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Summary

Early medieval settlement at Caistor.

Full description

Caistor was not only centre of a royal soke in 1086 but also a trading centre where tolls were taken. {1}

The presence of a Titulus or dedication stone of 8th or 9th century date in the churchyard suggests that there existed in Caistor an early Saxon church of some importance, which in turn suggests that Caistor was a settlement which retained its high status after the end of the Roman period. It has been suggested that Caistor became the capital of the north riding of the Kingdom of Lindsey but documentary and other evidence is of a much later date. The presence of a mint in the 10th century, is certainly an indication that Caistor was part of a royal estate by that time. In the Domesday survey in 1086 Caistor was described as a royal estate holding land in many surrounding villages. {2}

A program of archaeological observation and recording took place during the initial groundworks for a residential development on land situated to the rear of the Red Lion Hotel, off High Street, Caistor. The watching brief identified a sequence of deposits overlying possible Roman defensive ditches (PRN 54976) containing six pottery sherds of Saxo-Norman type, with five dating to the period between the late 10th and late 12th centuries (Lincolnshire fine-shelled ware) and one to between the late 9th and mid/late 11th century (Torksey ware). The evidence tends to suggest that there was occupation in the area from at least the 11th century, if not earlier. {3}{4}

<1> P.L. Everson, C.C. Taylor and C.J. Dunn, 1991, Change and Continuity: Rural Settlement in North-West Lincolnshire, Archive Notes (Bibliographic Reference). SLI1063.

<2> North Lincolnshire Archaeological Unit, 1989, Caistor Archaeological Resource Map, - (Unpublished Document). SLI5996.

<3> Pre-Construct Archaeology, June 2004, Archaeological Watching Brief at the Red Lion Hotel, Caistor, RLHC03 (Report). SLI9430.

<4> Pre-Construct Archaeology, June 2004, Archaeological Watching Brief at the Red Lion Hotel, Caistor, LCNCC 2004.63 (Archive). SLI9431.

Monument Types

• SETTLEMENT (Early Medieval/Dark Age - 650 AD to 1065 AD)

Associated Finds

• SHERD (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Medieval - 875 AD to 1175 AD)

Associated Events

• Red Lion Hotel, High Street, Caistor

Protected Status

• Conservation Area
• Scheduled Monument

Sources and further reading

Related records

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