Why a local heritage specialist has objected to the proposed development.
Parnham is more than a house set in parkland. According to a detailed objection submitted to Dorset Council by local heritage specialist Matthew Kirkman, it is a landscape layered with history that stretches from the Iron Age through two World Wars.
Kirkman’s objection focuses on what he describes as serious omissions in the heritage documentation submitted with the planning application. Despite Beaminster Museum holding relevant collections and local knowledge, he notes that the local museum was never consulted during the assessment process.
As a result, he argues, key elements of Parnham’s historical significance have been underplayed rather than properly recognised.
One major omission concerns the Beaminster Hoard, a significant find of Iron Age silver coins discovered immediately east of the proposed development site and within the assessment area.
The hoard is believed to have been buried beside an ancient trackway crossing what is now the Deer Park, close to the current footbridge. For Kirkman, this raises important questions about what other archaeological remains may survive beneath the parkland and whether they have been adequately considered.
Parnham also played a little-known but important role in the Second World War. In late 1943, the estate became headquarters for the 16th Infantry Regiment of the American First Division, with troops and medical units training in the Deer Park ahead of D-Day.
Twenty-one men who trained or were based at Parnham later lost their lives on Omaha Beach. Kirkman believes this history deserves recognition and respect, suggesting that any changes to the site should acknowledge those who lived and trained here before being killed in action.
The objection also highlights concerns about access to the Airmen’s Graves, including the burial place of William Barnard Rhodes-Moorhouse, the first airman awarded the Victoria Cross. Current access is difficult, particularly for older or less mobile visitors, and Kirkman argues that any development should improve access, not diminish it.
Above all, his objection returns to a simple point. The land around Parnham is walked, remembered and valued by the community. It is part of Beaminster’s shared heritage. He questions whether sacrificing this landscape to fund a private housing development truly serves the public interest.
You do not need specialist knowledge to object to the planning application. If you care about Parnham’s history, landscape or future, you can submit your own objection to Dorset Council in your own words.