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Monument Types

• VILLAGE (Middle Anglo Saxon to Late Post-medieval - 650 AD to 1899 AD)

Summary

Medieval and post-medieval historic settlement core of the village, as deduced using landscape maps, etc. Gumley was an important Anglo-Saxon royal estate in the C8th (see also MLE1616).

Additional Information

Scheduled Monument description extract:
Gumley, or Godmundesleach in its earliest recorded form, has a long documented history. Charters were signed by the Mercian kings Ethelbald in AD 749 and Offa in AD 772 and 779 at the settlement. At the time of the reign of Edward the Confessor the village had been divided into two lordships. One of these contained 20 acres of meadow and was owned jointly by three Saxon thanes. Following the Norman Conquest it passed to Countess Judith, under whom it was held by Robert de Buci. The second lordship of eight acres was held by Robert de Veci, under whom it was worked by Goisfrid. In 1300 Edward I granted liberty of free warren to Roger Brabazon. In 1421 the two manors came into the ownership of John Griffin, remaining in the hands of his descendants until the 19th century. [Regarding the western Scheduled Area] An estate map dated to the early 19th century indicates that the hollow way finally fell into disuse following the construction of Gumley Hall in 1764, although abandonment of the settlement probably began many centuries before... [Regarding the eastern Scheduled Area] An estate map dated to 1852 clearly depicts the existence of buildings and a trackway adjacent to the southern loop of the hollow way at this time. The main section of hollow way to the north and the buildings associated with it had already been abandoned by this point, and represent one of the village's original main thoroughfares which became disused following the contraction of the settlement in the later medieval period.

<1> Bourne, Jill, 2003, Understanding Leicestershire & Rutland Place Names, p50 (Bibliographic reference). SLE220.

Known as Godmundeslaech in 749 (Anglo-Saxon (royal) Charter), Gotmundeslea in 1086 (Domesday Book). Godmund (OE male personal name) + leah 'woodland, woodland clearing'. 'The woodland/woodland clearing associated with Godmund'. Gumley was an Anglo-Saxon royal estate in the eighth century, when both King Aethelbald and King Offa held meetings of their royal councils. The function of this estate at Gumley was probably, given the nature of the countryside, a royal hunting lodge. By the time of Domesday there was no hint of its former glory.

<2> Burbidge, A, 1993, Legends of King Arthur and Camelot: Origins of Leicestershire and Northamptonshire (Bibliographic reference). SLE6165.

AB suggests that the place Camelot (Camlan) in the Arthurian Legends can linguistically be related to Gumley. He states that Gumley was a special place in Early England because council meetings were held there to discuss the running of the church. He also states that the Old English name for Gumley (Godmundesleah) meant 'good guardian' which also translates as 'King's Peace', suggesting a connection with King Offa. He points to the defensive ditch around the village as archaeological evidence and suggests that the burial mound in the village may be where King Offa was finally laid to rest. (LB 10/11/97)

<3> Hartley, RF, 2018, The medieval earthworks of south and south-east Leicestershire, p76 (Bibliographic reference). SLE5736.

"There were still three open fields in 1610, Holdgate or Houldgate Field (north-east of the village), Brook Field (south of the village) and Debdale Field or Mill Field to the north-west of the village (VCH, 119). The Inclosure Award is dated 1773."

Sources

Associated Finds

None recorded

Designations

• Conservation Area: Gumley
• Scheduled Monument 1017210: GUMLEY MEDIEVAL SETTLEMENT REMAINS, RABBIT WARREN AND FIELD SYSTEMS, 600M SOUTH WEST OF THE CHURCH OF ST HELEN
• Scheduled Monument 1017211: GUMLEY MEDIEVAL SETTLEMENT REMAINS AND FIELD SYSTEMS, 620M SOUTH EAST OF THE CHURCH OF ST HELEN

Associated Images

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