Monument record MLI87569 - Settlement of Holdingham

Summary

The settlement of Holdingham is now in the parish of Sleaford, and dates from the medieval period.

Type and Period (13)

  • (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Modern - 1000 AD? to 2050 AD)
  • (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Medieval - 1050 AD? to 1150 AD?)
  • (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Medieval - 1050 AD? to 1150 AD?)
  • (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Medieval - 1050 AD? to 1199 AD?)
  • (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Medieval - 1050 AD? to 1199 AD?)
  • (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Medieval - 1050 AD? to 1199 AD?)
  • (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Medieval - 1050 AD? to 1199 AD?)
  • ? (Medieval - 1100 AD? to 1499 AD?)
  • (Post Medieval - 1800 AD to 1899 AD)
  • (Post Medieval - 1800 AD to 1899 AD)
  • (Post Medieval - 1800 AD to 1899 AD)
  • (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Full Description

63670 [This record includes PRNs 61578, 64182 and 64186 now deleted.] The settlement of Holdingham is first mentioned in Feudal Aids of the 14th century. {1} However it is likely that the settlement already existed by the time of Domesday Book although it is not mentioned by name, probably because it was a dependent part of a larger estate. {8} Saxon settlement remains have been identified in the Lincoln Road area (see PRN 64180). {11}{12} The name Holdingham is of Old English origin, and means "the homestead, estate of the Haldingas". The Haldingas were the family and dependents of Halda. {4} The Lay Subsidy of 1334 records Holdingham's wealth as £2 16s 3 1/4d, below average for its wapentake (Flaxwell) but not the poorest. {5} The Diocesan Returns of 1563 record 20 households at Holdingham, which is listed as a hamlet of Sleaford. {6} By 1801 there were 113 people living in the parish, which is still listed as a hamlet of Sleaford. By 1841 the population had risen to 198 people, falling again to 110 by 1901. {7} The earthwork remains of medieval crofts (PRN 63670a) have been identified from aerial photographs. {2} During a watching brief at Stoneybeck Cottage (TF 0609 4710), a few sherds of 18th century pottery and a post medieval tile fragment (PRN 63670b) were found. These suggest that the cottage existed prior to Enclosure in 1796 and may represent continuity of occupation of a medieval or post medieval close. {9}{10} An archaeological evaluation was undertaken on land at Lincoln Road (TF 0595 4730). Medieval deposits (PRN 63670c) were generally sparse across the site but include a posthole, a gully, a buried soil, two quarry pits and a stone structure along with its demolition horizon. The function of the stone structure is not clear but it possibly dates from the 12th century and had been demolished by the 13th century. A watermill is a strong possibility given its location next to Holdingham Beck and a find of Millstone Grit may support this. No mill at Holdingham has been previously identified in documentary sources, though there are a number of mills recorded in Sleaford at the time of the Domesday Survey which had subsequently disappeared by the mid 13th century. Two quarry pits were identified immediately north of the stone structure, perhaps indicating the source of the stone used in its construction. {11}{12} Post medieval features and finds (PRN 63670d) were also recorded during this evaluation although post medieval features were relatively rare. A pond identified towards the southern part of the site was depicted on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1891. A linear band of stonework was also recorded, which was interpreted as a path. A number of ditches were also excavated, and found to correspond to field boundaries seen on early maps. Only two vessels dating to the post medieval period were present. These, a post medieval Bourne ware and a Nottingham Stoneware vessel indicated extremely limited post medieval and modern activity in the area. A single coin of George II was retrieved and fragments of post medieval tile, pantile and brick were also recorded. {11}{12} Further investigation of the possible medieval stone structure (PRN 63670c) at TF 0595 4730 was carried out in 2007. Only the north and west walls were identified during this evaluation and it is possible that remains of the east wall were destroyed by the construction of a pond and that any remains of the south wall lay outside the area of this investigation. Few finds were recovered. It is suggested that the walls form part of an enclosure rather than a building. {13}{14}

Sources/Archives (16)

  •  Bibliographic Reference: C.W. Foster and T. Longley. 1924. Lincolnshire Domesday and Lindsey Survey. lxxviii.
  •  Map: Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. 1992-1996. National Mapping Programme. TF 04 NE; TF0547:LI.853.3.1-3.
  •  Map: Ordnance Survey. 1824-1825. 1 Inch Map - First Edition. 1:63360. sheet 36.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Kenneth Cameron. 1998. A Dictionary of Lincolnshire Place-Names. p 64.
  •  Article in Serial: R.E. Glasscock. 1964. 'The Lay Subsidy of 1334 for Lincolnshire' in Lincolnshire Architectural and Archaeological Society Reports and Papers. vol.10.2, p.124.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Gerald A.J. Hodgett. 1975. Tudor Lincolnshire. p 198.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: William Page (ed). 1906. The Victoria County History: Lincolnshire - Volume 2. p 362.
  •  Article in Serial: ROFFE, D.. 1979. 'Origins' in South Lincolnshire Archaeology 3: Sleaford. Vol 3, p 13.
  •  Report: Archaeological Project Services. March 2001. Archaeological Watching Brief during development at Stoneybeck Cottage, Holdingham, Sleaford. HOSC00.
  •  Archive: Archaeological Project Services. March 2001. Archaeological Watching Brief during development at Stoneybeck Cottage, Holdingham, Sleaford. LCNCC 2000.323.
  •  Report: Archaeological Project Services. Sep 2006. Archaeological Evaluation at Lincoln Road, Holdingham, Sleaford. SLLR06.
  •  Archive: Archaeological Project Services. Sep 2006. Archaeological Evaluation at Lincoln Road, Holdingham, Sleaford. LCNCC 2006.68.
  •  Report: Archaeological Project Services. 2007. Archaeological Trial Trenching at Lincoln Road, Holdingham, Sleaford. SLLR07.
  •  Archive: Archaeological Project Services. 2007. Archaeological Trial Trenching at Lincoln Road, Holdingham, Sleaford. LCNCC 2006.68.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Edward Trollope. 1872. Sleaford and the Wapentakes of Flaxwell and Aswardhurn in the County of Lincoln. pp 180-81.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: William White. 1856. History, Gazetteer and Directory of Lincolnshire - Second Edition. p 438.

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Location

Grid reference Centred TF 0588 4721 (695m by 345m)
Non Parish Area Holdingham, North Kesteven, Lincolnshire
Civil Parish SLEAFORD, NORTH KESTEVEN, LINCOLNSHIRE

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Record last edited

Mar 21 2021 8:35PM

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