In Medieval times, Milton Abbey owned most of the Sydling valley, but not all of it.

 

According to the Domesday Book, in 1086, Robert, Count of Mortain held 5 hides of land in Up Sydling as tenant in chief, and the lord was Ansger the Breton. The holding included a watermill.

 

It seems that the descendants of Ansger held Up Sydling until the 13th century. After this the Earls of March and their descendants were Lords paramount, and the lords of the manor of Up Sydling were:

1303 John de Cobeham, who held it “for a knight’s fee” from Cerne Abbey

1346 Jacob de Cobeham

1363, John De Lisle, chevalier and his wife Matilda held the manor from the Duke of Lancaster, by knight’s service

1428 Lancelot De Lisle

1431 Elizabeth, former wife of John De Lisle was said to hold the Manor of UpSydling for a small knight’s fee.

1463 John Lisle held it, of the Duke of York.

1485 John Lisle’s widow Isabel, wife of Thomas Beauchamp

1527 A John De Lisle, knight, still held Up Sydling.[i]

 

The Chapel

There was a chapel in the grounds of Up Sydling manor. It was annexed to Sydling St Nicholas church. The monks of Milton Abbey held services there, until 1333, when a vicar was ordained to Sydling, and took over the responsibility for Up Sydling, as confirmed by a decree of the Bishop of Salisbury, 1381, in the presence of the Abbot of Milton, saying:

 

The vicar and his successors will celebrate mass in the chapel of Up Sydling once on Sundays and on the 4th and 6th day (Thursdays and Saturdays), and administer the sacrament of baptism there when needed, and Eucharist on Easter Day, church any women living in the township, and administer the sacraments of extreme unction. The people of Up Sydling to offer every Sunday bread, salt, candle and water to be blessed by the vicar or other officiating priest prior to distribution, and to receive sacrament of penance, marry their wives, bury their dead at parish church, and attend Mass there on greater festivals, viz Christmas, Easter Day, Pentecost, St Nicholas (December 6th) and dedication of church  [ii]

 

The Watermill

 This remained working for almost the next 1,000 years, the mill wheel being finally removed in the early 1990s. It was just south of the house, (the buildings now converted to residential use) There was a granary close by. The course of the mill leet can still be seen clearly, and there is the trace of an old water channel passing through the fields to join Sydling Water just opposite Fifehead Farmhouse, (of which more later).

 

 

 

 

16th Century

Sometime during the 16th century, ownership and lordship of Up Sydling Manor passed from the De Lisles to the Hardy family of Woolcombe Matravers. The first record of them is in 1565, when Edmund Hardy and Eleanor Wolley had a son, Francis born there.

 

One of Francis’ sons moved to Owermoigne, from where his descendants moved to Dorchester, Stinsford and finally Bockhampton, where a certain Thomas Hardy was born.

 

The Hardys remained here until 1740,

 

In 1709, when Robert Hardy died, he left the farm at Up Sydling to his 3 daughters, and it was divided between them. Documents give great detail about the land they owned, the names of the fields, and the portions of the house that each took.

It seems there was a sizeable medieval house. There was a Great Hall, malting rooms, butteries, milk room, steam room and outhouses. There are details of  the layout of the lands, the ponds and the gardens, and plans for a second pond.

 

In 1740, John Browne, of Frampton, bought Up Sydling. He commissioned detailed maps of the farm and fields. From these we can estimate the extent of Up Sydling manor at that time

 

 He went on to replace the medieval Manor house with a new house, the existing Upper Sydling farmhouse, which is said to be late 18th century. [iii]

 

 

[i] Feudal Aids

[ii] Winchester College Muniments 18223

[iii] Dorchester History Centre Copper Collection