Monument record MLI43701 - Settlement of Orby

Summary

The settlement of Orby probably has its origins in the Anglo-Saxon period, and is first documented in the Domesday Book. It survives to the present.

Type and Period (8)

  • (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Medieval - 900 AD to 1539 AD)
  • (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • (Early Medieval/Dark Age - 900 AD to 1065 AD)
  • (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Medieval - 900 AD to 1539 AD)
  • (Medieval - 1100 AD to 1539 AD)
  • (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Medieval - 900 AD to 1539 AD)
  • (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Full Description

Orby is first mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Heresbi. However, this is an unusual citation, as it does not relate to any property within the parish itself, rather the settlement is used as a reference point to help locate lands held by the Bishop of Durham in neighbouring Addlethorpe. By 1115, the village is recorded as Orreby, which appears to mean the farmstead or village of Orri; Orri is an Old Scandinavian masculine personal name meaning 'Black Cock'. {1} Evidence for the medieval settlement survives in the form of earthworks and cropmarks visible in and around the present village (PRN 43701a,e,f,g - TF 4915 6748, TF 4951 6718, TF 4914 6699, TF 4882 6726). {2}{3} Two sherds of medieval pottery were recovered during a watching brief on a site immediately west of Burgh Road (PRN 43701b - TF 4918 6724). {4}{5} During trial trenching, late Anglo-Saxon boundary features were recorded, pushing back the dating of the settlement to the 10th century (see PRN 44379). Several 12th or 13th century ditches were also recorded. The first ditch was aligned north to south, and appeared to be a complex of intercutting ditches, probably representing the creation and subsequent reaffirmation of a boundary. Two further ditches were aligned east-north-east to west-south-west, separated by 2.9m. The north/south ditch seems to abut and form a perpendicular return to the southernmost of the two parallel ditches, which has about a 15m gap to the west of this junction. This east-north-east to west-south-west ditch appears to be a major boundary within the medieval settlement, differentiating the 'geophysically busy' northern half from the church and manorial complex to the south, possibly signifying the division of the village into a northern peasant settlement and a southern ecclesiastical and seigneurial precinct. The two parallel ditches may have framed a 12th century trackway which ran eastwards from the north/south ditch, while the 15m gap in the southernmost ditch appears to correspond with a north/south hollow way visible in the north-west corner of the site. Projecting the line of the hollow way southwards coincides with the position which has been suggested as the northern junction between the moated manor and its 'home farm'. It may be, then, that the north/south ditch defined the eastern edge of the main route of access to the manor. Recovery of a glass slick-stone or linen smoother (see PRN 43552) may attest to textile and/or clothing production in the settlement, while a metalled surface aligned north-west to south-east (see PRN 43903) appears to be the road from Orby to Addlethorpe and Ingoldmells, which was realigned in the 16th or 17th century (PRN 43701c - TF 4911 6728). {6}{7}{8} Previous evaluation and geophysical survey, showed that whilst archaeological remains extended across the whole of the development area, they were concentrated along the three sides of The Green. This is supported by the results of the watching brief on plot 4, which showed that the area surrounding plot 4 was less intensively occupied than plot 5 which lies alongside the road (PRN 43701d - TF 4917 6730). {9}{10} An archaeological watching brief at plot 5, The Green identified a number of medieval features and deposits, particularly pits and ditches containing pottery dating to between the 12th and 15th century. The features encountered during the watching brief confirmed that the area covered by plot 5 was fairly intensively used during the medieval period. The bulk of the pottery recovered dates from the 12th to 15th centuries suggesting that the site was most intensively occupied during these centuries. Only a limited quantity of post 15th century artefacts were recovered which suggests that the site had been abandoned by this time (PRN 43701d - TF 4917 6730). {11}{12} A watching brief carried out within the churchyard of All Saints Church (PRN 43701h - TF 4905 6725) recovered 2 sherds of medieval pottery, but no other archaeological remains. {13}{14} During excavation of a garden pond at an unknown address in Orby the crania of two individuals were recovered. The first skull was female and probably middle aged and the second skull was probably male and an older individual. The date of the skulls is unknown. {15}

Sources/Archives (15)

  •  Bibliographic Reference: C.W. Foster and T. Longley. 1924. Lincolnshire Domesday and Lindsey Survey. -.
  •  Map: Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. 1992-1996. National Mapping Programme. TF4967: LI.394.1.1-23.
  •  Map: Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. 1992-1996. National Mapping Programme. TF4967: LI.394.2.1-2; 4.1.
  •  Report: Archaeological Project Services. July 1996. Archaeological Watching Brief on Land Adjacent to Burgh Road. OBR96.
  •  Archive: Archaeological Project Services. July 1996. Archaeological Watching Brief on Land Adjacent to Burgh Road. LCNCC 81.96.
  •  Report: Pre-Construct Archaeology. May 2000. Land at The Green, Orby. TGO00.
  •  Archive: Pre-Construct Archaeology. May 2000. Land at The Green, Orby. LCNCC 2000.87.
  •  Report: Pre-Construct Geophysics. Jan 2000. Land at The Green, Orby. TGO00.
  •  Report: Archaeological Project Services. 2003. Archaeological Watching Brief at Plot 4, The Green, Orby. OTG403.
  •  Archive: Archaeological Project Services. 2003. Archaeological Watching Brief at Plot 4, The Green, Orby. LCNCC 2003.39.
  •  Report: Archaeological Project Services. Dec 2003. Archaeological Watching Brief at Plot 5, The Green, Orby. OTG03.
  •  Archive: Archaeological Project Services. Dec 2003. Archaeological Watching Brief at Plot 5, The Green, Orby. LCNCC 2003.39.
  •  Report: Archaeological Project Services. 2004. Archaeological Watching Brief on Land at All Saints Church, Orby. OASC04.
  •  Archive: Archaeological Project Services. 2004. Archaeological Watching Brief on Land at All Saints Church, Orby. LCNCC 2004.239.
  •  Unpublished Document: Bellatti, M. A.. 1999. Report on the Human Remains found at Orby Lincolnshire.

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Location

Grid reference Centred TF 4907 6729 (1225m by 984m) Estimated from sources
Civil Parish ORBY, EAST LINDSEY, LINCOLNSHIRE

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

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Record last edited

Mar 21 2021 8:35PM

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