Apley |
Hob Uid: 351528 | |
Location : Lincolnshire West Lindsey Apley
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Grid Ref : TF1078075030 |
Summary : The medieval settlement of Apley, a small hamlet established by the late 11th century. After the foundation of Stainfield Priory in the mid 12th century the settlement was granted to the nunnery and managed as a monastic manor or grange. The population of the settlement, which remained low throughout the medieval period, declined after the Dissolution when 'Apley Grange' was granted with the rest of the Stainfield Priory estate to Sir Robert Tyrwhitt, who enclosed large areas of land for sheep pasture. The medieval church of Apley remained standing until the beginning of the 18th century. The remains of the medieval settlement of Apley and the surviving parts of its open fields are visible as earthworks with associated buried remains and lie in two separate areas. About 50 metres to the south of the present St Andrew's Church is a raised mound about 30 metres square and 1 metre high representing the site of the medieval church and churchyard at Apley. The buried foundations of the church are preserved within the mound. About 150 metres to the west of the church site is an area of earthworks, including a block of rectangular ditched enclosures. This block is bounded on the south by a deep hollow way, on the west by a ditch, and on the north and east by less substantial hollow ways. These enclosures are believed to represent paddocks and garden of the monastic manor or grange at Apley. Adjacent to the north side of this block are the remains of a hollow way extending northwards, together with part of a roadside enclosure in which dwellings were formerly located. Adjacent to the north west, south and south east of the grange are remains of medieval ridge and furrow cultivation. A group of narrow enclosures adjacent to the main hollow way may represent earlier settlement enclosures later incorporated into the adjacent complex. Scheduled. |
More information : [Area TF 1084 7504] The small village of Apley once had its parish church. A priest was last instituted in 1427. A small brick chapel now stands on the site of the church. Air photographs give some indication of the original extent of the mediaeval village. [See Illustrations Card.] (1-3) Earthworks representing shrinkage are evident in an area centred at TF 1075 7500. (4)
Earthworks of Medieval and Post Medieval settlement at Apley were surveyed on the ground and mapped from good quality air photographs by the RCHME. The settlement may have been a small hamlet which was subsequently converted or run as a monastic grange or manor.
The main features identified are a hollow way, centred at TF 1078 7497, flanked by rectangular ditched enclosures or closes. Those to the north, centred at TF 1079 7503, are smaller than those to the south, centred at TF 1081 7484, which contain ridge and furrow. Numerous extraction pits and/or ponds are scattered throughout the site. To the east, at TF 1091 7502 is a raised oval area, which is the site of a churchyard.
(Morph No. LI.529.3.1-7)
This description is based on data from the RCHME MORPH2 database. (5) |