Domesday Book · Somerset

Somerset

606 Domesday villages

Recorded in William the Conqueror's survey of 1086

About this county

Somerset in the Domesday survey

Somerset in 1086 was a county of contrasts: the flat, waterlogged Levels, the Mendip Hills with their lead mines, and the rolling agricultural country to the south and east. Glastonbury Abbey was one of England's wealthiest institutions and held extensive lands across the county. The town of Bath, with its Roman heritage, was an important ecclesiastical centre under its bishop.

Notable settlements

Somerset has 606 Domesday settlements. Aubrey has full historical records for all of them — here are the most notable by recorded value in 1086:

Taunton
195.70000000000002 pounds in 1086
Belluton
126.25 pounds in 1086
Keynsham
122.25 pounds in 1086
Stanton
122.25 pounds in 1086
Cannington
110.62 pounds in 1086
Westowe
110.12 pounds in 1086
Carhampton
109.62 pounds in 1086
Williton
108.12 pounds in 1086
Jump to:ABCDEFGHIKLMNOPQRSTUVWYZ

Research any location in Somerset with a full Aubrey report

Combine Domesday records with archaeological finds, scheduled monuments, field-name history and more — for any specific postcode or grid reference in Somerset.

Research your locationView a sample report
Unlimited access

What a full report reveals, anywhere in the UK

Pick any location and Aubrey pulls together 15 strands of its history, each drawn from the record:

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.
First month just £4.99, then £9.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your first month for £4.99
Or see a real report first
In-depth research

Aubrey has published full historical research reports for 2 notable settlements in this county — read the full historical research report for Croscombe, Somerset and Cadbury Castle, Somerset.

Croscombe, Somerset →Cadbury Castle, Somerset →