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Summary

Site of the medieval village of Biscathorpe.

Full description

Biscathorpe is first documented in the Domesday Book in 1086 when it is recorded as having three manors. Three villeins, seven bordars and nine sokemen are listed there giving a minimum population of nineteen people. There are also two mills recorded presumably on the Bain. {1}

The name Biscathorpe means 'Bishop's settlement', probably referring to the Bishop of Durham who holds the manors of the village in Domesday Book and in the Lindsey Survey of 1115. {2}

In 1377 twenty-one people paid the Poll Tax. {3}

The settlement is recorded in the Diocesan returns of 1563 with 17 households. {4}

There were 12 families living in the parish in 1723. {5}

In 1856 Biscathorpe was a parish of 69 people with a church dedicated to St Helen. {6}

Surviving earthworks of medieval village, associated enclosures and strip fields lie under permanent pasture. Six house sites with crofts are visible at edge of flood plain. About 11 metres long by 6 metres wide. They show traces of rubble walling connected by paths and fieldways to surrounding enclosures. Average height of banks 1 metre. Earthworks are visible on an RAF aerial photograph. {7}{8}{9}

A redeposited sherd of medieval pottery was found in July 2013, during the archaeological monitoring of groundworks for the construction of new services and extensions to Church Cottage, Biscathorpe (PRN40691a - TF 2298 8490). The sherd was a fragment of late 13th to mid 16th century Toynton ware, and was recovered from a layer of buried soil, imported onto the site during the mid 19th century landscaping associated with the nearby creation of Biscathorpe Park. {10}{11}

<1> C.W. Foster and T. Longley, 1924, Lincolnshire Domesday and Lindsey Survey, 3/41, L16/2 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI893.

<2> Kenneth Cameron, 1998, A Dictionary of Lincolnshire Place-Names, p.15 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI5432.

<3> Graham Platts, 1985, Land and People in Medieval Lincolnshire, p.306 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI1074.

<4> Gerald A.J. Hodgett, 1975, Tudor Lincolnshire, p.198 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI6089.

<5> R.E.G. Cole, 1913, Speculum Dioeceseos Lincolniensis sub Episcopis Gul: Wake et Edm: Gibson A.D.1705-1723. Part 1: Archdeaconries of Lincoln and Stow, p.26 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI6090.

<6> William White, 1856, History, Gazetteer and Directory of Lincolnshire - Second Edition, p.646 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI886.

<7> Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1992-1996, National Mapping Programme, TF2284,2285,2384,2385:LI.219.2.1-10 (Map). SLI3613.

<8> RAF, 1946-71, RAF POST WAR COLLECTION, CPE:UK 2012 3173,1947, (Aerial Photograph). SLI134.

<9> OS CARD INDEX GAYTON LE WOLD, TF 28 SW 22,1976, (Index). SLI2507.

<10> Neville Hall, 2013, Church Cottage, Biscathorpe, Gayton le Wold, NH site code: CCBI13 (Report). SLI14840.

<11> Neville Hall, 2013, Church Cottage, Biscathorpe, Gayton le Wold, LCNCC 2013.63 (Archive). SLI14841.

Monument Types

• ENCLOSURE (Undated)
• DESERTED SETTLEMENT (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Post Medieval - 1000 AD? to 1860 AD?)
• SETTLEMENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• FINDSPOT (Medieval - 1266 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Finds

• SHERD (Medieval - 1266 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Events

• Church Cottage, Biscathorpe, Gayton le Wold

Protected Status

• SHINE
• SHINE
• SHINE

Sources and further reading

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.