More information : [Centred NZ 3070 3330] Thrislington, originally Thurstanton - an ancient manor and estate lying between Mainsforth on the S and Cornforth and Middleham on the N and E. The North Skern forms the W boundary. There is no village. (1) "The vill of Thrislington...is first mentioned in 1262 when the Prior and Convent of Durham made an agreement with Adam De Fulthorpe...[and others]...as its owners and tenants. (1) The family of Fulthorpe was probably in possession of the greater part of the vill, the `lordship' of which in 1336 belonged to Roger Fulthorpe". (a) (2) Centred NZ 3070 3330. The pasture lands in the vicinity of Thrislington Hall contain earthworks typical of depopulated medieval villages in this part of Durham.
Banks and ditches divide the land into plots while smaller enclosure and platforms represent the steadings of buildings. The banks have a maximum height of 1.0m, with undressed stones visible in places. Some of the plots have been ridge and furrow ploughed. None of the existing buildings in the area show any traces of antiquity. No information discovered regarding date or reason for depopulation. See AP 540/642 3174-5. (3) NZ 3070 3330 Surveyed on A M. (4) `South of pencil line A - B all top soil has been removed as part of an extension to Thrislington Quarry. All trace of the archaeological features have gone in this area and more will follow as the quarry is extended.' [pencil line cuts the bank running NNW-SSE at NZ 30593317]. (5) NZ 306 333. Deserted Medieval Village of Thrislington. Rescue excavations on this site, the earthworks of which consist of 2 rows of tofts, one each side of an E to W road, took place in 1973 prior to destruction by quarrying. Five separate boundary banks were excavated and dated to not earlier than the mid 13th century, and on the W boundary of the village the foundations of a 13th century stone built structure with a circular cellar in the S end were revealed. Within the same enclosure of circa 2500 sq m was a dwelling-house which may have been a small manor, with some walls standing to a height of 60-70 cms. It had 4 distinct phases of occupation from Saxo-Norman to post 14th century, discernible from finds of pottery and foundations. Other structures were revealed; a chapel built and abandoned in the 14th century, and a 16th century lime kiln, probably associated with the building of the Hall. The two largest tofts of the N row were excavated in 1974 revealing an L-shaped building 21.0m long, and a longhouse, 32.8m long, with a suggested main occupation phase from the early 12th to the late 15th century. (6-8)
Only the NE corner of this deserted medieval village is now extant (see illustration card) the rest having been demolished by the quarry workings. Of the remaining area little can be recognised as part of a medieval village. The banks and enclosures can just be discerned as shown but are heavily overgrown by rough grass and scrub. Two small areas (at NZ 3068 3340 and NZ 3072 3341) appear to have been excavated, but none of the structures mentioned by Authorities 6, 7 and 8 could be identified. Published survey (1:2500) revised. (9) Site of Deserted Medieval Village at Thrislington, Cornforth, now removed from the Schedule. (10)
Excavation report. (11)
The site described by authorities 1-11 has been mapped for the Durham Magnesian Limestone Durham NMP project. The site consisted of a series of boundary banks, ditches ditches, crofts and mounds. The site is also associated with medieval ridge and furrow, the site is centred at NZ 3067 3338. (12) |