Alton, Leicestershire facts for kids

Alton is a fascinating place in North West Leicestershire, England. It's known as a deserted medieval village, which means it was once a busy community that people left a long time ago. Today, you won't find many buildings there, but its history is still very interesting! It's located between the towns of Coalville and Ashby-de-la-Zouch.

Alton's Early History: The Domesday Book

The very first time Alton was written about was in a famous old book called the Domesday Book. This book was like a big survey ordered by William the Conqueror in 1085. It helped him understand who owned what land in England.

What the Domesday Book Said About Alton

In the Domesday Book, Alton was called Heletone. It tells us that a powerful person named Hugh de Grandmesnil rented out the land. The village was worth 60 shillings, which was a good amount of money back then.

The book also gives us a snapshot of life in Alton:

• There were 25 villagers living there.
• One of these villagers was a "man at arms," which means he was a soldier.
• Four others were "smallholders," who were farmers with small pieces of land.
• The village had 8 ploughs, which are tools for farming.
• There was also 1 mill, probably used for grinding grain.
• The land included 4 acres of meadow (grassy land) and a large area of woodland.

The name "Alton" probably comes from old words meaning "old settlement."

Why Did Alton Disappear?

Alton is one of only four villages in Leicestershire that became deserted because of something called "grange formation." This happened when large farms, called granges, were created by monasteries. The other villages that disappeared this way were Dishley, Ringlethorp and Weston.

The Role of Garendon Abbey

A very important monastery in Leicestershire was Garendon Abbey. This abbey was run by Cistercian monks. They focused a lot on sheep farming to make money. To do this, they needed huge areas of land for their sheep to graze.

When monasteries like Garendon Abbey created granges, they often took over land that villages were using. This meant the villagers had to leave, and their homes were eventually abandoned. This is likely what happened to Alton.

What Remains of Alton Today?

Sadly, almost nothing is left of the old village of Alton. You won't find any old buildings or ruins. All that remains are a few faint shapes in the ground, which are clues to where the village once stood. These small bumps and dips are the only reminders of a community that thrived there many centuries ago.