FARNDON ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH & INVESTIGATIONS

A mention of a deserted medieval village linked with Westborough was noticed in Beresford’s Deserted Medieval Villages.

Following visits to the SMR, and chats with Lincs Heritage, the suggested place by Beresford to the South of Westborough was ruled out.

A chance discovery during research at the Public Record Office of the Enclosure Map for Westborough Parish, lead to the finding of two forgotten, though still used track names… The Thorpes Footway and Thorpe Road, they meet at the area we were doing our geophysics work and where we had been investigating earthworks.

Alan and Celia Morris, Di Ablewhite and Bryn Leadbetter did an initial geophysics and magnetrometry survey over a small area of the circular enclosed feature where we think Thorpe Parva may be and this showed some interesting results, which need further investigation.

We intend to continue the survey when the cows are off the land over several winters, and hope to locate the main street in the village and possibly a Church? Initial field walking on the adjacent ploughed field showed several finds which have been dated as mostly Medieval.

All documentary evidence ends around 1370, which is probably when the village ceased to exist.

In February 2008, the case for Thorpe Parva was put to Mark Bennett at the HER office in Lincoln. He accepted the documentary evidence along with the aerial photographs, and the finds from the adjacent field as sufficient case to put Thorpe Parva on the map, although he would like to see future survey results if any are done.