Butterwick, County Durham facts for kids
Butterwick is a small and historic village located in County Durham, England. It's found just a short distance to the south east of another village called Fishburn. Even though it's small today, Butterwick has a long and interesting past that you can still see traces of!
Butterwick: A Glimpse into History
Butterwick has been around for a very long time! We know this because it was first mentioned in official records way back in the year 1131. That's almost 900 years ago!
What's in a Name? "Boterwyck"
When it was first written down, the village was called "Boterwyck." This old name gives us a clue about what Butterwick might have been like in the past. "Boterwyck" means "the butter or dairy farm." This suggests that long ago, Butterwick was likely a place where people raised cows and made butter and other dairy products.
Uncovering the Past: Medieval Villages and Earthworks
Today, you can still see parts of Butterwick's ancient history. The farms known as West, South, and East Butterwick are what's left of a small medieval village. The medieval period was a time in history from about the 5th to the 15th century.
Even cooler, you can find something called "earthwork remains" around the modern farm buildings. These aren't just random bumps in the ground! Earthworks are like natural clues left behind by old buildings or villages. They are subtle changes in the shape of the land, like small mounds or hollows, that show where houses, roads, or fences used to be. These earthworks help archaeologists and historians imagine what the old medieval village of Butterwick looked like centuries ago.
