There are believed to be around 200 lost settlements in
Norfolk,
England.[1][2] This includes places which have been abandoned as settlements due to a range of reasons and at different dates.[3] Types of lost settlement include
deserted medieval villages (DMVs), relocated or "shrunken" villages, those lost to
coastal erosion and other settlements known to have been "lost" or significantly reduced in size over the centuries, including those evacuated during World War II due to the creation of the
Stanford Training Area. There are estimated to be as many as 3,000 deserted medieval villages in England.
List of lost settlements
This list is of settlements which are known to have been lost and where the location can either be confirmed or is strongly suspected by the use of archaeological or documentary evidence. Settlements where there is less conclusive evidence as to their existence are recorded below this list.
Grid references are given where known.
Site of medieval village on the grounds of
Anmer Hall. The village appeared in the Domesday Book and a detailed description of it in around 1600 exists.
Deserted medieval village mentioned in the Domesday Book in the modern parish of
Flitcham with Appleton. The round tower of St Mary's church is still standing. See also Little Appleton.
Settlement site dating from the Roman to medieval periods with evidence of
Bronze Age and
Iron Age occupation. The site featured in an episode of the television programme
Time Team. A medieval village at Bawsey is believed to have been abandoned by 1517.
Deserted medieval village mentioned in the Domesday Book and Nomina Villarum. There were 13 taxpayers in 1329 but just six by 1332. Probably finally abandoned in the 17th century.
Deserted medieval village with only the parish church, the only one in England dedicated to
St Wandregesilius, remaining. Possible abandoned due to migration to the nearby city of
Norwich.
Deserted medieval village identified through a series of earthworks. May be the same place as Sengham or possibly the location of Tattersett St Andrew. Close to the site of
Coxford Priory.
Also known as Buckingham Parva. Mentioned in the Domesday Book and Nomina Villarum. All traces of the medieval settlement were destroyed by the 19th century. The modern village and hall were evacuated by the remaining 73 residents in 1942 and became part of the
Stanford Training Area. The area is still controlled for military training by the
British Army.
Site of the Roman
vicus associated with the fort of
Gariannonum. Was in
Suffolk until boundary changes in 1974. The site may have later been the location of the Saxon monastery of
Cnobheresburg, founded in around 630 by
Saint Fursey.
Possible site of deserted medieval village mentioned in the Domesday Book. The village was shrunken significantly by the 15th century and was probably abandoned soon afterwards.
Mentioned in the Domesday Book and as Clifton in 1316. By 1334 the village had become part of
Kettlestone. The site of the medieval village is unknown.
Deserted medieval village referred to in 14th century documents and which survived into the 17th century. Petygards formed part of the larger village of Cotes.
Coastal flooding and erosion destroyed most of the village by around 1570, with only 14 houses remaining after a major flood event in January 1604 during which around 66 properties were lost. The church tower survived until 1895 when it was lost to the sea. The site is on the foreshore, with remains occasionally visible after storms or significant erosion events.
Deserted medieval village mentioned in the Domesday Book at which point it was a relatively large settlement. By 1428 it had fewer than 10 inhabitants and was joined with Quarles. It seems to have been abandoned by the mid-16th century. The church tower of St Edmund's Church still stands.
Deserted medieval village which had 15 taxpayers in 1329 and had been reduced to three cottages by 1805. The church was demolished in the 16th century.
Deserted medieval village mentioned in the Domesday Book. The site is well preserved as it has never been deep ploughed. Abandoned in the 16th century, possibly due to very heavy clay soils hindering agricultural development.[93]
Deserted medieval village which was a relatively large settlement at the Domesday Book. Granted a Market by the Crown in 1287. Site marked by Guton Hall in the modern parish of
Brandiston.
Deserted medieval village mentioned in the Domesday Book and Nomina Villarum. Parish was united with
Stokesby in around 1580 and the church demolished in 1610.
Land
enclosed by landlord Thomas Thursby for use as sheep pasture. Totally depopulated by 1517 - the only Norfolk village to be found to have been depopulated by enclosure at the time of
Wolsey's Commission of Inquiry of that year.
Recorded in the Domesday Book and Nomina Villarum. Village was removed to make way for the building of
Houghton Hall in the 1730s, although it may have already been partly abandoned.
Deserted medieval village mentioned in the Domesday Book and Nomina Villarum. In the 18th century it contained more than 32 houses but had been reduced to a handful of buildings by 1805. The church was last used in 1944 before being rediscovered in the 1990s and restored. It contains a series of late Saxon wall paintings.
Deserted medieval village mentioned in the Domesday Book and Nomina Villarum. The village had a population of 21 in 1352 and had 10 householders by 1428. The church was ruined in 1602, having been in use in 1557, and by 1805 only two or three houses remained in the settlement.
Village mentioned in the Domesday Book which was largely abandoned by the 18th century at which point the remains were emparked as part of the development of
Kilverstone Hall
Deserted medieval village site abandoned by the mid 18th century. The modern village was abandoned by the remaining 37 residents in 1942 when the
Stanford Training Area was established.
Deserted medieval village recorded in the Domesday Book and visible as earthworks. St Peter and St Paul's Church dates from the 12th century. The parish was united with
Beeston in the 20th century.
Mentioned as a separate town in Domesday. The church was demolished in the 14th century and the settlement abandoned by 1547. The site may be that of Great Breckles.
Possible site of a deserted medieval village mentioned in the Domesday Book. On the site of a Roman settlement with significant number of Roman archaeological finds. Over 100 houses were present in the mid 15th century but only two remained by 1802. The precise location is undisclosed.
Deserted medieval settlement thought to be located in the parish of
Wreningham. The church was dedicated to St Peter and the parish was united with Great Wreningham by 1414.
Village mentioned in the Domesday Book. It was either lost to coastal erosion, possibly in the 17th or 18th century, or occupied a site in the parish of Mautby.
Deserted settlement to the north of
Kings Lynn originally on the edge of
The Wash. The church was washed away in 1271. Land reclamation means that the site is now on the banks of the
River Great Ouse and is now a chemical works.
Deserted medieval village cleared to make way for grazing in the late 16th or early 17th century. The ruins of St Margaret's Church remain south of the mid-17th century Pudding Norton Hall.
Village mentioned in the Domesday Book. Was joined with Egmere for taxation purposes by the 15th century. The church was ruined by 1571 and the village abandoned by 1713.
Village mentioned in the Domesday Book and in land grants dating form the 14th century. The site is unknown but is likely to be in either the parish of
Dickleburgh and Rushall or
Pulham St Mary.
Village mentioned in the Domesday Book (Cromer was not) with a population of over 100. Lost to coastal erosion by about 1400, with the first losses to the churchyard recorded in 1336. The site of the church tower was the probable cause of the sinking of the steam tug Victoria in 1888.
Village mentioned in the Domesday Book with earthworks remaining. The modern settlement was abandoned in 1942 when the
Stanford Training Area was established with the removal of the remaining 110 inhabitants. The area remains a British Army training area with no permanent population.
Medieval village listed in the Domesday Book and Nomina Villarum. Lost to enclosure of common land in 1597. Now part of the Stanford Military Training Area established in 1942 when 27 people were evacuated.
Mentioned in the Domesday Book, the parish was united with
Scole in 1482 and the church demolished in around 1540, with the tower remaining as a dovecote. One family lived in the village by 1739.
Deserted village probably occupied between the 13th and 15th centuries. Heavy clay soils may have led to abandonment. Possibly also known as Thurmanston.
Site of a deserted medieval village. The modern village, which had 200 residents, was abandoned in 1942 when the
Stanford Training Area was established.
Deserted medieval village. Mentioned in the Domesday Book and Nomina Villarum. Land lost to agricultural enclosure from the 17th century was a reason for abandonment.
Deserted medieval village cleared to make way for the development of
Lynford Hall park in the 17th century. The modern village and hall were evacuated in 1942 and became part of the Stanford Training Area. The population of 135 was rehoused. The hall was demolished after 1945 and the area is still controlled for military training by the
British Army, although the parish church still stands and is used at Christmas for a carol service.
In addition to confirmed or strongly suspected sites of lost villages, there are other locations which are believed to be the site of lost settlements. These are generally deserted medieval villages where there is some archaeological or other evidence to suggest that settlements existed but where identification is uncertain.
Possible site of Hackford deserted medieval village. Hackford remained a separate parish until 1935. The site of the village is unclear. All Saints church was lost to fire in 1543 and little remains.
A possible site for Helmingham deserted medieval village, mentioned in the Domesday Book and Nomina Villarum. It is also suggested that Helmingham is elsewhere in the parish of
Morton on the Hill and this site is possibly the village of Morton.
^Driver.L (2008) Bawsey, Norfolk in The Lost Villages of England, pp. 86-87, London: New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd.
Available online, retrieved 2015-10-25.
There are believed to be around 200 lost settlements in
Norfolk,
England.[1][2] This includes places which have been abandoned as settlements due to a range of reasons and at different dates.[3] Types of lost settlement include
deserted medieval villages (DMVs), relocated or "shrunken" villages, those lost to
coastal erosion and other settlements known to have been "lost" or significantly reduced in size over the centuries, including those evacuated during World War II due to the creation of the
Stanford Training Area. There are estimated to be as many as 3,000 deserted medieval villages in England.
List of lost settlements
This list is of settlements which are known to have been lost and where the location can either be confirmed or is strongly suspected by the use of archaeological or documentary evidence. Settlements where there is less conclusive evidence as to their existence are recorded below this list.
Grid references are given where known.
Site of medieval village on the grounds of
Anmer Hall. The village appeared in the Domesday Book and a detailed description of it in around 1600 exists.
Deserted medieval village mentioned in the Domesday Book in the modern parish of
Flitcham with Appleton. The round tower of St Mary's church is still standing. See also Little Appleton.
Settlement site dating from the Roman to medieval periods with evidence of
Bronze Age and
Iron Age occupation. The site featured in an episode of the television programme
Time Team. A medieval village at Bawsey is believed to have been abandoned by 1517.
Deserted medieval village mentioned in the Domesday Book and Nomina Villarum. There were 13 taxpayers in 1329 but just six by 1332. Probably finally abandoned in the 17th century.
Deserted medieval village with only the parish church, the only one in England dedicated to
St Wandregesilius, remaining. Possible abandoned due to migration to the nearby city of
Norwich.
Deserted medieval village identified through a series of earthworks. May be the same place as Sengham or possibly the location of Tattersett St Andrew. Close to the site of
Coxford Priory.
Also known as Buckingham Parva. Mentioned in the Domesday Book and Nomina Villarum. All traces of the medieval settlement were destroyed by the 19th century. The modern village and hall were evacuated by the remaining 73 residents in 1942 and became part of the
Stanford Training Area. The area is still controlled for military training by the
British Army.
Site of the Roman
vicus associated with the fort of
Gariannonum. Was in
Suffolk until boundary changes in 1974. The site may have later been the location of the Saxon monastery of
Cnobheresburg, founded in around 630 by
Saint Fursey.
Possible site of deserted medieval village mentioned in the Domesday Book. The village was shrunken significantly by the 15th century and was probably abandoned soon afterwards.
Mentioned in the Domesday Book and as Clifton in 1316. By 1334 the village had become part of
Kettlestone. The site of the medieval village is unknown.
Deserted medieval village referred to in 14th century documents and which survived into the 17th century. Petygards formed part of the larger village of Cotes.
Coastal flooding and erosion destroyed most of the village by around 1570, with only 14 houses remaining after a major flood event in January 1604 during which around 66 properties were lost. The church tower survived until 1895 when it was lost to the sea. The site is on the foreshore, with remains occasionally visible after storms or significant erosion events.
Deserted medieval village mentioned in the Domesday Book at which point it was a relatively large settlement. By 1428 it had fewer than 10 inhabitants and was joined with Quarles. It seems to have been abandoned by the mid-16th century. The church tower of St Edmund's Church still stands.
Deserted medieval village which had 15 taxpayers in 1329 and had been reduced to three cottages by 1805. The church was demolished in the 16th century.
Deserted medieval village mentioned in the Domesday Book. The site is well preserved as it has never been deep ploughed. Abandoned in the 16th century, possibly due to very heavy clay soils hindering agricultural development.[93]
Deserted medieval village which was a relatively large settlement at the Domesday Book. Granted a Market by the Crown in 1287. Site marked by Guton Hall in the modern parish of
Brandiston.
Deserted medieval village mentioned in the Domesday Book and Nomina Villarum. Parish was united with
Stokesby in around 1580 and the church demolished in 1610.
Land
enclosed by landlord Thomas Thursby for use as sheep pasture. Totally depopulated by 1517 - the only Norfolk village to be found to have been depopulated by enclosure at the time of
Wolsey's Commission of Inquiry of that year.
Recorded in the Domesday Book and Nomina Villarum. Village was removed to make way for the building of
Houghton Hall in the 1730s, although it may have already been partly abandoned.
Deserted medieval village mentioned in the Domesday Book and Nomina Villarum. In the 18th century it contained more than 32 houses but had been reduced to a handful of buildings by 1805. The church was last used in 1944 before being rediscovered in the 1990s and restored. It contains a series of late Saxon wall paintings.
Deserted medieval village mentioned in the Domesday Book and Nomina Villarum. The village had a population of 21 in 1352 and had 10 householders by 1428. The church was ruined in 1602, having been in use in 1557, and by 1805 only two or three houses remained in the settlement.
Village mentioned in the Domesday Book which was largely abandoned by the 18th century at which point the remains were emparked as part of the development of
Kilverstone Hall
Deserted medieval village site abandoned by the mid 18th century. The modern village was abandoned by the remaining 37 residents in 1942 when the
Stanford Training Area was established.
Deserted medieval village recorded in the Domesday Book and visible as earthworks. St Peter and St Paul's Church dates from the 12th century. The parish was united with
Beeston in the 20th century.
Mentioned as a separate town in Domesday. The church was demolished in the 14th century and the settlement abandoned by 1547. The site may be that of Great Breckles.
Possible site of a deserted medieval village mentioned in the Domesday Book. On the site of a Roman settlement with significant number of Roman archaeological finds. Over 100 houses were present in the mid 15th century but only two remained by 1802. The precise location is undisclosed.
Deserted medieval settlement thought to be located in the parish of
Wreningham. The church was dedicated to St Peter and the parish was united with Great Wreningham by 1414.
Village mentioned in the Domesday Book. It was either lost to coastal erosion, possibly in the 17th or 18th century, or occupied a site in the parish of Mautby.
Deserted settlement to the north of
Kings Lynn originally on the edge of
The Wash. The church was washed away in 1271. Land reclamation means that the site is now on the banks of the
River Great Ouse and is now a chemical works.
Deserted medieval village cleared to make way for grazing in the late 16th or early 17th century. The ruins of St Margaret's Church remain south of the mid-17th century Pudding Norton Hall.
Village mentioned in the Domesday Book. Was joined with Egmere for taxation purposes by the 15th century. The church was ruined by 1571 and the village abandoned by 1713.
Village mentioned in the Domesday Book and in land grants dating form the 14th century. The site is unknown but is likely to be in either the parish of
Dickleburgh and Rushall or
Pulham St Mary.
Village mentioned in the Domesday Book (Cromer was not) with a population of over 100. Lost to coastal erosion by about 1400, with the first losses to the churchyard recorded in 1336. The site of the church tower was the probable cause of the sinking of the steam tug Victoria in 1888.
Village mentioned in the Domesday Book with earthworks remaining. The modern settlement was abandoned in 1942 when the
Stanford Training Area was established with the removal of the remaining 110 inhabitants. The area remains a British Army training area with no permanent population.
Medieval village listed in the Domesday Book and Nomina Villarum. Lost to enclosure of common land in 1597. Now part of the Stanford Military Training Area established in 1942 when 27 people were evacuated.
Mentioned in the Domesday Book, the parish was united with
Scole in 1482 and the church demolished in around 1540, with the tower remaining as a dovecote. One family lived in the village by 1739.
Deserted village probably occupied between the 13th and 15th centuries. Heavy clay soils may have led to abandonment. Possibly also known as Thurmanston.
Site of a deserted medieval village. The modern village, which had 200 residents, was abandoned in 1942 when the
Stanford Training Area was established.
Deserted medieval village. Mentioned in the Domesday Book and Nomina Villarum. Land lost to agricultural enclosure from the 17th century was a reason for abandonment.
Deserted medieval village cleared to make way for the development of
Lynford Hall park in the 17th century. The modern village and hall were evacuated in 1942 and became part of the Stanford Training Area. The population of 135 was rehoused. The hall was demolished after 1945 and the area is still controlled for military training by the
British Army, although the parish church still stands and is used at Christmas for a carol service.
In addition to confirmed or strongly suspected sites of lost villages, there are other locations which are believed to be the site of lost settlements. These are generally deserted medieval villages where there is some archaeological or other evidence to suggest that settlements existed but where identification is uncertain.
Possible site of Hackford deserted medieval village. Hackford remained a separate parish until 1935. The site of the village is unclear. All Saints church was lost to fire in 1543 and little remains.
A possible site for Helmingham deserted medieval village, mentioned in the Domesday Book and Nomina Villarum. It is also suggested that Helmingham is elsewhere in the parish of
Morton on the Hill and this site is possibly the village of Morton.
^Driver.L (2008) Bawsey, Norfolk in The Lost Villages of England, pp. 86-87, London: New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd.
Available online, retrieved 2015-10-25.