Monument record MLI53199 - Snarford Deserted Medieval Village

Summary

The Deserted Medieval Village of Snarford

Type and Period (4)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Full Description

PRN 53199 THE DESERTED MEDIEVAL VILLAGE OF SNARFORD IS ALWAYS DOCUMENTED AS A SMALL SETTLEMENT. ONE OF ITS TWO MANORS WAS WASTE IN 1086: IT NEVERTHELESS DID NOT SUCCUMB TO THE BLACK DEATH IN THE LATE FOURTEENTH CENTURY AND ACTUALLY MUSTERED MORE THAN 10 HOUSEHOLDS IN 1428. RELIEFS CONSISTENTLY HIGHER IN THE FIFTEENTH THAN THE FOURTEENTH SUGGEST THAT CONVERSION TO GRAZING WAS A PRIME CONTRIBUTOR TO ITS PERMANENT DECLINE: THERE WERE 5 MESSUAGES IN 1582. GOOD EARTHWORKS SURVIVED UNTIL THEY WERE BULLDOZED IN 1954-6. POTTERY SUGGESTED LITTLE OCCUPATION BEYOND THE FIFTEENTH. TRIAL TRENCHES FAILED TO LOCATE VILLAGE STRUCTURES.{1} The deserted medieval village of Snarford lies on the 50ft contour on gently sloping land, eight and a half miles to the northeast of Lincoln. The medieval church of St Lawrence (PRN 53196) and Hall Farm are the only buildings now standing in the area of the original village. Prior to bulldozing and levelling operations carried out in 1954 and 1956, the village system was visible as a series of earthworks in the fields to the north and west of the church; fields which are still known as Hall Close, Hall Yards and Bottom Hall Yards. Survey of Hall Close field identified a moat, although the form of the moat was not easy to follow. To the north of the church (in the field known as Hall Yards) a group of twelve house platforms were identified, forming a typically nucleated plan.{2} In 1957 trial excavation of two weeks duration was undertaken to ascertain the extent of damage caused by the levelling of the site and to assess the possible value of further excavation. Surface indications showed a scatter of building rubble and pottery over the whole site, ranging in date from the 12th to 14th century. Trenches were cut across the edges of three of the most prominent and regular platforms and across the area to the north of the church. The trial trenches identified a series of features dating to the 12th to 14th century, including foundation trenches and holloways. Archaeologically, however, there was no evidence to show that the areas of abandoned house platforms continued much beyond the 15th century (documents show that it was a Domesday vill which survived the Black Death in 1377 but shows a steady decline into the 16th century). The building of a vicarage is recorded in 1305 and further indicates that a grange stood 'opposite' the church and that the vicarage was built next to it.{2}{3}{4}{5}{6}{7}{8}{9}{10} During a watching brief in 1999, a recut ditch was recorded on an east/west alignment, thought to be a plot boundary ditch.{11}{12} A watching brief conducted in 2003 recorded a large ditch, possibly, medieval in origin but dug out or recut in the 19th century. It is likely to represent a boundary ditch associated with the deserted Medieval village of Snarford.{13}{14}

Sources/Archives (12)

  •  Bibliographic Reference: P.L. Everson, C.C. Taylor and C.J. Dunn. 1991. Change and Continuity: Rural Settlement in North-West Lincolnshire. ARCHIVE NOTES.
  •  Article in Serial: WEST, S.E.. 1969. LINCOLNSHIRE HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY. VOL 4 PP 93-7.
  •  Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1946-50. RAF POST WAR COLLECTION. 1160 CPE/UK 2012:16,1947, .
  •  Aerial Photograph: Paul Everson. 1975-90. RCHM. 2963/31,1979, .
  •  Unpublished Document: PARISH FILE. SNARFORD. -.
  •  Article in Serial: 1958. Lincolnshire Architectural and Archaeological Society Reports and Papers. VOL 7 P 110.
  •  Article in Serial: 1957. MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY. VOL 1 P 166.
  •  Article in Serial: 1958. MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY. VOL 2 P 210.
  •  Article in Monograph: HURST, J.G.. 1984. A PROSPECT OF LINCOLNSHIRE. P 65.
  •  Article in Serial: 1957. DESERTED MEDIEVAL VILLAGE RESEARCH GROUP. VOL 5 P 4,6.
  •  Report: Lindsey Archaeological Services. Jan 1999. Hall Farm, Snarford. SHE99.
  •  Archive: Lindsey Archaeological Services. Jan 1999. Hall Farm, Snarford. LCNCC 9.99.

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Location

Grid reference Centred TF 0510 8244 (423m by 474m)
Civil Parish SNARFORD, WEST LINDSEY, LINCOLNSHIRE

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

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Record last edited

Mar 21 2021 8:35PM

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