Poss Extent of Medieval Settlement, Monks Kirby

Description of this historic site

The possible extent of the Medieval settlement at Monks Kirby. It was planned, partly as a result of the market charter given to the monks by Henry III in 1266. The extent of the settlement is suggested by documentary evidence and is partially visible as an earthwork.

Notes about this historic site

1 Possible extent of Medieval settlement of Monks Kirby as suggested by earthworks. These have been plotted on the ridge and furrow plot for Monks Kirby Parish (PRN 6465).
3 Air photographs.
5 At Monks Kirby, an alien Norman priory had supplanted an earlier minster church by 1077 and the monks there gained a market charter from Henry III in 1266. The settlement plan is composed of three plan-units, focused on the priory precinct and former minster church, which form one plan-unit. Adjecent to this, another plan-unit, containing a small triangular green, presumably represents the earlier settlement nucleus. The narrow plots around the green suggest intensive property development and it does not seem too unlikely that a market was being held on this open space before the monks obtained their charter. Markets are associated with pre-Conquest minster churches at Thame and Bampton in Oxfordshire. The regular series of large plots north of the green is indicative of a planned extension, perhaps associated with the prior’s promotion of Monks Kirby as a market centre.
6 and 7 The Medieval settlement of Monks Kirby can be traced on Ordnance Survey 1st edition maps of 1886.
8 A resistivity survey was carried out at no. 3 main street with inconclusive results. 17th century and later pottery was recovered from a 1m square test pit.

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