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Summary

Domesday settlement, although village became part of Chilton Lodge estate

Other Statuses and Cross-References

• Berkshire SMR No. (pre 2000): 01313.00.000
  
• National Monuments Record No.: EHNMR-637277 English Heritage NMR Excavation Index for England
  SU 327 702 - Leverton
• National Monuments Record No.: EHNMR-637279 English Heritage NMR Excavation Index for England
  SU 327 702 - Leverton

Monument Type(s):

• SETTLEMENT (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Early 21st century - 984 AD to 2050 AD)

Full Description

Gelling <1> interprets the name Leverton as probably meaning Leofwaru's farm (a woman's name). In 984 King Aethelred granted land identified as being at Leverton to Bryhtric <2><3><4><5><18>; the same lands were granted by Edward to Abingdon Abbey in 1050. Leverton is mentioned in the Domesday Book <6>, although it became an estate village for Chilton Lodge <7> and it is possible that the original village site could have been deserted. Like Calcot, Leverton was in Kintbury but was a tithing of Chilton Foliat in Wiltshire. In 1895 the tithings were included in the civil parish of Hungerford <8>.

Julian Richards of the Berkshire Archaeological Unit visited the area in 1977 but could not identify a deserted settlement, although it was reported then that earthworks had been destroyed during the building of Leverton Manor (a new house) in the 1930s. The area to the east of the house was fieldwalked without producing medieval finds.

The NMR Excavation Index includes references to excavations at Leverton at SU 327 702 in 1957 and 1962, when evidence of medieval settlement was found; it is uncertain who carried out this work and what happened to the finds, although the information apparently came from a survey of medieval ceramics. However this is the same grid reference for excavations in 1961 which found a mesolithic lithic working site <13>, so the investigations may be linked.

The area known as Leverton is centred around a crossroads. Leverton Lane runs approximately east-west on the south facing slopes of the middle Kennet valley above Hungerford. The lane to the south runs down to the river, and Old Hayward Lane goes northwards to Old Hayward Farm. To the northwest of the crossroads in the 21st century are the walled gardens, farm buildings and estate yard associated with Chilton Lodge, which lies about 600m further northwest. Rocque's map of 1761 <15> shows clusters of buildings and enclosures at the road junction, though predominantly to the south by the Kennet. Possibly a more formal estate complex at Leverton is depicted schematically on the early 19th century Ordnance Survey Drawing <16>, perhaps with an L-shaped walled garden. There is a scatter of other buildings between Leverton Lane and the river in 1812, and a single building is marked to the northeast of the crossroads. However the 1:10560 First Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1877 shows a reorganisation of buildings: the single building to the northeast of the crossroads had disappeared, as had most smaller dwellings or structures to the south. A farmyard existed near a pond in the valley bottom, and the row of picturesque estate accommodation (the 'Pepperpot Cottages') had been built by this time on the east side of the river road. By the 3rd Epoch of 1924, the farmyard had been removed and the pond drained.

More information about the building named Leverton Manor was provided during a planning application in 2018. It is an Arts and Crafts style brick house that was built for the land agent in 1911.

Sources and further reading

Related Monuments

Associated Excavations and Fieldwork

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