Doomsday Survey 1086

Source : EXON The Doomsday Survey of SW England (Exeter Cathedral Library MS 3500)

Looking at the original record above, it would seem that the village is recorded as "Winterborna". Martinstown or Winterborne St Martin being derived from the church dedication to St Martin later in the C13th.

Winterborne (St Martin) was originally in the Dorchester Hundred. The survey records that it had been owned jointly between 9 thanes (knights) prior to the conquest of 1066 and been worth £10. There were 6 ploughlands giving an approximate (modern) area of 720 acres. 

In 1086, it had been taken over by Hugh son of Grip's wife who also owned other areas in Dorset but its value had decreased for some reason to only £6. There were 22 households recorded with 17 smallholders and 5 slaves (presuamably bound to the Hugh son of Grip's wife). There was only 1 horse (cob) but 8 pigs and 380 sheep. 

A watermill worth only 16p was recorded but it must have been quite small due to its low value. The location of this watermill is not known and there do not appear to be any other records of a later watermill in the village. 

It may have been a small "Norse" type mill using a simple vertical shaft with horizontal paddles rotated by a stream of water directed at them by a chute. The chute could be directed away from the paddles / blades to stop the mill. It is said that such a mill could use a stream of water "as small as a man's arm". A pair of small millstones on the floor above would have ground corn to make flour - probably for the community. A watermill is recorded in Winterbourne Steepleton from the C13th but not in Doomsday.

Below : A cross section sketch of a typical "Norse" type mill.