The Rural settlements of medieval England

Over the last thirty years, the study of medieval rural settlement has been transformed. The focus of attention has shifted to encompass the origin and expansion of settlements, including hamlets and farms, as well as villages. The growth and decline of settlements are currently explained in as broad a context as possible, taking into account demography, farming systems, and lordship, and recognizing that medieval farms, hamlets, and villages formed one phase in the development of a rural landscape whose origins lay in prehistoric and roman times. These developments in interpretation are fully reflected in this wide-ranging collection of essays, written by a distinguished team of archaeologists, historians, and historical geographers. Its authors use documents, aerial photography, fieldwork, excavation and the analysis of botanical remains to reconstruct the medieval landscape. The first part of the book considers the history and geography of settlements, the documentary evidence for early medieval estate and settlement patterns, initiative and authority in settlement change, the growth and decline of medieval rural settlements, and the significance of the Wolds in English settleme