Autumn 2007 - The Lost & Deserted Villages of Northamptonshire

This was a very popular course that looked in detail at some of this county's 82 lost or deserted villages. Our tutor, Ted Walmsley, had completed new research on several such villages and was keen to share his knowledge with us.

Many of these lost or deserted villages were already known to us, so it was very interesting to learn more about their history. Through this course we were able to understand the circumstances that caused villages to be deserted throughout various periods in history.

We saw how evidence of village depopulation could be found by analysis of historical documents, examination of aerial photos, and by looking at results of previous archaeological surveys. Ted's own photos were used to very good effect to show how evidence left in the landscape often provides clues as to the previous location, size and occupation of villages.

Thanks to Ted we now have a much better understanding of our own local area. And, as many of the lost and deserted villages are very close to home, we now have ample opportunity to visit and investigate further.