Recently a series of deserted medieval villages in England were recognised as ancient monuments

Here is an overview of some of these plus an introduction to other deserted villages in England.

From AD 400 the contours of the English landscape were continuously shifting. This was caused by a mixture of the fluctuating size of the population, caused by a mixture of war, famine, plagues and pestilences. But also climate changes, technological innovations and not least societal shifts caused a series of continuous expansions, contractions and reorganisations of settlements and the rural landscape of England.

After WW2 a series of agrarian historians began to recognise some of the more substantial traces of these shifts in the form of extensive earthworks of abandoned villages plus the ridges and furrows of bygone farming. The study of place names too drew attention to the more than 3000 deserted villages and settlements in England, especially in the Midland and Northern Counties. From 1952 and on-wards the study of these medieval villages was mostly carried out by a group of historians and archaeologists organised as “The Deserted Medieval Village Group” (today called the medieval Settlement Research Group). At the same time the wider agrarian history in Europe was developed and parallel initiatives cropped up from the Mediterranean to the Polar Circle.

During the second half of the 20^th century a vast amount of surveys of fields, abandoned sites and still standing buildings were carried out. Some of these resulted in the discovery of especially poignant sites, typical of medieval agrarian landscapes; and some of these were recently listed as ancient monuments.

Wharram Percy in North Yorkshire

Wharram Percy located in North Yorkshire is the most famous and best-preserved deserted medieval village. It was first settled in the Bronze Age. Later in the Roman period there were five farms probably connected to a nearby Roman Villa. In the 9^th century a corn mill has been excavated while a small chapel has been found under the later medieval church. However it was during the 12^th to the14^th century the village flourished.

At that time there were two manors, one of which was owned by the powerful Percy family. In the 13^th century the family obtained both manors, which were fused. Even though the village declined during the black plague of 1348 – 50, 30 cottages and a corn mill were registered in 1368. However, in 1430 the final decline began when the Hilton family from Sunderland bought the manor and began converting farmland into sheep pasture. By 1500 the remaining four families were evicted and their cottages demolished. Although post-medieval habitations were erected and the church was used up until the 20^th century.

Today the site boasts of the ruins of the medieval church of St. Martins from the early 13^th century and a recreated mill pool and fishpond. The outline of most of 30 houses can be traced in the grassy slope above the church. Further above the outline of the North manor can be ascertained.

The most famous and one of the best-preserved British deserted medieval villages, Wharram Percy is a nationally important scheduled ancient monument. It may be visited by car. However, it is strongly recommended to walk from Wharram le Street to Thixendal along the Yorkshire Wolds Way National Trail, which runs from the River Humber to Filey at the sea, south of Scarborough.

Wharram Percy has been at the centre of a concerted effort to understand the deserted villages. This site was one of the first to be studied in 1948 with excavations beginning in 1952 and continuing for more than 40 years. The results of the archaeological excavations have been published in a series of 13 volumes. An overview of the results may be accessed here 

English Heritage has published a guidebook dedicated to the site of Wharram Percy as well as a dedicated presentation of the site, highlighting its significance

 Little Oxendon in Northamptonshire

This abandoned village is a classic representative of one of the most common types of a medieval village with a common hollow-way running through the village with individual plots on either side. These consisted of a farmhouse, a barn and a small close or toft circled by earthworks with an intensively cultivated croft used for gardening and perhaps commercial crops like flax behind the close. Further back were fields. In the centre of Little Oxendon a larger plot signifies what may have been a manor and perhaps a chapel. In 1377 50 people over the age of 14 paid the poll tax. However in 1405 no more than 8 persons have been recorded, complaining about the derelict chapel there. In 1515 Andrew Palmer bought the manor and when he died in 1525 there was apparently only one house and 300 acres of pasture. It is believed that the village was deliberately cleared for sheep farming in the later part of the 14^th century. Scholars disagree whether this clearing was a result of changing agricultural practices following the plague or whether a more entrepreneurial spirit fostered it.

The manor was probably completely destroyed at the time of the Battle of Naseby. It is believed that Charles I slept at the ridge south of Little Oxendon the night before the battle. Apparently this was where the king drew up his first line of defence.

The site, which was recently listed as an ancient monument, is cared for by Natural England

East Matfen near Durham

East Matfen stands on the right bank of the river Pont in Durham County. The village was first recorded in the 13^th century. Later it was partly given to the priory of Hexham. In the 17^th century a new owner turned the land into a park and the villagers were moved to other settlements. The remains of two parallel rows of buildings can be seen facing each other onto a large green, crossed by a well-defined hollow-way.

Surrounding this deserted village are the undulating lines of medieval ploughing, known as ridge and furrow. The site is a scheduled monument and protected by law.

Clipston in Northamptonshire

The village of Clipston in Northamptonshire is still occupied and features a village Hall, green and a church from the early 13^th century, listed as a Grade 1 building. It lies not far from Oxendon (see above). Abandoned features show crofts, tofts and extensive medieval ploughing, which surround the village. The settlement remains indicate a complicated evolution of the village. The earliest part may have been located at the eastern part of the village and centred on the church. Later the village was extended to the North West and fitted with a village green. It is here the traces may be found of the landscape. Clipston are one of the sites recently designated as an Ancient Monument

Kirby in Northamptonshire

 

At Kirby in Northamptonshire lies one of the great Elizabethan Houses of England, Kirby Hall. In 2013 the garden and surrounding area were submitted to an extensive survey prior to a reconstruction of the Jacobean garden.

The name Kirkby is generally believed to be of Scandinavian origin literally meaning “settlement with a church”. In 1086 six households were registered in Doomsday, five villagers and one smallholder. The village was finally dissolved around 1600 to make place for the formal Jacobean Garden.

In the Kirkby grounds the outline of the crofts, tofts and a buried fish pond of a lost medieval village were traced.

The earthworks of the former village are predominantly located in the pasture field to the South of the Gretton Brook and cover an area of 3.5 ha. Of special interest is the medieval manorial enclosure or curia, which was identified at the Western end of the linear settlement south west of the Hall.

Kirby Hall and surroundings are in the care of English Heritage.

In 2013 a research report was published presenting an overview of the site:
Kirby Hall, Northamptonshire. The garden and settlement remains surrounding the Elizabethan Mansion House.
An Archaeological Survey report by Elaine Jamieson. English Heritage 2013

Gainsthorpe in Lincolnshire

At Gainsthorpe in Lincolshire may be found one of the best-preserved deserted medieval villages. It was mentioned in Doomsday Book and both a windmill and a chapel were recorded in 1208. However, in 1383 the village seems to have been deserted.

A complex of grassy earthworks, probably part of a deserted manor house clearly show domestic buildings, barns, two dovecotes and a fishpond.

Legend has it that the village was demolished because it was a den of thieves, but the real reason for its abandonment remains uncertain. Visiting details.

Gainsthorpe is cared for by English Heritage and may be visited without charge.

Hound Tor at Dartmoor in Devon

The Hound Tor is a granite outcrop on Dartmoor in Devon. To the South-East of the Tor are the remains of Hundatora, a deserted medieval village mentioned in Doomsday. It was excavated 1961 – 1975. Here the archaeologists found the remains of four 13^th century stone farmsteads complete with longhouses plus several farm-buildings and barns. One feature of the barns were the corn dryers signalling the deteriorating climate in beginning of the 14^th century.

Hound Tor is cared for by English Heritage

SOURCE:

In a recent blog-post by English Heritage some of the deserted medieval villages were specified

English heritage has also published a short introduction to the field of research: Medieval Settlements. English Heritage 2011

READ MORE:

Interpreting the English Village. Landscape and Community at Shapwick, Somerset.
By Mick Aston and Chris Gerard.
Windgather Press, Oxbow Book, Oxford 2013
ISBN: 978-1-905119-45-5

Life in the Medieval Landscape. People and Places in the Middle Ages. Papers in Memory of H.S.A. Fox.
Ed. by Sam Turner and Bob Silvester.
Windgather Press, Oxbow Book, Oxford 2012
ISBN 978-1-905119-40-0

RESEARCH MORE:

Medieval Settlement Group