Domesday BookMiddlesexTottenham
Middlesex · Local History

The History of Tottenham

A place in Middlesex with a history you can trace through the records: its entry in the 1086 Domesday Book, the archaeological finds and scheduled monuments around it, and the nearest Roman sites and battlefields. Everything below is drawn from the historical record.

In 1086, Tottenham was held by Countess Judith.

The record

What the Domesday Book records for Tottenham

When William the Conqueror's commissioners surveyed Tottenham in 1086, they recorded a manor held by Countess Judith. Before the Conquest, in the time of King Edward, it was held by Earl Waltheof.

The settlement was assessed at 5 hides for tax. There was land for 10 ploughs, with 14 plough teams at work (2 in the lord's demesne and 12 held by the villagers). The recorded population was 63 heads of household: 30 villagers, 12 smallholders, 17 cottagers and 4 slaves. These are heads of household, so the settlement's true population was several times larger. Its recorded resources included meadow (10 ploughs) and woodland (500 pigs). The manor was valued at 37.75 pounds in 1086, up from 26 pounds in 1066.

The record in full
Held in 1086 by
Countess Judith
Held in 1066 by
Earl Waltheof
Value in 1086
37.75 pounds (26 pounds in 1066)
Taxable assessment
5 hides
Ploughland
land for 10 ploughs
Ploughs at work
14
Recorded population
30 villagers, 12 smallholders, 17 cottagers, 4 slaves
Meadow
10 ploughs
Woodland
500 pigs

The Domesday Book was the great survey of England ordered by William the Conqueror in 1085 and completed in 1086, the oldest surviving public record in the country. How the survey worked →

Tottenham was one of the settlements recorded in Middlesex in the 1086 survey. Middlesex in the Domesday survey →

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Tottenham

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Tottenham's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Conflict

Battlefields near Tottenham

Nationally registered historic battlefields within 25 miles of Tottenham.

Battle of Barnet 1471
Registered battlefield · 1471 · ~6.9 miles
Landscape

The ground beneath Tottenham

The bedrock beneath Tottenham is Thames Group (Eocene).

Common questions

Questions about Tottenham

Was Tottenham in the Domesday Book?+
Yes. Tottenham was recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book as a settlement in the historic county of Middlesex.
Who held Tottenham in 1086?+
In 1086, Tottenham was held by Countess Judith.
Who held Tottenham before the Norman Conquest?+
Before the Conquest in 1066, Tottenham was held by Earl Waltheof.
What was Tottenham worth in the Domesday Book?+
In 1086, Tottenham was valued at 37.75 pounds. The 1066 value was 26 pounds, showing a rise.
How many people lived in Tottenham in 1086?+
The 1086 survey recorded 46 people in Tottenham: 30 villagers, 12 smallholders and 4 slaves.
What land did Tottenham have in 1086?+
The Domesday Book records Tottenham as having land for 10 ploughs, 10 ploughs of meadow, 500 pigs of woodland.
Where is Tottenham today?+
Tottenham is a settlement in the historic county of Middlesex, England.
Aubrey Research

Discover Tottenham's Complete Historical Record

Aubrey's full report for this location includes every Domesday manor, the complete record of medieval lordship, archaeological context, and the story of how this settlement evolved from 1086 to the present day.

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