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Summary

The settlement of Laythorpe was in existence by the eleventh century, and possibly earlier. It is documented as a separate settlement until the fourteenth century. It is now part of Kirkby la Thorpe.

Full description

60571
The settlement of Laythorpe was first documented in the Domesday Book in 1086, and is found as a separate place until the early fourteenth century, and is now represented by a cluster of houses and earthwork remains (TF 0980 4515 - PRN 60571a) at the southern end of Kirkby la Thorpe. Sokeland was owned there by the Bishop of Lincoln, with 5 sokemen and 2 bordars, and two manors were owned by Colsuain, where there were 7 villeins, 10 bordars and 1 sokemen. This gives a minimum population of 25. A church and a priest are also mentioned. {1}{6}{7}{12}
The place-name 'Laythorpe' probably means 'Leithulf's secondary settlement (no doubt of Kirkby la Thorpe) from the Old Norse personal name 'Leithulfr' and the Old Danish 'thorp'. {9}
There is a single entry for Kirkby la Thorpe in the Lay Subsidy of 1334, which suggests that Kirkby and Laythorpe had become amalgamated to some extent by this stage. It was valued at £5 9s 6d, slightly above average for its wapentake. {13}
During an evaluation on land on Mount Lane (TF 0986 4526 - PRN 60571b) late Saxon and Medieval pottery was found while fieldwalking, including mid-late eleventh century Stamford ware. Thirteenth and fourteenth century wares were recovered from ditches and gullies, which indicates that the settlement was in existence by the eleventh century or earlier (formerly PRN 60570). {2}{3}{10}{15}
A watching brief in 1997 on Mount Lane (TF 0986 4526 - PRN 60571c) revealed an east-west aligned ditch containing thirteenth and fourteenth century pottery, with a parallel ditch, and three parallel features to the south. These may represent drainage ditches or land boundaries. Further late Saxon pottery was also recovered, including Stamford ware and Thetford type ware. {4}{5}
It is suggested that there was a chapel of ease in Laythorpe, at TF 0986 4504 (see PRN 63680). {8}{14}

<01> C.W. Foster and T. Longley, 1924, Lincolnshire Domesday and Lindsey Survey, VOL 19, xiv, lx, lxxiv, p.34; 7/49, 26/30 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI893.

<02> Pre-Construct Archaeology, 1995, Archaeological Field Evaluation Report: Mount Lane, Kirkby la Thorpe, MLK95 (Report). SLI1926.

<03> Pre-Construct Archaeology, 1995, Field evaluations at Mount Lane, Kirkby la Thorpe, LCNCC 51.95 (Archive). SLI1663.

<04> Archaeological Project Services, 1997, Archaeological Watching Brief of Development Adjacent to Mount Lane, Kirkby la Thorpe, KLM97 (Report). SLI5184.

<05> Archaeological Project Services, 1997, Archaeological Watching Brief of Development Adjacent to Mount Lane, Kirkby la Thorpe, LCNCC 64.97 (Archive). SLI1567.

<06> Kirkby la Thorpe SMR cards, TF 04 NE:C, CM (Index). SLI3111.

<07> Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1992-1996, National Mapping Programme, TF0945:LI.852.4.1 (Map). SLI3613.

<08> Ordnance Survey, Kirkby la Thorpe OS card index, TF 04 NE:15 (Index). SLI2584.

<09> Kenneth Cameron, 1998, A Dictionary of Lincolnshire Place-Names, page 79 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI5432.

<10> Pre-Construct Archaeology, 1995, Archaeological Desk Top Assessment and Phase 1 Field Evaluation: Mount Lane, Kirkby la Thorpe, MLK95 (Report). SLI11117.

<11> NORTH KESTEVEN RECORDS, NK 34.14 (Index). SLI2106.

<12> 1945-84, CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY COLLECTION, EA039 (Aerial Photograph). SLI173.

<13> R.E. Glasscock, 1964, 'The Lay Subsidy of 1334 for Lincolnshire' in Lincolnshire Architectural and Archaeological Society Reports and Papers, vol.10.2, p.123 (Article in Serial). SLI653.

<14> William White, 1856, History, Gazetteer and Directory of Lincolnshire - Second Edition, p 548 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI886.

<15> F.N. Field and I. George, 1996, Lincolnshire History and Archaeology, Vol 31, p 54 (Article in Serial). SLI698.

<16> Yerburgh, Dr Richard, 1825, Sketches Illustrative of the Topography and History of New and Old Sleaford, pp 267-272 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI1054.

Monument Types

• ARTEFACT SCATTER (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Medieval - 1000 AD to 1400 AD)
• SETTLEMENT (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Medieval - 1000 AD? to 1400 AD)
• DITCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Finds

• SHERD (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Events

• Trial trenching at Mount Lane, 1995
• Watching Brief on land at Mount Lane, Kirkby la Thorpe
• Fieldwalking at Mount Lane, Kirkby la Thorpe
• Aerial photographs of Kirkby la Thorpe village, 1949

Protected Status

• SHINE
• SHINE

Sources and further reading

Related records

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