Aerial photograph abandoned castle2/20/2023 ![]() ![]() Lost, deserted and shrunken medieval villages scattered across the country can still be seen today. Hound Tor, Devon Hound Tor Deserted Medieval Village, Manaton, Devon © Historic England Archiveįour 13th century stone farmsteads are the only remains of this isolated Dartmoor hamlet, on land first farmed in the Bronze Age. Legend has it that the village was demolished because it was a den of thieves, but the real reason for its abandonment remains uncertain. Gainsthorpe, Lincolnshire Gainsthorpe © Historic England ArchiveĪ complex of grassy humps and bumps clearly show domestic buildings, trackways, dovecotes and a fishpond. Kirby, Northamptonshire Kirby grounds © Historic England ArchiveĬrofts, tofts and a buried fish pond are the only remains of this lost medieval village. The most famous and one of the best preserved British deserted medieval villages, Wharram Percy is a nationally important scheduled ancient monument. Wharram Percy, North Yorkshire Wharram Percy © Historic England Archive This image shows crofts, tofts and extensive medieval ploughing. Clipston, Northamptonshire Clipston medeival village remains and ridge and furrow © Historic England ArchiveĪlthough Clipston is still occupied, many abandoned features surround the current village. Surrounding this deserted village are the undulating lines of medieval ploughing, known as ridge and furrow. East Matfen, Tyne & Wear East Matfen © Historic England Archive The large rectangle in the centre may have been the manor house or chapel. Within these are smaller rectangular earthworks, called tofts, which were walled plots with a house and perhaps a barn standing within. The large rectangles either side are called crofts and they represent gardens used for growing vegetables. The long groove running left to right formed the main route through the settlement. The classic layout of a medieval village. ![]() Little Oxendon, Northamptonshire Little Oxendon © Historic England Archive Here we look at 7 abandoned villages that can tell us about Medieval life. There were also temporary or seasonal abodes in outlying places associated with activities like summer grazing of the uplands. In the medieval countryside people lived in a very wide variety of settlement types, from individual farms, through hamlets of a few households, to much larger villages. ![]()
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