Monument record MLI87404 - Settlement of Alford

Summary

The settlement of Alford has its origins in the Anglo-Saxon period and survives to the present day

Type and Period (5)

  • (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Modern - 850 AD to 2050 AD)
  • (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • (Unknown date)
  • (Medieval - 1066 AD? to 1539 AD?)

Protected Status/Designation

Full Description

The name Alford probably originates from the Old English and means 'the old ford'. {1} Domesday records Alford as having a manor and sixteen acres of meadow. Lands were held by Gilbert de Gand and William Tailgebosch, a minimum of ten people are recorded as living there in Domesday. {2} By the eighteenth century 100 families are recorded as living in Alford and there were also one or two Anabaptists. {3} By 1901 there were 1040 recorded residents in Alford. This peaked in the nineteenth century in 1881 at 2844 and only twenty years later in 1901 the population had fallen to 2478. {4} Remains of possible structures which may pre-dated Alford Manor House were identified during geophysical survey in the manor house gardens. These buildings would have been close to the West Street frontage. Alternatively, these features may represent later garden elements (see PRN 48272). {5} A magnetometry survey was undertaken in August 2010 at Alford Manor House (45900a). The survey revealed anomalies that were interpreted as possible pits, a possible ditch and areas of potential buried metal ojects. {6} Five evaluation trenches were excavated by Field Archaeology Specialists at Alford Manor House in April 2010. 51 sherds of medieval pottery were found in a pit, along with two fragments of clay pipe probably dating from the 18th to 19th century in intervention 1 trench. A sherd of mid to late 12th century pottery was also found in this trench. Within intervention 3 trench, three sherds of mid 13th century pottery sherds were found. Also within this trench a pit was revealed which contained a sherd of late 12th to late 13th century pottery. Within intervention 4 trench a linear feature was found and within Intervention 6 trench a sherd of 10th to early 11th century pottery, post medieval pottery, and a posthole containing a sherd of medieval pottery was found. {7}{8}

Sources/Archives (8)

  •  Bibliographic Reference: Kenneth Cameron. 1998. A Dictionary of Lincolnshire Place-Names. Page 2.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: C.W. Foster and T. Longley. 1924. Lincolnshire Domesday and Lindsey Survey. Pages LXXXVII, 24/70, 66/2, L15/14.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: R.E.G. Cole. 1913. Speculum Dioeceseos Lincolniensis sub Episcopis Gul: Wake et Edm: Gibson A.D.1705-1723. Part 1: Archdeaconries of Lincoln and Stow. Page 2.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: William Page (ed). 1906. The Victoria County History: Lincolnshire - Volume 2. Page 368.
  •  Report: Field Archaeology Specialists. 2010. Alford Manor House, Alford: Historic Garden Investigation. AMH10.
  •  Report: Field Archaeology Specialists. 2010. Geophysical survey at Alford Manor House, Alford. AMH10.
  •  Report: Field Archaeology Specialists. 2010. Evaluation at Alford Manor House, Alford. AMH10.
  •  Archive: Field Archaeology Specialists. 2010. Evaluation at Alford Manor House, Alford. -.

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Location

Grid reference Centred TF 453 760 (496m by 530m)
Civil Parish ALFORD, EAST LINDSEY, LINCOLNSHIRE

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Related Events/Activities (4)

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Record last edited

Jan 5 2024 12:22PM

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