Domesday BookHampshireYavington
Hampshire · Domesday Book 1086

Yavington in the Domesday Book

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

In 1086, Yavington was held by Winchester (St Peter & St Swithun), bishop of.

Historical Context

Yavington 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 Yavington, 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

Hampshire in the Domesday survey

Hampshire in 1086 included the Isle of Wight and stretched from the New Forest — a royal hunting ground created by William at the displacement of local communities — to the chalk downlands of the north. Winchester, the old English capital, remained an important city, and the county's position on the south coast gave it strategic importance for cross-Channel communications.

Common questions

Questions about Yavington

Was Yavington in the Domesday Book?+
Yes. Yavington was recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book as a settlement in the historic county of Hampshire.
Who held Yavington in 1086?+
In 1086, Yavington was held by Winchester (St Peter & St Swithun), bishop of.
Who held Yavington before the Norman Conquest?+
Before the Conquest in 1066, Yavington was held by Archbishop Stigand.
What was Yavington worth in the Domesday Book?+
In 1086, Yavington was valued at 1 pound. The 1066 value was 1.25 pounds, showing a fall.
How many people lived in Yavington in 1086?+
The 1086 survey recorded 6 people in Yavington: 3 smallholders and 3 slaves.
What land did Yavington have in 1086?+
The Domesday Book records Yavington as having land for 0.5 ploughs, 7 acres of meadow.
Where is Yavington today?+
Yavington is a settlement in the historic county of Hampshire, England.
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