Old Somerby medieval settlement is first documented in the Domesday Book in 1086, when it was known as Sumerdebi. The origins of the settlement probably lie in the late Anglo-Saxon period, and mention is made in the Domesday Book of Torri, who owned a manor there before the Conquest. A church and priest are also mentioned. The existence of two separate foci for the village, High and Low Somerby, probably reflect some of the holdings recorded in the Domesday Book. {1} Medieval earthwork ridge and furrow is recorded to the north and south of the present village, some of which is known to survive as earthworks in 1999. {2}{3}{4}