Wykeham, Nettleton, Lincolnshire facts for kids

Wykeham is a fascinating place in Lincolnshire, England. It's known as a 'deserted medieval village', which means it was a village where people lived a long, long time ago, but then everyone left, and it became empty. You can find its site near Nettleton, in an area called West Lindsey.

What is a Deserted Medieval Village?

A deserted medieval village, often called a DMV, is a place where a village once stood during the Middle Ages (around the 5th to 15th centuries), but is now empty. These villages were abandoned for many reasons. Sometimes, people moved away because the soil was no longer good for farming, or the climate changed. Other times, big events like the Black Death (a terrible plague) caused many people to die, leaving villages empty.

When a village becomes deserted, its buildings slowly fall apart, and nature takes over. But even after hundreds of years, clues remain. You can often see the outlines of old roads, house foundations, and field boundaries in the landscape.

The History of Wykeham

Wykeham was an active village a very long time ago. It was even mentioned in the famous Domesday Book. This book was a huge survey ordered by William the Conqueror in 1085. It listed all the towns, villages, and lands in England so he could know who owned what and how much tax they should pay. So, Wykeham was definitely around in the 11th century!

The village was also mentioned in records from 1334. This shows it was still a known place in the 14th century. However, at some point after that, the people of Wykeham left, and the village became deserted.

Finding the Lost Village

Even though Wykeham is no longer a living village, its location has been confirmed. Experts used something called aerial photography to find it. This means they took pictures from an airplane or drone high above the ground. From the air, you can often see faint patterns in fields that show where old buildings or roads used to be, even if they are just bumps or lines on the ground.

During an excavation (which is when archaeologists carefully dig up a site to find old objects), two millstones were discovered at Wykeham. Millstones are large, heavy stones used in a mill to grind grain into flour. Finding them tells us that Wykeham likely had a mill, which was an important part of village life. Sadly, these millstones have since been lost.