Monument record MLI89024 - Settlement of Harlaxton

Summary

The settlement of Harlaxton is first documented in the Domesday Book and survives to the present day.

Type and Period (4)

  • (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Modern - 1000 AD to 2050 AD)
  • (Medieval - 1200 AD to 1539 AD)
  • (Medieval - 1200 AD to 1539 AD)
  • (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Protected Status/Designation

Full Description

PRN 36761 [This record includes content previously found in records PRN 36284, 36285 and 30557, now deleted.] The settlement of Harlaxton is first documented in the Domesday Book, where is it referred to as Herlavestune. It belonged to the King, and had a minimum population of 10 villeins, 2 bordars and 58 sokemen. It had 2 mills as well as 60 acres of meadow and 60 acres of thicket. {1} The name Harlaxton derives from an Old Norse personal name, Hiorleifr, and the Old English 'tun' meaning farmstead or village. The name shows signs of anglicisation. This was almost certainly an established Anglo-Saxon settlement taken over and partially renamed by the Danes. {2} The Lay Subsidy of 1334 lists the parish's wealth as £2 16s and 4d, about average for its wapentake. {3} The Diocesan Returns of 1563 list the parish's population as 58 households. {4} By the late 18th-early 18th century there were 50 families in the parish, rising to 60. {5} In 1801 the population of the parish is listed as 297 rising to 494 in 1851 before falling again to 389 by 1901. {6} Earthworks to the north of the village (SK 8818 3279, PRN 36761a) represent medieval ridge and furrow cultivation. To the east of these more earthworks (SK 8834 3285, PRN 36761b) represent medieval crofts. {7} The ridge and furrow to the west of Trotters Lane to the north of the village was visible as earthworks in 2012 (36761a). The earthworks further east had been built on by 2012 (36761b). {14} A late medieval bronze buckle was found in the garden of 2 De Ligne Drive (SK 887 326, PRN 36761c). {8} Post medieval deposits (PRN 36761d) were uncovered during a watching brief at 11 Pond Street (SK 8835 3244). The deposits include the remains of a brick culvert which possibly emptied into the pond and demolition deposits indicating the presence of a building which pre-dated the recently demolished building on the site. In addition, a stone boundary wall and a still-extant gatepost were encountered. Finds include 18th-20th century pottery as well as tile, glass, clay pipe, animal bone and metalwork. {9}{10} Late post medieval features consisting of a pit and an occupation layer (PRN 36761e) were seen during a watching brief at 9 Pond Street (SK 88382 32448). It is thought that these may relate to the post medieval features previously found at 11 Pond Street (see above). Residual post medieval pottery and brick fragments were also recovered. {11}{12} Many of the buildings in the village were built or altered by Gregory De Ligne Gregory, lord of the manor, in the late 18th and early 19th century. Many of these have stone date plaques with the initials G.D.G. In the 1820s to 1840s more houses were built or altered by the next lord of the manor, Gregory Gregory. Many of these buildings were estate cottages until 1937 when the estate was broken up and most of the houses were sold separately. See the individual building records for further details. {13}

Sources/Archives (14)

  •  Bibliographic Reference: C.W. Foster and T. Longley. 1924. Lincolnshire Domesday and Lindsey Survey. 1/11.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Kenneth Cameron. 1998. A Dictionary of Lincolnshire Place-Names. p. 59.
  •  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.126.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Gerald A.J. Hodgett. 1975. Tudor Lincolnshire. p. 191.
  •  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. p. 60.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: William Page (ed). 1906. The Victoria County History: Lincolnshire - Volume 2. p. 365.
  •  Map: Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. 1992-1996. National Mapping Programme. SK83SE; 8732; LI.730.4.1; LI 730.5.1.
  •  Index: SMR FILE. HARLAXTON. -,1971,.
  •  Report: Archaeological Project Services. 2007. Archaeological Watching Brief at 11 Pond Street, Harlaxton. HLPS 07.
  •  Archive: Archaeological Project Services. 2007. Archaeological Watching Brief at 11 Pond Street, Harlaxton. LCNCC 2007.49.
  •  Report: Lindsey Archaeological Services. 2008. 9 Pond Street, Harlaxton: Archaeological Watching Brief. HNPS08.
  •  Archive: Lindsey Archaeological Services. 2008. 9 Pond Street, Harlaxton: Archaeological Watching Brief. LCNCC 2008.35.
  •  Report: Harlaxton Parish Council. 2004. Harlaxton: A Village Design Statement. -.
  •  Electronic Communication: Walmsley, Kerry. 2012. Information from South Kesteven District Council. 29/10/2012.

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Location

Grid reference Centred SK 88400 32703 (609m by 578m)
Civil Parish HARLAXTON, SOUTH KESTEVEN, LINCOLNSHIRE

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Related Events/Activities (4)

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Record last edited

Mar 21 2021 8:35PM

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