Parish Maps
Above : Modern OS Map : The parish boundary is highlighted and roughly rectangular and lies NE / SW across the South Winterbourne valley. Area = 1800 acres (792 hectares).
The straight northern parish boundary is the line of the original Roman road, now the main trunk road (A35).
Contours of the land are shown in the sketch plan below. The South Winterbourne Stream rises in neighbouring Winterbourne Abbas and flows through a steep sided valley where Steepleton village itself is situated. The Hardy Monument is just to the south of the parish boundary. This Hardy is Nelson's flag captain ("kiss me Hardy") who lived in nearby Portesham.
Below : An aerial shot of original part of the village : (Google Earth c 2013)
Above : An aerial photograph thought to date from 1970's ??
Above : Lidar scan map (via EA mapping Nov 2020) - large building in centre is Steeplton Manor Farm calf shed.
Above : Terrain map from Dorset Explorer mapping system showing the South Winterbourne river with its villages and settlements. Note the heights above sea level [m]. The South Winterbourne actually flows through West Stafford before it joins the River Frome to the north. It is possible that Stafford originally known as Stanford from OE for "stony ford" had a ford crossing the South Winterbourne.
Historical Maps :
Above : Speed's Map of 1610
Above : Extract from Isaac Taylor's map of 1765 (note the inserted "e" !)
The church is a reasonably accurate sketch and the building to the west (left) is probably the Water Mill.
Above : Extract from a German printed map of 1765 (Source ; IDS Basel Bern - Ross pub 1805)
Above : Extract from Emanuel Bowen's map of 1767
Both these Maps of 1788 are extracts from Bolton Estate Papers (DCRO Ref D/map/E151)
Above : Extract from Charles Budgen's map of 1805 - very worn map !
O S Map of 1811 (above)
Inclosure Map c1820
Above : Extract of Tithe Map 1841 (based on the earlier 1788 map above)
Above / below : OS maps surveyed in 1887
Below : OS map 1888-1910
Below : 1st Edn 6inch OS Map extract (1901)
