More information : Settlement (SK 880892) of Sturgate, though documented since
the end of the 12th century,(a) is never returned separately for
taxation and similar purposes. Despite the small size it has
clearly always been, it has not been deserted. It has a
remarkably regular overall layout based on an E-W street with
matching rectangular blocks of tofts to N and S of closely
similar depths: streets surround the whole layout.(b) Traces
of ridge-and-furrow within the tofts, at least one property
boundary lining up across the street, and the similarity of the
whole layout in N-S dimension to the length of adjacent furlongs
combine to suggest that the settlement was planned and laid out
over former arable. (1-2)
A possible Medieval ditched boundary, possibly part of the Medieval
settlement referred to by the previous authority, was seen as
earthworks and mapped from good quality air photographs. The
boundary is 80m long and is centred at SK 8795 8921.
(Morph No. LI.9.2.1)
This description is based on data from the RCHME MORPH2 database.
(3)
The single earthwork recorded by authority 3 still survives. (4) |