Beesby the Lost Village ~ Hawerby Cum Beesby in Lincolnshire
Beesby, or Hawerby Cum Beesby sits just off the A16 in Lincolnshire, in between North Thoresby and Wold Newton.
It a lost - shrunken - Deserted Medieval Village and if you’re a sucker for earthworks then it is, quite simply, heaven !
This morning I was scanning an old Ordnance Survey map whilst breakfasting, as one does, when I saw the ancient symbol and Village of Beesby
‘Right’ I thought, fire up the Bat Mobile - I’m off there.
Hoping to find an earth work or two I was little prepared for what appeared - it is . . . earthwork city and what a fabulous day.
Beesby Earthworks
My first sighting of them was above, note Shetland Ponies, and as usual the pictures don’t do them justice I’m afraid. My initial thought was wow - much better than I’d hoped for.
Took a picture etc and carried on walking looking for a public footpath which I intended to use to visit somewhere else - went round the corner and bang . . .
More and more and more - it’s staggering, possibly the most elaborate earthwork site I can recall visiting !
It’s a fantastic place for a walk too, a couple of good Public Footpath routes which kept me quiet for a few hours
Just Look at that - a thing of beauty
It’s a Scheduled Ancient Monument now and given over to pasture and very nicely kept, a credit to the landowners. There’s a long history of settlement according to archaeological finds. Everything from probable Bronze Age Barrows, Late Saxon pottery and a host of Medieval activity as well as flint arrowheads and scrapers - the Full Monty.
Having walked a little further and taking to a Public Footpath I crossed the road and walked up one of the fields . . . there was the most incredible sight - beautiful Ridge and Furrow, surely no mistaking it an incredible example so defined.
The village is listed in the 1086 Domesday Book, listed as Basebi and in the hands of, yet again Count Alan.
The earthworks include many mounds and building platforms as well as a church and various Medieval agricultural features.
By 1450 the village had merged with Hawerby and the shrinkage continued when in the mid 1500s there were only 7 families recorded as resident in the village.
This is a lovely spot and one I’ll definitely be returning to, I also have one more related article to write, and also hope to find out more about the history.
If you know anything at all about the village then please do share it with us, please note this is not Beesby in the Marsh but the one in the Wolds.
A fantastic place and a fantastic day
All the best
Rod
Mick Deakin said,
August 25, 2010 @ 10:25 pm
Hawerby-cum-Beesby Field & Minor names (from 1577 Terrier)
Acares, Bottom Ten Acres, Church Close, Dallingarthe, Hawreby knowles, Hills and Valleys, Horse Close, Ingram Pit, Mearford,
Rusdickeshengl, Streetfield, Stretfirlong, Stockfourlang, Twenty Acres,Sixteen Acres,
West Uppermore, Wood Nook Close, Woddail.
Some names to perhaps stick on the lumps and bumps Rod
chris keyworth said,
August 25, 2010 @ 11:02 pm
i found a bronze age palstave axe in the field behind the wood in the top left of the second photo alongside the sunken road its a very interesting place
regards
chris
Rod said,
August 26, 2010 @ 8:50 am
Mick,
that’s fantastic - absolutely new information to me - many thanks for taking the time
It does bring it more to life as well
Cheers
Rod
Rod said,
August 26, 2010 @ 8:51 am
Chris,
how I’d love to find something like that, it’s certainly a fabulous spot, lot of history there, must be
Jealously yours
Rod
chris keyworth said,
August 26, 2010 @ 11:12 am
it was with the aid of a detector, i have another site closer to home that i did once years ago, i found a bronze age chissel and the tip of a bronze age socketed spearhead in the same outing ive never been back to that spot since, this one i will keep secret i think at least off here anyway the sight is an impressive and commanding location,
remember me telling you about the celtic mint Rod well on that site there was a mould found for making BA palstave axes…….
kirmond le mire has a smattering too i found a bronze age arrow head there….
regards
chris
Mick deakin said,
August 26, 2010 @ 12:44 pm
There is a possibility of there being a wapentake meeting place near here Rod. (cannot remember off hand which wapentake it is as im at work at the moment) This village could be a candidate, given its settlement history. I also suspect that Wyham just down the road was a pagan worship site.
Rod said,
August 26, 2010 @ 2:56 pm
Chris,
fascinating, the amount thta’s gone on around here still continues to amaze me
I think it wise also not to publish too many exact locations here, it’s best to preserve them from some who may not be sympathetic.
Best
Rod
Rod said,
August 26, 2010 @ 2:57 pm
Mick,
this is more great information and the possibility of a Pagan worship site intrigues me hugely
Best
Rod
maxim said,
October 28, 2010 @ 12:52 am
i have lived hear since july 2010 - number 2 with the green sheds - have found a few bits of 14th century pottery whilst out with the dog - it’s an interesting landscape to live in …if you look at the satelite maps this area has had so much stuff going on in the dim and distant - one thing i am looking into is the nearby wood known as Stock Furlong - any way if you fancy a brew and a wander round this neck of the wald please get in touch - it seems like we have moved to quite an unusual spot . good thing too ……
Rod said,
October 28, 2010 @ 8:27 am
Maxim,
thanks for the comment and welcome to the site - what a place you live in - it’s fabulous.
There’s an awful lot more to be investigated in and around the area - I’ll try and get some more information and plan another visit - many thanks indeed Maxim
All the best
Rod
Allan Barton said,
November 22, 2011 @ 1:27 pm
Another one that brings back memories. The site at Hawerby was my GCSE Geography project! It is fantastically preserved, with the house platforms and sunken ways still visible. Across the road there used to be remains of ridge and furrow visible and remarkably from the air you can still make out the shape of the church, tower, nave and chancel with apsidal east end.
Rod said,
November 22, 2011 @ 7:36 pm
Allan,
I couldn’t believe the earthworks here when I first saw them - absolutely staggering, it’s a fantastic spot.
Best
Rod