Buckinghamshire · Domesday Book 1086

Aston in the Domesday Book

Also recorded as: [Ivinghoe] Aston

A settlement recorded in William the Conqueror's great survey of England, completed in 1086. 2 manors were recorded here.

In 1086, Aston was held by Ralph.

Historical Context

Aston in 1086

The Domesday Book was the result of a comprehensive survey ordered by William the Conqueror at Christmas 1085. Royal commissioners rode out across every county of England, recording the name and size of every settlement, who held it, what it was worth, and how that compared with the value it had held in the time of Edward the Confessor twenty years before.

For a settlement like Aston, being entered in the Domesday Book was a defining moment in its history — a written acknowledgement of its existence by the new Norman state. The survey recorded the manor's lord, its taxable assessment in hides or carucates, the number of ploughs at work, and the population of villagers, smallholders and slaves who farmed the land.

The names of Domesday settlements reveal the deep roots of England's landscape. Many carry Saxon, Danish or even older origins — names that were already ancient when the Norman commissioners inscribed them in the great survey. Understanding a place's Domesday record is the first step in tracing the full arc of its history from the early medieval period to the present day.

About this area

Buckinghamshire in the Domesday survey

Buckinghamshire in 1086 was a heavily wooded county of the Chiltern Hills and the Thames valley. Its manors ranged from small woodland settlements to substantial river-valley estates. The county lay along key routes between London and the Midlands, giving its lords strategic as well as agricultural importance in the newly reorganised Norman kingdom.

Historical context

Notable places nearby

St Albans
Roman town · ~13 miles
Common questions

Questions about Aston

Was Aston in the Domesday Book?+
Yes. Aston was recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book as a settlement in the historic county of Buckinghamshire.
Who held Aston in 1086?+
In 1086, Aston was held by Ralph. The tenant-in-chief was Count Robert of Mortain.
Who held Aston before the Norman Conquest?+
Before the Conquest in 1066, Aston was held by Godwin the priest.
What was Aston worth in the Domesday Book?+
In 1086, Aston was valued at 5 shillings. The 1066 value was 10 shillings, showing a fall.
How many people lived in Aston in 1086?+
The 1086 survey recorded 6 people in Aston: 2 villagers and 4 slaves.
What land did Aston have in 1086?+
The Domesday Book records Aston as having land for 0.5 ploughs.
Where is Aston today?+
Aston is a settlement in the historic county of Buckinghamshire, England.
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