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Historic England Research Records

West Burton

Hob Uid: 322952
Location :
Nottinghamshire
Bassetlaw
West Burton
Grid Ref : SK7990085300
Summary : The earthwork and buried remains of the medieval village of West Burton. A map dating to 1750 illustrates that the village was still in existence at this time and shows a total of 15 houses and a church on the site. An account of the village made just over 40 years later records only seven or eight houses with an estimated population of 45. This decline in the village continued and by the beginning of the 19th century it had practically disappeared. A map dating to 1895 clearly shows that the village, with the exception of the church, was no longer in existence. The north eastern corner of the village is visible as a line of three rectangular tofts. At the eastern end of two of the tofts are the foundations of medieval houses whilst the western sides are bounded by a lane which gave access to the tofts. To the south of the tofts are a further two tofts which front onto the main hollow way running through the village. At the southern end of the monument are a number of oval-shaped depressions which are interpreted as ponds and may relate to a fishery which was recorded in the Domesday Book. To the north of the southernmost hollow way are two platforms. Erosion scars have exposed areas of dressed stone which are interpreted as being the foundations of a medieval homestead. The parish church of St Helen was demolished in 1895 but the churchyard survives. To the north west of the church are the remains of two more tofts. Slight traces of house platforms are visible at the eastern end of the enclosures. In the field to the south west of Low Farm are the remains of ridge and furrow. These earthworks are part of the medieval open field system of which they form part of a single furlong. To the south of this field is a large irregular shaped pond. Scheduled.
More information : Thoroton mentions the West Burton village, consisting of 7 or 8
houses in 1797; but White states that in about 1794 there were 14
houses standing near West Burton Church (SK 88 NW/1). (1)

Mr F Warburton (the present tenant) has a small print from an old map
(without publication information) showing 12 houses, several small
ponds and a road leading from a building, on the site of the present
Low Farm, down to the old course of the river. (2)

Though no evidence of building material can be seen, the area at
SK 800853 shows considerable disturbance. There are numerous, dried-
up ponds, varying from 0.5 to 2.6m in depth, ditches and banks, small
fields, and platforms suggesting building sites. The roadway is a
wide gully, average depth c1.6m and according to the tenant has some
metalling just below the surface.
Surveyed at 1:2500. (3)

The village was not a victim of the depopulating enclosures of the
15th cent. It is known that it was privately enclosed in the 18th
cent, but the details of this are not known (a). In 1813 a
topographer states that the rents were raised to an excessive level
for the tenant farmers (b) and M Beresford also quotes high tax quota
and low relief (c), both of which may be contributory causes to the
depopulation. Lord Middleton became sole proprietor in 1864 of West
Burton and some repopulation of the parish by isolated farms started
and the same year also, West Burton parish and North and South
Wheatley were united. The village still had 15 houses and a church in
the middle 18th cent and a map was drawn by the Fairbanks of
Sheffield in 1750 (d). By 1851 only 2 houses were inhabited but a map
by Joseph Moor in 1865 shows that the village had completely
disappeared except for the Church. (4-4e)

No change. (5)

(Centred at SK 799853) Medieval Village of West Burton (NR)
(site of) (NAT). (6)

SK 799853. Deserted Village of West Burton. (7)

Scheduled area extended. (8)
Sources :
Source Number : 1
Source :
Source details : Thorsby. 1797. Thorotons History of Nottinghamshire, III, 301
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Source Number : 2
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Source details : Whites Directory of Nottinghamshire, 1844, p692
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Source Number : 6
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Source details : OS 1:2500 1976
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Source Number : 7
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Source details :
Page(s) : 78
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Vol(s) : 3
Source Number : 8
Source :
Source details : English Heritage Record Form, Plan, 10-MAY-1988
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Source Number : 9
Source :
Source details : 29-Apr-98
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Source Number : 3
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Source details : F1 FRH 07-SEP-62
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Source Number : 4
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Source details :
Page(s) : 70-71
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Vol(s) : 71 (1967)
Source Number : 4a
Source :
Source details : Chambers JD. Land Assessments in Nottinghamshire CRO QDE/1 (Appendix)
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Source Number : 4b
Source :
Source details : The Beauties of England and Wales Notts 1813
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Source Number : 4c
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Source details :
Page(s) : 377
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Source Number : 4d
Source :
Source details : Map in Sheffield City Museum
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Source Number : 4e
Source :
Source details : Middleton MSS MSS Dept Nottingham University Mi 2P 3d
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Source Number : 5
Source :
Source details : F2 BHS 08-MAY-74
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Monument Types:
Monument Period Name : Medieval
Display Date : Medieval
Monument End Date : 1540
Monument Start Date : 1066
Monument Type : Deserted Settlement, Toft, House, Road, Hollow Way, Fishpond, Ridge And Furrow, Open Field, Homestead
Evidence : Earthwork, Sub Surface Deposit
Components and Objects:
Related Records from other datasets:
External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (National No.)
External Cross Reference Number : 29915
External Cross Reference Notes :
External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (County No.)
External Cross Reference Number : NT 103
External Cross Reference Notes :
External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : SK 78 NE 15
External Cross Reference Notes :
Related Warden Records :
Related Activities :
Associated Activities :
Activity type : FIELD OBSERVATION (VISUAL ASSESSMENT)
Start Date : 1962-09-07
End Date : 1962-09-07
Associated Activities :
Activity type : FIELD OBSERVATION (VISUAL ASSESSMENT)
Start Date : 1974-05-08
End Date : 1974-05-08
Associated Activities :
Activity type : MANAGEMENT SURVEY
Start Date : 1994-01-01
End Date : 1994-12-31