Bridport Chantry (The Gatehouse Record)

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Dungeness

In the civil parish of Bridport.
In the historic county of Dorset.
Modern Authority of Dorset.
1974 county of Dorset.
Medieval County of Dorset.

OS Map Grid Reference: SY46589242
Latitude 50.72894° Longitude -2.75820°

Bridport Chantry has been described as a Pele Tower although is doubtful that it was such, and also as a Urban Defence although is doubtful that it was such.

There are major building remains.

This is a Grade 2* listed building protected by law*.

Description

The Chantry is situated to the south of the town and the building is of late C14 to C15 construction. The building has the appearance of a semi-fortified tower house and is also said to be the St Leonard's Chantry priest's house. (Baxter)

The Chantry was probably constructed in the late 13th or early 14th century as a municipal building associated with a harbour and incorporating a cresset. It was converted into the house for the chantry priest of St Leonard in the later 14th century. In the late 16th century it was converted into house for family use and it was extensively renovated and altered in the 1870s. It was restored in 1987. (Dorset HER)

Probably C14 or C15. At one time known as the "Prior's House", more probably the house of a chantry priest. It is a 2-storey stone rubble house with a projecting 2-storey porch wing at the front. There is a pointed arch to the porch with the head renewed. Most of the windows appear to be C19. Modern tiles. Gable ends with stone copings. There is a projecting course of stone slabs at cornice level. Internally there are some interesting details including a fireplace opening with shouldered arch and one with a moulded 4-centred lintel. (Listed Building Report)

Constructed in the late C13 or early C14 as a municipal building, probably associated with a harbour. In the late C14 it was converted into a house for a chantry priest. ... It was not defensive, although it could have served as a lookout, ... Its principle function was probably the collection of tolls at the S. approach to the town, in conjunction with a barrier across the road. (Rodwell, 1990)

Sources of information, references and further reading

National Heritage List for England Listed Building number(s) 1287219
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s) 450136.
County Historic Environment Record (or Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) 1 016 011.

Websites (Gatehouse is not responsible for the content of external websites.)
- Yarn Magazine
Books
- Baxter, Ray, Sept 2010 (3edn), Early Norman Castles Built in the Anglo-Saxon Burhs of Dorset (Dorset Castles Research Group) esp p. 14
  Pevsner, N. and Newman, J., 1972, Buildings of England: Dorset p. 111-2
  RCHME, 1952, An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Dorset Vol. 1 (West) p. 48-9 No. 11 (plan) online transcription
  Hutchins, J., 1863, The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset Vol. 2 p. 21-22
Periodical Articles
- Gorden Le Pard, 2009, 'Medieval seamarks around the Dorset coast' Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club Vol. 130 p. 265-68
  Gorden Le Pard, 2008, 'The Chantry, Bridport, a medieval lighthouse or sea mark?' Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club Vol. 129 p. 269-71
  John Newth, March 2006, 'The Chantry, Bridport' Dorset Life (magazine article) online copy
  Rodwell, K.A., 1990, 'A Structural Analysis of the Chantry, Bridport, Dorset' Medieval Archaeology Vol. 34 p. 122-143 online copy
  Colfox, W., 1890, 'On the History of Bridport' Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club Vol. 11 p. 125-6
Other sources: Theses; 'grey' literature; in-house reports; unpublished works; etc.
- Dorset County Council, 2008, Dorset Historic Towns Survey: Bridport Download copy

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The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.

Suggestions for finding online and/or hard copies of bibliographical sources can be seen at this link.
Minor archaeological investigations, such as watching brief reports, and some other 'grey' literature is most likely to be held by H.E.R.s but is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded here, or elsewhere, but some suggestions can be found here.

The possible site or monument is represented on maps as a point location. This is a guide only. It should be noted that OS grid references defines an area, not a point location. In practice this means the actual center of the site or monument may often, but not always, be to the North East of the point shown. Locations derived from OS grid references and from latitude longitiude may differ by a small distance.
Further information on mapping and location can be seen at this link.

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*The listed building may not be the actual medieval building, but a building on the site of, or incorporating fragments of, the described site.

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