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Monument Types

• DESERTED SETTLEMENT (POST ROMAN to 16TH CENTURY AD - 800 AD to 1600 AD)
• DESERTED SETTLEMENT (MEDIEVAL - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Events

• Earthwork Survey in the 1960's, Deserted Medieval Village, Elmley Lovett (Ref: WSM37164)
• Ongoing work: Topographical report for Elmley Lovett DMV (Ref: WSM67983)

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument
• Historic Environment Flood Risk Assessment (NHPP)

Full description

Documented from the 9th century, the original village at Elmley Lovett lay south of the church. Its name indicates a clearing among elm trees; woodland 1 x 1/2 league recorded in 1086, lay within Forest of Ombersley until c.1230. There are substantial population records at various dates. Field evidence suggests the village was deserted before the 17th century. The village boundary and some crofts and platforms are visible, but it is difficult to discern any clear street pattern. The medieval manor house can be identified with the ring-moat adjacent to the churchyard at the northern end of the village site.The medieval fishponds lie in the fields to the east. Drive to the 'The Lodge', built 1635, demolished 1890, bisected the village earthworks. [1][2][3][4]

Site of national importance - considered for scheduling (No.30081). [5]

Scheduled 19/12/2000. [6]

Included in list of suspect shrunken and deserted medieval village sites. [7]

Dumping on site 1986, filling in holloway? [8]

Aerial Photograph. [9]

Earthworks show very clearly on LiDAR coverage - hollow ways, platforms, ponds.[10]

This record includes National Record of the Historic Environment Information provided by Historic England on 9th April 2019 licensed under the Open Government Licence: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ [11]

(Area SO 866696) Elmley Lovett deserted village. East of the isolated church, which has a 14th century tower and a medieval churchyard cross, lie clear and extensive remains of house platforms, fishponds and a prominent Z-shaped trench of uncertain interpretation. South of the church there is a circular moated manor-house site, or ringwork. Documentary evidence exists from Domesday and Lay Subsidy sources. A plan made in 1968 by Worcester DMV Research Group is in the County Museum. [Worcs County Museum Index 1971, Medieval Village Research Group annual report, Prior to 1971, known as Deserted Medieval Village Research Group. MVRG ceased to exist on 20.11.86; amalgamated with Moated Sites Research Group to form Medieval Settlement Research Group. Place-name index to vols. 1-33, 16 – 1968, (PA Rahtz), APs (A Baker 1954 9-11)] [11]
DMV earthworks, half-moated platform, dovecote, fishponds (SO 865694) and mill-site (SO 868695) [Pte 6" (Birmingham University Geography Dept 1970), Plan (M Aston 1970)] [11]

The earthworks of Elmley Lovett deserted village are situated in a pasture field south west of the church, at SO 86456960. The house platforms average 0.3m high and the now dry fishponds within the village are generally 0.8m deep. Enclosures in the southern part of the village are defined by narrow ditches 0.3m deep. The Z-shaped trench at SO 86476958 is 2.0m deep with carefully formed steep sides; its purpose is uncertain. The ring work west of the church at SO 8650 6969 is 42 .0m in diameter with a flat-bottomed ditch on the east side where it is 2.1m high. It is 2.6m high on the north and west sides where there is a berm 12.0m wide and 1.2m high. The summit, 33.0m in diameter is nearly circular and saucer-shaped with a depression 0.3m deep. There is a causeway on the south side. Surveyed at 1:2500 on MSD.The fishponds surveyed by Aston at SO 865694 appear to be ornamental ponds of late date, probably associated with the house called 'The Lodge' which formerly stood at SO 865693. Some fragments of walling and a stable block, all of modern brick, are all that remain of this house. There are no remains of the mill. [Field Investigators Comments: F1 DJC 08-JAN-76] [11]
The settlement at Elmley Lovettis documented from the 9th century. It is not known in which period the site was finally abandoned, but the process must have been advanced by the 17th century, when an avenue of trees was planted over some of the earthworks. [Scheduled Monument Notification, 09-Nov-00][11]

Sources and further reading

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