Portesham

Notes and comments :

LV Grinsell in his Dorset Burrows suggests a possible windmill site on a prehistoric burrow near the Hardy Monument to the north of the village. This bowl type burrow, 6m in dia, 1.2m high and less than 10m south east of the monument) when examined by Grinsell, had a cross type excavation in it leading him to concluded that this could have been the remains of a post type windmill. No mention on Dorset Council's historic record.

Grinsell had great experience in identifying burrows during the 1950's and his opinion on this particular burrow is therefore interesting. There is certainly a case for this windmill being built as the village's watermill was powered on a Winterborne stream. Both Portesham and Abbotsbury mills suffered from problems of water starvation in the summer months as in 1401 records for both villages note .... There is one watermill which is worth yearly .....clear and not more because in summer they cannot grind for want of water. Although on National Trust land and scheduled as a SSSI, the site is now in poor condition .