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Summary

The settlement of Fleet has been in existence from the early medieval period and survives till the present day.

Full description

PRN 20434
THERE ARE ENTRIES IN THE DOMESDAY BOOK FOR THE MEDIEVAL SETTLEMENT OF FLEET. THE KING OWNED AGRICULTURAL LAND IN FLEET, AS WELL AS ONE FISHERY AND 2 SALTPANS. COUNT ALAN HELD A MANOR HERE ALSO. THERE WAS A 'BEREWIC' OF THIS HOLDING IN HOLBEACH AND WHAPLODE. {1}
The name 'Fleot' or 'Flet' is derived from the Old English meaning 'a stream or creek'. It has been suggested that an earlier mention of a place named Angarhala may refer to Fleet. It exists within a grant of King Eadgar dating to 975 AD to Thorney Abbey of land at Gedney, Lutton, Angarlaha and Tydd. Apart from being in the same general region, Fleet along with the other three villages were subsequently owned by Earl Aelfgar prior to the Norman invasion. A possible meaning for Angarlaha is derived from the Old English 'angr' and 'halh' and may mean 'grazing land on flat alluvial land adjacent to a river', which on topographic and historic grounds suits Fleet. {5}
Medieval settlement was concentrated north and east of the twelfth century church of St Mary Magdelene. Fleet throughout the medieval period was a port on a very small scale. This period also saw the gradual shift of the focus of the settlement to the north at Fleet Hargate, which was granted a market in the early 14th century. {2}
Population by 1794 was registered as 174, by 1831 this number had risen to 794 and just twenty years later in 1851 there is a purported population of 1162. {3}
Features exposed during trial trenching at Fleet Wood School ( TF 3875 2370, PRN 20434a) include pits ditches and a channel all dated to the late 12th early 13th century. Pottery of this date was also recovered. Excavations also uncovered pottery dating from the 15th to 16th centuries. Modern features uncovered include a brick structure, most likely associated with 19th century school buildings. {6}{7}
During a watching brief at TF 3891 2362 (PRN 20434b) a channel which contained four sherds of 12th-14th century pottery was recorded. The channel may have run parallel and west of Hall Gate and was open during the medieval period. {8}{9}
Further investigation was undertaken at Wood Lane Primary School TF3878 2388 (PRN 20434c). The initial phase of the site is defined by a series of ditches and pits. The ditches appear to be boundaries or property divisions, a fragment of a 12th century floor tile decorated with an eight petalled flower was recovered from a ditch. Some domestic refuse indicating settlement was recovered from the features including late 12th to early/middle 13th century pottery and a spindle whorl. From the late 13th century through to the 14th/15th century's activity on the site intensified. A large number of pits, some of quite a large size were recorded. Many of the pits contained large amounts of domestic refuse: iron nails, pottery. charcoal, animal remains, cockle shell and similar. Sampling of the site has revealed the presence of hammerscale and a large blooming slab, indicating a smithy. Further industrial evidence is proffered with scraps of leather off-cuts from leather working and spindle whorls indicating spinning. Some isolated post-holes were found, but no firm conclusions could be drawn as to their purpose. It appears that the site was abandoned, possibly only for a short period of time. Reoccupation appears to have been established in the late 15th century. Occupation again being defined domestic refuse pits. {10}{11}
A watching brief at The Cottage, Hallgate (TF3895 2367, PRN 20434d) uncovered part of a possible beam slot containing cockle shells and early 13th century pottery. {12}{13}
A single trial trench at Hallgate (TF38937 23606) revealed residual medieval pottery in sufficient quantities to suggest activity on or near to the site (PRN 20434e). A ditch was also found which may date to the medieval period although it was backfilled at a post medieval date. Various late post medieval and modern finds (PRN 20434f) were also recovered including pottery, ceramic building material, glass bottles, clay pipe fragments and also iron slag associated with modern smithing activity. {14}{15}
During a watching brief undertaken by Archaeological Project Services in February 2002 at The Cottage, Hallgate [20434f] two medieval ditches containing 12th to 14th century pottery and a beam slot containing 13th to 14th century pottery were revealed. Another ditch containing medieval and post medieval pottery and a piece of smithing slag, an undated ditch and three undated pits were also found. {16}{17}

<01> C.W. Foster and T. Longley, 1924, Lincolnshire Domesday and Lindsey Survey, 1/34 (P19) 12/83 (P71) (Bibliographic Reference). SLI893.

<02> Archaeological Project Services, 1999, Reappraisal of Fleet Conservation Area, SCA99 (Unpublished Document). SLI5735.

<03> William White, 1856, History, Gazetteer and Directory of Lincolnshire - Second Edition, Page 827 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI886.

<04> Nikolaus Pevsner and John Harris, with Nicholas Antram, 1989, Buildings of England: Lincolnshire (Second Edition), Pages 280-281 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI1062.

<05> Kenneth Cameron, 1998, A Dictionary of Lincolnshire Place-Names, Page 45 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI5432.

<06> Pre-Construct Archaeology, 2001, Wood Lane School, Fleet, WLSF01 (Report). SLI7168.

<07> Pre-Construct Archaeology, 2001, Wood Lane School, Fleet, LCNCC:2001.216 (Archive). SLI7169.

<08> Archaeological Project Services, 2001, Development at Crooked Billet, FCE01 (Report). SLI8205.

<09> Archaeological Project Services, 2001, Development at Crooked Billet, LCNCC:2001.79 (Archive). SLI8206.

<10> Pre-Construct Archaeology, 2002, Wood Lane Primary School, Fleet, WLSF01 (Report). SLI8311.

<11> Pre-Construct Archaeology, 2002, Wood Lane Primary School, Fleet, LCNCC:2001.216 (Archive). SLI8312.

<12> Healey, H., 2001, Archaeological Watching Brief at Hallgate, Fleet, FLGH01 (Report). SLI10609.

<13> Healey, H., 2001, Archaeological Watching Brief at Hallgate, Fleet, LCNCC 2001.214 (Archive). SLI10610.

<14> Archaeological Project Services, 2006, Archaeological Evaluation at Land at Hallgate, Fleet, FLHG06 (Report). SLI10835.

<15> Archaeological Project Services, 2006, Archaeological Evaluation at Land at Hallgate, Fleet, LCNCC 2006.65 (Archive). SLI10836.

<16> Archaeological Project Services, 2002, Watching brief of development at The Cottage, Hallgate, Fleet, FHC02 (Report). SLI13494.

<17> Archaeological Project Services, 2002, Watching brief of development at The Cottage, Hallgate, Fleet, - (Archive). SLI13495.

Monument Types

• DITCH (Unknown date)
• PIT (Unknown date)
• ARTEFACT SCATTER (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
• SETTLEMENT (Medieval to Modern - 1066 AD to 2050 AD)
• DITCH (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1100 AD to 1900 AD)
• PIT (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1100 AD to 1900 AD)
• BEAM SLOT (Medieval - 1200 AD to 1399 AD)
• DITCH (Medieval - 1250 AD to 1350 AD)
• INDUSTRIAL SITE (Medieval - 1250 AD to 1499 AD)
• PIT (Medieval - 1250 AD to 1350 AD)
• RUBBISH PIT (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1250 AD to 1600 AD)
• WATERCOURSE (Medieval - 1250 AD to 1350 AD)
• STRUCTURE (Brick, Modern - 1901 AD to 2050 AD)

Associated Finds

• SHERD (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Medieval - 901 AD to 1199 AD)
• SHERD (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Medieval - 970 AD to 1200 AD)
• QUERN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• SHERD (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
• SHERD (Medieval - 1100 AD to 1500 AD)
• SHERD (Medieval - 1101 AD to 1399 AD)
• SPINDLE WHORL (Medieval - 1101 AD to 1399 AD)
• TILE (Medieval - 1101 AD to 1199 AD)
• SHERD (Medieval - 1150 AD to 1400 AD)
• NAIL (Medieval - 1201 AD to 1450 AD)
• ANIMAL REMAINS (Medieval - 1250 AD to 1499 AD)
• OFFCUT (Medieval - 1250 AD to 1499 AD)
• SAMPLE (Medieval - 1250 AD to 1499 AD)
• SHERD (Medieval - 1250 AD to 1350 AD)
• SHERD (Medieval - 1250 AD to 1450 AD)
• KNIFE (Medieval - 1301 AD to 1499 AD)
• SPUR (Medieval - 1301 AD to 1499 AD)
• SHERD (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1350 AD to 1650 AD)
• SHERD (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1400 AD to 1599 AD)
• SHERD (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1450 AD to 1600 AD)
• SHERD (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1450 AD to 1750 AD)
• SLAG (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Events

• Watching brief of development at The Cottage, Hallgate, Fleet
• Wood Lane School, Fleet
• Development at Crooked Billet
• Wood Lane Primary School
• Watching brief at Hallgate, Fleet
• Archaeological evaluation at Hallgate, Fleet

Protected Status

• Conservation Area

Sources and further reading

Related records

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