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The Vale of Belvoir between 1300 and 1500 What was different about the Vale of Belvoir between about 1300 and almost 1500 compared to other parts of England? In all honesty the only thing that seems odd, at least to me, is that nothing significant happened in the Vale – apart from one day in 1487! Life just carried on. It would have been a hard life for most, although the lords of the manors would have lived well off the efforts of their farmers, labourers and the women working in dairies and domestic kitchens. Village life Historians think that settlements in south Nottinghamshire, including the Vale, had mostly been nucleated by 1066. Archaeologists are unable to help much because there's modern houses on top of the earlier ones. And, ignoring houses and commercial buildings erected in the last hundred-or-so years, the nucleated villages in the Vale are very much like those elsewhere in central England. There's one substantial medieval building in almost every settlement in the Vale of Belvoir – the church. The architecture throughout the Vale is mostly typical of English parish churches, especially in the Midlands. Kinoulton's church looks very eighteenth century but nevertheless is on the site of a church built in 1235. The churchyard of the pre-thirteenth century church, much further west, remained in use for centuries and the ruins were not demolished until the eighteenth century. The churchyard of the demolished church of St Wilfrid, Kinoulton. It was replaced by St Luke's, located in the top right-hand corner of this map. When it comes to fields and woodland what we see now is not what was there in medieval times. In the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries medieval 'great fields' were enclosed with hedges. And in the later part of the twentieth century about a third of those hedges were removed to allow for mechanised arable farming. But such evidence as we have – e.g. remnants of ridge and furrow – suggest that medieval farming in the Vale matched husbandry in other places with fertile soils. Documentary sources, including Domesday, suggest comparatively little woodland in the Vale. LIDAR image of ridge and furrow surviving south of Langar. Improvements in farming enabled the population in fertile areas to increase exponentially during the Middle Ages. One academic estimate suggests that between 1086 and 1300 the population of Nottinghamshire increased by up to five times. The Vale would most likely be at the higher end of possible increases in inhabitants. I describe the major medieval routes in the Vale at the start of the entry about turnpikes. Fourteenth century occupations Michael Honeybone in his 1987 book The Vale of Belvoir summarises the 1381 Poll Tax records. He notes that in eleven parishes in the Leicestershire part of the Vale a total of 350 people were listed with their occupations. Clearly a lot of people were also listed without an indication of the their occupations. Sixty percent of those whose occupations were stated were described as 'husbandmen' – we would think of them as farmers. Fourteen percent were ploughmen and five percent where shepherds. In total eighty percent were directly involved with agriculture. Five percent were involved in making cloth and tailoring while seven percent were 'workers'. This seems rather low and I suspect many of the people whose ocupation was not stated were also labourers, although there is the complicated issue that some people would mostly be working their own 'smallholding' and only taking paid work occasionally. But this segment of the population was least likely to pay Poll Tax. Four thatchers, three masons, four butchers and one cobbler are also identified – although I suspect this is only a small proportion of people working in such trades in eleven parishes. The quasi-statistical evidence is distorted by (a) Poll Tax only being paid by the comparatively wealthy (b) the incomplete listing of occupations. But it does strongly suggest densely agrarian communities. Early enclosure Honeybone suggests that the reason there was so much enclosure in the Vale in the fifteenth century (i.e. long before the national trend of the eighteenth century) was because of the importance of sheep and cattle for wool and cheese (sheep's milk as well as cow's milk were both originally used for cheese). He states that in the Nottinghamshire part of the Vale a substantial proportion of the parishes had been enclosed before 1500: Barstone, Bingham, Car Colston, Colston Bassett, Flawborough, Kilvington, Langar, Owthorpe, most of Screveton, Shelton, Sibthorpe, part of Staunton and all of Wiverton. In contrast the only parish in the Leicestershire part of the Vale that was enclosed before 1500 was Eastwell. This presumably reflects the preferences of the sixteenth century landowners, the de Roos and Manners families. Manor farms When researching smaller villages to the south-east of Grantham I was surprised by how many had a manor farm adjacent to the parish church. This is because around the tenth century there was already a farm there which was the home of the most prominent landowner, known at the time as a thegn. And during the tenth century it became the 'done thing' for thegns to erect a private chapel, almost always adjacent to the farmyard. These chapels steadily evolved into the parish churches of almost every English village. This video provides the details. Note that the term 'manor farm' is from after the Norman Conquest. Before 1066 they were probably thought of collectively as thegnly tuns. The adjacent churches were indeed thegnly kirks. The name of what became Manor Farm may originally have been the same as the modern name for the village. Think of Orston. The eponymous Osica had been dead for generations. But his farm – the tun – continued and it retained the same name to avoid confusion. There may well have been other farms/tuns adjacent but the 'main farm' gave its name to the community of farmers (who may, at least for several generations, have been Osica's relatives). After the Conquest with absent manorial lords then, for convenience, all the 'main farms' became known as Manor Farms. There are places in the Vale still known as Manor Farm in Cotham, Eastthorpe, Flawborough, Kilvington, Long Clawson, Orston, Shelton and Thorpe. There may well be more Manor Farms in the Vale than I am currently aware of. Most of these Manor Farms are close to the church. Equally common is that a substantial dwelling called 'The Hall' or 'Old Hall' or 'Old Rectory' or '[village name] Hall' is close to the church and most likely to be the successor to an earlier manorial farm. Sometimes local knowledge is needed. I know that in Orston the current Manor Farm is not where the historic manor farm was at the north end of High Street. But even the earlier location was away from the church. So there was likely to have been an even earlier relocation. My guess is that Orston Hall, built as a rectory in the late seventeenth century and later modified, is the successor to the medieval manor farm. Occasionally the outcome of this manor and church relationship had surprising outcomes. If you've ever wondered why the parish church at Screveton is not close to the village but, instead, is on the boundary with Car Colston then the reasons is because the pre-conquest manor (later Kirkton Hall) was situated neatly between Screveton and Car Colston. When the manorial lord decided to build a personal chapel, presumably early in the eleventh century, he understandably built it close to his home. As with all such private chapels they evolved into parish churches. Convenient for the lord but, in this case, not the parishioners. Overall the close relationship between tenth and eleventh century 'manor houses' and parish churches can still be discerned in smaller villages in the Vale. Once again the Vale is typical of the region. Markets When it comes to weekly markets little has changed in the Vale since the twelfth century. Thursday was and still is market day in Bingham. The oldest market charter for Bingham is dated 1314 – but quite likely the market was being held their long before. Bottesford has the remains of its market cross but there are few, if any, documentary records referring to a market there so I have yet to establish which day the market was held and when it ceased. Michael Honeybone thinks the market started during or before the thirteenth century. The oldest-known market in the Vale is at Granby, one of the most important settlements in the Vale around the eleventh century. Indeed Granby's market is the only one in the Vale recorded in Domesday Book. This does not preclude places such as Bingham, Bottesford and Orston having had markets from the seventh century onwards but these had become less important by the eleventh century. The major market towns of Grantham, Melton Mowbray and Newark are close to the Vale and were important throughout the medieval era until recent years. Michael Honeybone in his 1987 book The Vale of Belvoir refers to market crosses at Barkestone, Colston Bassett, Harby, Long Clawson and Muston. The medieval bases survive at Muston and Colston Bassett but the crosses themselves are modern. The other crosses have been entirely lost. Honeybone also refers to a market charter for Whatton, granted in 1338. Botttesford's market cross, stocks and pillory. DMVs The Black Death must have come and gone – several times – in the Vale during the fourteenth century. But there are no detailed records of how people in the Vale were affected. Woolsthorpe, on the eastern border of the Vale, seems to have 'shrunken' when the southern part was abandoned, probably in the late fourteenth century. Three settlements near Bottesford vanished without trace – Hardwick, Toston and Westthorpe – but there are few, if any, other deserted medieval villages (DMVs) in the Vale. This is in contrast to much of Leicestershire where DMVs are known in most districts. Two reasons combine to make the Vale less likely to have DMVs. Firstly the soils were just too good for grain production to want to replace arable farming with sheep pasture (the main reason villages were cleared). Although bear in mind some animal husbandry was a necessity, providing food, clothing, transport, ploughing and the all-important manure. Secondly, and perhaps more significantly, there were few monastic landowners in the Vale. Once wool became profitable monasteries were very keen on converting their grange farms to sheep pasture – and making the 'peasants' on the farms homeless as a result. But near-absence of greedy clerical landowners in the Vale led to fewer DMVs. Monastic sites There was only one monastic site in the Vale – Belvoir Priory – although, until the Dissolution of 1536 to 1541, two existed just outside the Vale – Newbo to the immediate east of Sedgebook (but actually in Barrowby parish) and Croxton Abbey near Croxton Kerrial at the side of the Melton to Grantham road (A607). The field church dedicated to St Ethelburga south of Langar lost its income when saints' shrines were destroyed and the building fell into disrepair. Seemingly it was the most significant consequence of Henry VIII's Reformation in the Vale and quite minor compared to the loss of many monasteries in Lincolnshire and several in Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire. 'For the glory of God' By the end of the fourteenth century labour shortages resulted in changes to social organisation and agricultural practices, as landowners and tenants sought to maintain or improve their incomes. That wealth was, in part, used to repair and improve parish churches, especially between 1385 and about 1410. We know this not because of surviving documentary evidence but because lots of figural carvings were added to the outside of churches. In part this was 'For the glory of God' and also to 'keep up with the Joneses' in neighbouring villages who were also glorifying their churches. Among various decorative motifs one is quite common – female heads wearing square headdresses. A hoodstop with a square headdress on the exterior of Bottesford church. Photograph by Neil Fortey. Costume historians are confident that these were fashionable from 1385 to about 1410. Possibly stonemasons continued to carve square headdresses after 1410. But not too long after. This means if there's a square headdress among a set of otherwise difficult-to-date carvings they were all carved in the same year. Bottesford church has some of the most splendid late fourteenth to early fifteenth century carvings in the Vale, including this chap. It's thought to be the oldest surviving depiction of a handbell ringer. Photograph by Neil Fortey. Also on the exterior of Bottesford church is this gargoyle carved to look like a bridled bear's head. Photograph by Neil Fortey. Churches in the Vale make use of Lincolnshire limestone which is comparatively easy to carve and weathers better than most stones. In some parts of the Vale Blue Lias is readily available and used for 'rubble' walls. It is attractive but weathers rapidly. Orston church with walls constructed from Lincolnshire limestone and local Blue Lias. Wars of the Roses Between 1455 and 1487 there was repeated conflict between the Lancastrian and Yorkist branches of the Plantagenet family to gain the English throne. Full details on Wikipedia. Before 1464 one of the lesser hostilities resulted in the Norman castle at Belvoir suffering significant damage. In 1528 the castle was rebuilt in the then-new Tudor style. By the way don't get confused by a battle at Belvoir Castle in 1182. It wasn't the castle in the Vale of Belvoir. It had a namesake in Israel. The end of the medieval era in England happened one day in a field in the Vale Most historians consider the Middle Ages to end in 1485 with the Battle of Bosworth and the gaining of the throne by Henry VII. However that is an awkward way of ending the medieval in the Vale because two years later Henry was challenged by leading Ricardian Yorkists with pretender Lambert Simnel as the figurehead (but not actually leader). This resulted in the Battle of Stoke Field which took place at East Stoke on 16 June 1487. The focus of the fighting was a field immediately to the east of the Fosse Way –so just inside the Vale. It brought to an end the Wars of the Roses because Henry's men killed almost all leading Yorkists during three hours of hard-fought combat. East Stoke battlefield highlighted on an OS map of 1921. Henry won and the Plantagenet kings evolved into Tudor monarchs. But it was entirely possible for Henry to have lost at Stoke Field resulting in Richardians winning back the throne. England would have had a very different sixteenth century (e.g. no Henry VIII) which in turn might have meant less of the dissatisfaction which resulted in the seventeenth century Civil Wars. Estimates for deaths in the battle vary, with some sources suggesting around 7,000 fatalities. The battle ended with a violent rout, and many Yorkists drowned in the River Trent attempting to escape, contributing to the overall casualties. By comparison fatalities at the Battle of Bosworth were probably about 1,200. The greater significance given to Bosworth is that one of the dead was the king whereas at Stoke Field 'only' a posse of nobles failed to make it back to York. The outcome of Stoke Field was more decisive than that at Bosworth as in 1487 Henry VII was able to consolidate the outcome of the lesser 'skirmish' two years earlier. Henry did not have to counter any further revolts in England. So far few, if any, burials have been discovered which could be associated with the Battle of Stoke Field. Was the prospect of digging big enough mass graves for several thousand corpses beyond what local people could achieve? Bear in mind the troops would not have hung around to bury so many dead. And the stench of thousands of dead bodies would quickly become unbearable. So were most of the slain unceremoniously disposed of in the adjoining River Trent? Full details of the Battle of Stoke Field can be found in Wikipedia. Little did the people alive at the time know it but later historians would deem them 'medieval' – from the Latin for 'middle age' i.e. the age between the Romans and the Modern Era. While the cultural transition took several generations, if you need an exact date when the medieval ended then the best option would be 16 June 1487. And if you need an exact place then a field on the Vale of Belvoir side of the Fosse Way is the best candidate. Why 'East' Stoke? Why is there no West Stoke? There was another Stoke nearby as the part of Elston with the old chapel was referred to in 1790 as both 'Chapel Elston' and 'Stoke'. But Elston Old Church is to the south-south-east of East Stoke so cannot be the elusive West Stoke. Old English stoc meant an outlying farm, a secondary settlement, usually a dairy farm. So plenty of scope for a long-since renamed stoc on the west side of the Trent. Back to top of this page     Back to home page   This website does not gather or store any visitor information. Copyright Bob Trubshaw 2025 No unauthorised copying or reproduction except if all following conditions apply: a: Copy is complete (including this copyright statement). b: No changes are made. c: No charge is made. www.hoap.co.uk/chronicle

Chronicle entries home page what's new? the geology of the Vale the boundaries and rivers of the Vale long, long ago prehistory in the Vale prehistoric boundaries in the Vale north-south prehistoric routeways Romans roads in the Vale Roman settlements in and near the Vale long ago introduction to Anglo-Saxons place-names of the Vale waterborne transport around the sixth century Orston's early church Anglo-Saxon sculpture in the Vale why Orston lost out to Bingham and Bottesford what the Normans did for the Vale Granby's importance in 1086 Granby's lost castle the Vale's watermills in 1086 Romanesque sculpture in the Vale St Remigius why Bottesford is in Leicestershire the Vale in medieval times medieval gargoyles of the Vale Eastwell's chancel screen St Ethelburga's church other early saints Elston's old chapel Muston and Long Clawson saltways of the Vale the Vale's medieval tile collection the Vale in Tudor times Dissolution in the Vale not that long ago the Vale in the C17th the 'great and the good' of the Vale Bottesford's effigies 'wicked practice and sorcerye' the whales on the Whalley memorial Car Colston's bigoted GP cum JP the Vale's very own regicide Wiverton Hall five rare C17th fonts in the Vale pinfolds and pounds in the Vale dovecotes in the Vale the Vale in the C18th turnpiking the Vale gravestones and C18th trade routes goodbye 'Belvoir Angels' C18th gravestone carvers in the Vale Daffy's Elixir the Marquess of Granby Stilton from the Vale springs and spas of the Vale outstanding organs in the Vale Grantham canal changes in the Vale's agriculture since 1800 Eastwell's recusant priest house and chapel Colston Bassett's ruined church seems like yesterday windmills in the Vale stained glass in the Vale village life in the southern Vale 1850 to 1880 folklore of the Vale Flintham museum lacemaking in the Vale gypsum pits in the Vale brick and tile works in the Vale ironstone quarrying in the Vale ironstone railways ironstone quarries of Leicestershire (YouTube video) The Vale's railway stations Orston's famous architect Mothers Union banners of the Vale redundant telephone exchanges in the Vale WWII airfields and pillboxes in the Vale the Vale in 1944 location shooting at Belvoir Castle Screveton's giants researching and writing local history the Vale as a verb getting started free advice from 2005 asking curious questions (YouTube video) local history groups in and around the Vale Aslockton (Cranmer LHG) Bingham Heritage Trails Association Bottesford Eastwell Harby Harlaxton Hickling Redmile archive Belvoir Villages History and Memories Group Belvoir Angel Society Grantham Canal Society you may also be interested in free PDFs written by Bob Trubshaw Earliest Churches in Nottinghamshire How Anglo-Saxons Found Their Way Anglo-Saxon Leicestershire Conversations in Churchyards Little-known Leicestershire and Rutland Bob Trubshaw's YouTube channel Introduction to medieval carvings Anglo-Saxon and Romanesque carvings How Anglo-Saxons found their way Anglo-Saxon shrines at fords Meetings at triangles Rota's Land and Franni's Land Reading Romanesque fonts Church and manor The significances of square headdresses Early churches and waterborne trade Charnwood slate gravestones and C18th trade routes Ironstone quarries of Leicestershire Roman roads in north-east Leicestershire Salt ways in Leicestershire Why Melton Mowbray needed to called 'middle town' Evolving Anglo-Saxon agriculture Nottinghamshire's earliest churches Ploughs not piety? Economic regeneration in the C7th Were Anglo-Saxon weaving huts women-only places? Barrowby Until Now website Rutland Village by Village website Sepulchral Effigies of Leicestershire and Rutland