Nottinghamshire · Local History

The History of Shelton

A place in Nottinghamshire 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, Shelton was held by Robert (the bursar).

The record

What the Domesday Book records for Shelton

When William the Conqueror's commissioners surveyed Shelton in 1086, they recorded 3 manors held by Robert (the bursar), Manfred of Thorpe and Arngrim of Elston, under Roger of Bully, Ralph of Limésy and Ilbert of Lacy. Before the Conquest, in the time of King Edward, the land was held by Alsi (son of Karski), Wulfric and Pilwin of Sibthorpe.

The settlement was assessed at 1.98 hides for tax. There was land for 6.5 ploughs, with 8 plough teams at work (1 in the lord's demesne and 7 held by the villagers). The recorded population was 28 heads of household: 17 villagers, 3 smallholders and 8 freemen. These are heads of household, so the settlement's true population was several times larger. Its recorded resources included meadow (30 acres) and woodland (2 acres * 1 virgate mixed measures). The manors were valued at 3.5 pounds in 1086, down from 6 pounds in 1066.

The record in full
Holdings
3 manors
Held in 1086 by
Robert (the bursar); Manfred of Thorpe; Arngrim of Elston
Held in 1066 by
Alsi (son of Karski); Wulfric; Pilwin of Sibthorpe
Tenant-in-chief
Roger of Bully; Ralph of Limésy; Ilbert of Lacy
Value in 1086
3.5 pounds (6 pounds in 1066)
Taxable assessment
1.98 hides
Ploughland
land for 6.5 ploughs
Ploughs at work
8
Recorded population
17 villagers, 3 smallholders, 8 freemen
Meadow
30 acres
Woodland
2 acres * 1 virgate mixed measures

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 →

Shelton was one of the settlements recorded in Nottinghamshire in the 1086 survey. Nottinghamshire in the Domesday survey →

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Everything a full report reveals about Shelton

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Shelton'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 Shelton

Nationally registered historic battlefields within 25 miles of Shelton.

Battle of Stoke (Field) 1487
Registered battlefield · 1487 · ~4 miles
Archaeology

Archaeological finds near Shelton

1,769 recorded finds have been logged within about 5 miles of Shelton, reported by members of the public and entered in the national record of archaeological finds. They span these periods:

Roman: 846Medieval: 400Post medieval: 343Early medieval: 55Iron age: 36Neolithic: 20Bronze age: 6Modern: 3Palaeolithic: 1Mesolithic: 1
Landscape

The ground beneath Shelton

The bedrock beneath Shelton is Triassic Rocks (Undifferentiated) (Triassic).

Common questions

Questions about Shelton

Was Shelton in the Domesday Book?+
Yes. Shelton was recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book as a settlement in the historic county of Nottinghamshire.
Who held Shelton in 1086?+
In 1086, Shelton was held by Robert (the bursar). The tenant-in-chief was Roger of Bully.
Who held Shelton before the Norman Conquest?+
Before the Conquest in 1066, Shelton was held by Alsi (son of Karski).
What was Shelton worth in the Domesday Book?+
In 1086, Shelton was valued at 1.5 pounds. The 1066 value was 2 pounds, showing a fall.
How many people lived in Shelton in 1086?+
The 1086 survey recorded 20 people in Shelton: 17 villagers and 3 smallholders.
What land did Shelton have in 1086?+
The Domesday Book records Shelton as having land for 2.5 ploughs, 30 acres of meadow.
Where is Shelton today?+
Shelton is a settlement in the historic county of Nottinghamshire, England.
Aubrey Research

Discover Shelton'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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