| Summary : Earthwork and buried remains of Old Thornley deserted Medieval settlement, open field system and hollow way located 110 metres north of Thornley Hall Farm, East Durham. Part of the settlement is still currently occupied. The plan is of parallel tofts with crofts to rear facing the village green, which has been destroyed by a tarmac road leading from the A181 to Thornley Hall, a farm track and a post Medieval encroachment by farm buildings. West of the settlement area are the remains of ridge and furrow open fields. Leading from the present farm track is a deep hollow way. Scheduled. Medieval enclosures, a mound and boundary banks are visible as earthworks on air photographs. |
More information : NZ 3608 3844 Thornley DMV. Five to six long tofts and long-house sites on southern side next to farm (Thornley Hall). Earthworks in good condition. (1)
Embankments and ditches visible. (2)
The remains of this deserted medieval village are mainly centred at NZ 3611 3846 where there are much weathered banks and lynchets forming a few rectangular fields. Several rough platforms may be the remains of house stances but no definite buildings could be identified.
To the south east of Thornley Hall (centred about NZ 3616 3829) two or three low banks, boundaries of elongated rectangular fields, can be traced running south east down the slopes. To the south west are a few lynchets and extensive areas of ridge and furrow.
The remains cannot be called 'in good condition' as they are all much weathered and in some cases have been ploughed over. No survey action. (3)
NZ 3600 3845: Earthwork and buried remains of Old Thornley Medieval settlement, open field system and hollow way 110 metres north of Thornley Hall Farm, East Durham. Part of the settlement is still currently occupied. The plan is of parallel tofts with crofts to rear facing the village green, which has been destroyed by a tarmac road leading from the A181to Thornley Hall, a farm track and a post Medieval encroachment by farm buildings. West of the settlement area are the remains of ridge and furrow open fields. Leading from the present farm track is a deep hollow way. The earliest reference to Thornley is in a land grant of 1070-80. Scheduled.(4)
Medieval enclosures, including a rectangular enclosure, a mound and boundary banks are visible as earthworks on air photographs, centred at NZ 3608 3836. Situated to the north of Thornley Hall Farm at NZ 3606 3847 is a series of banked enclosures, running approximately north-south . To the west at NZ 3590 3831 is a large boundary bank enclosing ploughed land. Further incomplete banks are visible to the southeast of the farm at NZ 3618 3833.
(5-6) |