Hooke Court

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Hoke

In the civil parish of Hooke. In the historic county of Dorset (Modern Authority of Dorset, 1974 county of Dorset).

Robert Sifrewast was granted a licence to crenellate in 1344 for Hoke. This was presumably on the site now occupied by St Francis School were a supposedly C14-C15 moat exists. Mentioned by Leland as 'an ancient manor house'. Probably originally a saxon thanely residence. Excavated by TimeTeam in 2006. One and half arms of the moat survive along with a C15 residential tower, incorporated into a later building. Substantial foundations of a confused multi-period shown on geophysical survey. Most finds C16 and C17. The building was burnt in the Civil War. The relative lack of C14 finds suggest not much work occurred from the licence to crenellate (possibly the Black Death stopped work) but certainly a house existed on the site at this time.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is ST53110039

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 195931
Further information may be available from the holder of the county Historic Environment Record. In particular 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website, or elsewhere.

• Web site links
  • http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/T/timeteam/2007_hooke.html
    http://www.hookecourt.co.uk/
• Books
  • Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p695
    RCHME, 1952, An inventory of historical monuments in the County of Dorset. Vol1: west (HMSO) p126
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p414
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Calendar of Patent Rolls (1343-45) p384
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p133
• Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc. (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • Time Team (Mike Aston et al), 2007 Jan 28 (1st broadcast), 'School diggers' Time Team TV Programme (Time Team, a Videotext/Picture House production for Channel 4)