Monument record MLI91269 - Settlement of Folkingham

Summary

Folkingham is first mentioned in Domesday Book and survives to the present day.

Type and Period (4)

  • (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Modern - 1000 AD to 2050 AD)
  • (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status/Designation

Full Description

Folkingham is first mentioned in Domesday Book. Land there belonged to Gilbert de Gand. It had a minimum population of 24 villeins, 5 sokemen and 9 bordars. A mill and a church are also mentioned. {1} The name Folkingham is of Old English origin and means "the homestead, estate of the Folcingas". {2} The Lay Subsidy of 1334 lists Folkingham's wealth as £7 4s 6d, which is above average for its wapentake. {3} The Diocesan Return of 1563 records 50 households at Folkingham. {4} By the late 17th-early 18th century, there were 79 families at Folkingham, rising to 146. {5} By 1801, there were 531 people resident in the parish, rising to 820 in 1841 before falling again to 462 by 1901. {6} A Saturday market held at Folkingham was first mentioned in 1239. It was held by Gilbert de Gand who claimed that he and his ancestors had always held it. He also held a fair at the festival of the Invention of the Holy Cross (3rd May) which is first recorded in 1281. On 16th October 1307 a Saturday market, to be held at the manor, was granted to Henry de Bello Monte by King Edward II. At the same time a fair to be held at the manor at Martin (11th November) was also granted. {7} Edward II is also said to have granted a Thursday market and seven annual fairs. These fairs were held in the market place until at least the 19th century, and were held on Ash Wednesday, Palm Monday, 12th May, 19th June, July 3rd, the Thursday after old Michaelmas and 22nd November. They had sections for horses, cattle, sheep, poultry, farm produce, hemp and pedlary and were apparently very busy times when public order might deteriorate. A custom is mentioned of placing halberds by the doors of the principal houses around the market place during the Petertide Fair (held at the same time as the Stow Fair) to encourage residents to keep order. The village centre was once described as being "little else than a mass of irregularly built thatched cottages". There was a large pond in the centre of the market place which was edged with piles of timber. A market cross, butchery and town hall (described as having been built "at a period when elegance received little attention") were also located in the vicinity of the market place. However, at some point (probably during the 18th century) the shabbiest houses were rebuilt giving the market place the appearance which it has largely kept since. The market cross and other features of the earlier market place were removed at the same time. The inhabitants, institutions and customs of the village, from medieval times to the 19th and 20th centuries, are discussed in several sources. {8}{9}{10}{11} Traces of medieval settlement in the form of a number of earthwork boundaries (PRN 37013a) are visible around the village on aerial photographs. A possible medieval mound (at TF 0744 3372) is also visible as a cropmark (PRN 37013b) on aerial photographs, although feature may be associated with the castle (PRN 30067) rather than settlement. {12}{13} Anglo-Saxon and medieval pottery and a medieval whetstone (PRN 37013c) were found in the field north of the church (TF 071 338) in the 1970s. Half of a medieval quern stone (PRN 37013d) was also found near the castle (TF 074 334) in 1960. {14}{15} Two sherds of abraded medieval pottery and a scatter of abraded post medieval sherds (PRN 37013e), both probably resulting from manuring, were found during a watching brief on land off Walcot Road (TF 069 337). A possible post medieval architectural fragment was also recovered. {16}{17} During a watching brief on land at Sleaford Road (TF 0728 3378), an undated pit (PRN 37013f) thought to be of early (Saxon or medieval) date was uncovered and a few unstratified 10th-12th century sherds were also found. {18}{19} An undated, but probably recent, pond (PRN 37013g) was uncovered during a watching brief at the site of the new rectory (TF 07070 33692). A few sherds of unstratified medieval pottery were also recovered. {20}{21} Several possible archaeological features which may be of medieval date (PRN 37013h) were uncovered during a watching brief at the former service station site at Bourne Road (TF 07304 3448). However, these features may instead be of natural origin. A single fragment of medieval tile was also recovered. {22}{23}

Sources/Archives (23)

  •  Bibliographic Reference: C.W. Foster and T. Longley. 1924. Lincolnshire Domesday and Lindsey Survey. 24/82.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Kenneth Cameron. 1998. A Dictionary of Lincolnshire Place-Names. p.45.
  •  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.123.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Gerald A.J. Hodgett. 1975. Tudor Lincolnshire. p.192.
  •  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.48.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: William Page (ed). 1906. The Victoria County History: Lincolnshire - Volume 2. p.360.
  •  Website: Letters, Samantha (Dr). 2003. Gazetteer of Markets and Fairs in England and Wales to 1516: Counties and Wales. www.history.ac.uk/cmh/gaz/countyframe.html. Folkingham.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Money, Canon F.R.. 1985. A Walk-Round Guide to Folkingham Church and Village. -.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Edward Trollope. 1872. Sleaford and the Wapentakes of Flaxwell and Aswardhurn in the County of Lincoln. pp.505-10.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: William White. 1856. History, Gazetteer and Directory of Lincolnshire - Second Edition. pp.714-6.
  •  Report: South Kesteven District Council. 2009. Folkingham Conservation Area Appraisal. p.3.
  •  Map: Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. 1992-1996. National Mapping Programme. TF 03 SE; TF0733; LI.823.2.1-5, LI.823.1.8.
  •  Aerial Photograph: 1945-84. CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY COLLECTION. JE.81-84; JG.65-67.
  •  Index: Lincolnshire County Council. Sites and Monuments Record Card Index. TF 03 SE: I, L.
  •  Graphic Material: Illustration of whetstone from Folkingham. -.
  •  Report: Archaeological Project Services. Sept 2000. An Archaeological Watching Brief on Land off Walcot Road, Folkingham. FWR97.
  •  Archive: Archaeological Project Services. Sept 2000. An Archaeological Watching Brief on Land off Walcot Road, Folkingham. LCNCC 125.97.
  •  Report: Archaeological Project Services. 2002. An Archaeological Watching Brief of Development on Land at Sleaford Road, Folkingham. FSR02.
  •  Archive: Archaeological Project Services. 2002. An Archaeological Watching Brief of Development on Land at Sleaford Road, Folkingham. LCNCC:2002.124.
  •  Report: Pre-Construct Archaeology. Feb 2004. Archaeological Watching Brief: New Rectory, West Street, Folkingham. NRFW04.
  •  Archive: Pre-Construct Archaeology. Feb 2004. Archaeological Watching Brief: New Rectory, West Street, Folkingham. LCNCC 2004.62.
  •  Report: Lindsey Archaeological Services. June 2005. Former Service Station, Bourne Road, Folkingham: Archaeological Watching Brief. FBRG05.
  •  Archive: Lindsey Archaeological Services. June 2005. Former Service Station, Bourne Road, Folkingham: Archaeological Watching Brief. LCNCC 2005.114.

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Grid reference Centred TF 07130 33534 (764m by 732m)
Civil Parish FOLKINGHAM, SOUTH KESTEVEN, LINCOLNSHIRE

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Record last edited

Mar 21 2021 8:35PM

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