Hidden structure may solve years-old mystery

Archaeologists who returned to a site that had puzzled them for years after uncovering substantial walls buried beneath a field, have found fresh evidence about what once stood there.

The structure, in Dorset on the edge of Poole Harbour, was first identified by Bournemouth University during a student training excavation in 2018, but its age and purpose remained unknown.

Seven years later, a team of specialists believes it has confirmed the location of a medieval farmstead thought to have been recorded on a local map dating from the 15th Century.

Archaeologist, Dr Derek Pitman, said: "This site has bugged me ever since I first put a trench through it in 2018."

Bournemouth University archaeologists brought together the team of specialists to investigate the mysterious structure.

"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," Pitman said.

"We wanted to return with a larger team, carry out a more detailed excavation and see whether we could finally begin to answer some of those questions."

The project brought together archaeologists and heritage professionals from the university, Forestry England, Wessex Archaeology, the National Trust and TCMS Heritage.

Pitman said the discovery formed part of a wider story about the surrounding landscape.

"This little field sits within an extraordinary archaeological landscape on the edge of Poole Harbour, where people have lived, worked and exploited its resources for centuries," he said.

Pitman and Dr Lawrence Shaw, a Bournemouth University visiting fellow and lead historic environment advisor at Forestry England, also produced a documentary about the excavation.

The film is due to be released on YouTube at 18:00 BST on Friday and will explore the investigation and the challenges involved in uncovering the site's history.