Mileham Shrunken Village |
| Hob Uid: 866694 | |
Location :
Norfolk
Breckland
Mileham
|
| Grid Ref : TF9200019600 |
| Summary : A Saxon settlement, which experienced a period of expansion and then decline during the Late Medieval period. There is limited Roman and possibly Early Saxon pottery from findspots in the area, but larger concentrations of pottery indicating settlement begin near the church in the Middle Saxon period. |
| More information : (TF 92001960 centred) The first definite traces of Mileham village are middle Saxon. A site covering nearly 2.5 ha has been found around the church, and it is suggested that the church was founded by the ninth century and that subsequently the village moved north from its old site to lie along the main street. The village was then well placed to become a prosperous settlement in a sheltered location on a busy road. After the abandonment of stretches of the Roman east-to-west road the route through Mileham became part of the main line of communication between east Norfolk and the King's Lynn area. By the eleventh century the settlement stretched 0.5 km along both sides of the street. During the succeeding centuries it expanded westwards at least as far as the motte-and bailey castle (TF 91 NW 3) and probably for a short distance beyond. The castle was built in Mileham because of the strategic importance of the village. An extensive area of the parish was apparently laid out as demesne land. This is presumably the area occupied by a park from the thirteenth to sixteenth centuries. The majority of the properties between the church and the castle later fell vacant or were incorporated into larger units. In post-Medieval times the new population centre lay to the west of the castle where it has remained to this day (1). |