in Corfe Valley, subject to piecemeal enclosure by
agreement mostly complete by late 18th century: present pattern of irregular hedges and fields, smaller
and more irregular to the north and west.
Piecemeal enclosure to the south and east has resulted in larger fields including a remarkable series of
long narrow strips marked by continuous boundary walls extending up the slopes of the limestone
plateau. These land units are divided by cross boundaries creating a ‘ladder’ effect.
4.
Trees and Woodland
Woodland cover, subject to clearance from prehistoric period in large parts, varies across the area. It
ranges from very light or treeless to the west and on limestone plateau, to small blocks and copses in
central Corfe Valley. It is most extensive as a result of estate management in Lulworth Estate and other
areas of East Lulworth.
5.
Semi-Natural Environments
Between the edge of the Dorset Heaths and the Chalk, there is a steep slope of ancient semi-natural
beech and oak woods. Unimproved grassland to Chalk.
Long standing areas of grassland and unimproved pasture are both rich in species and in the surviving
visible evidence of earlier cultivation and settlement (ridge and furrow and village earthworks or the
lynchets at East and West Man.).
Extensive prehistoric remains of many periods, extensively protected as scheduled monuments. e.g. the
Rempstone Stone Circle, the cross-dykes on Knowle Hill, extensive BA barrows and barrow cemeteries
on the ridge and downs (e.g. Corfe Common), the Iron Age settlement and field system on Smedmore
Hill.
6.
River & Coastal Features
Clay vale drained by the river Corfe.
Coastal area exploited since prehistoric period for its shale, alum and stone.
Scheduled former alum works, port structures and other industrial heritage at Kimmeridge Bay.