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Prehistoric land units in the Vale All parish boundaries between Newark and Lincoln ignore the Roman Fosse Way. This can only be because those boundaries existed before the Romans built that stretch of the Fosse. This was confirmed in the 1990s on the boundary between Collingham and Norton Disney when a prehistoric boundary earthwork (now a ridge with trees) to the south-east of the Fosse was excavated and revealed an Iron Age pot. 1909 OS map showing part of Collingham parish (shaded in red) on the east of the Fosse Way. In contrast, south of Newark the Fosse forms the boundary of most parishes. The exception is Flintham which also straddles the Fosse Way. So the north-western boundary of the Vale of Belvoir is coterminous with the Fosse except at Flintham where at some time the parish was extended west to the Trent (in the late 1930s this land became RAF Syerston). 'Valeland'? Plausibly the Vale of Belvoir is similar in extent to a Roman estate centred on a putative villa at Langar which was fairly central to the Vale. This would make the Vale directly comparable to both Rutland and Framland (the administrative hundred which evolved – with slightly expanded boundaries – into Melton Borough Council). All three 'districts' are mostly defined by watersheds or prehistoric trackways and all three are almost the same size at close to 150 square miles (c.400 km2). In the 1980s Professor Charles Phythian-Adams established that the boundaries of Rutland go back to the Iron Age. So most likely Framland and the Vale of Belvoir were also pre-Roman 'kingdoms' which also evolved into major Roman estates, then into early Anglo-Saxon realms (or 'ealdordoms'), and eventually administrative hundreds (renamed wapentakes after the arrival of Scandinavians in the ninth century). This video and a chapter in this free PDF provide more details about Rutland and Framland. Framland and Rutland to the same scale. Unlike Rutland and Framland which retain their existence as administrative units, 'Valeland' was split up around AD 950 when the southern part was absorbed by Framland (see this entry) and the northern part by Newark, while the rest – apart from Bingham – became an eastward expansion of Rushcliffe Hundred. I'm still working on the finer details of 'Valeland' but as no one else has spotted that three contiguous 'districts' have so much in common I'm sharing this 'tease'. 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