Cold Hanworth medieval settlement facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cold Hanworth medieval settlement |
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| Location | Cold Hanworth, Lincolnshire |
| OS grid reference | TF 036 831 |
| Designated | 7 July 1999 |
| Reference no. | 1016796 |
The Cold Hanworth medieval settlement is a fascinating historical site in Lincolnshire, England. It's what we call a deserted medieval village, meaning it was once a busy village that people eventually left.
This old village is located right next to the modern village of Cold Hanworth. It's about 7 miles (11 km) north of the city of Lincoln. Today, it is protected as a Scheduled Monument. This means it's an important historical site that must be preserved.
Contents
A Look into the Past
Early Records
We know about the Cold Hanworth village because it was written down in the Domesday Book of 1086. This was a huge survey ordered by King William the Conqueror. It recorded details about land and people across England.
Village Life Changes
The village started to decline around the mid-14th century. This was a time when many villages in England faced challenges. By the 17th century, some of the land had been enclosed. This means it was fenced off, often to be used for grazing animals like sheep. By the 18th century, most people had left the village. It became almost completely empty.
What Remains Today
Village Layout
You can still see the remains of the medieval village today. They are located just south and east of All Saints Church. This church was built in the 1800s, but it stands where an older medieval church once was.
The main street of the old village can still be seen. It runs south from the church, where there is now a pond. The street then curves east for about 150 meters (490 ft). After that, it turns north towards the edge of a modern field.
Homes and Buildings
Along both sides of this main street, you can find traces of old houses and other buildings. These appear as rectangular areas with ditches around them. They show where people's homes and outbuildings once stood.
Old Roads and Fields
West of the church, there are more signs of the medieval settlement. You can see hints of a north-south road there. This road was likely the main way to get to the village from the north.
If you look to the west and east of the village remains, you'll see something called "ridge and furrow" patterns. These are wavy lines in the ground, up to 0.3 meters (1 ft) high. They are the leftover marks from the old open-field system of farming. This was how people grew crops in medieval times.
