Domesday Book›Suffolk›Chilton
Suffolk · Local History

The History of Chilton

A place in Suffolk 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, Chilton was held by Ely (St Etheldreda), abbey of.

The record

What the Domesday Book records for Chilton

When William the Conqueror's commissioners surveyed Chilton in 1086, they recorded 2 manors held by Ely (St Etheldreda), abbey of and Hugh de Montfort. Before the Conquest, in the time of King Edward, the land was held by Ely (St Etheldreda), abbey of and King Edward.

The settlement was assessed at 1.3 hides for tax. The record notes 3 plough teams at work. The recorded population was 24 heads of household: 8 smallholders and 16 freemen. These are heads of household, so the settlement's true population was several times larger. Its recorded resources included meadow (0 acres). The manors were valued at 1.75 pounds in 1086, down from 2.5 pounds in 1066.

The record in full
Holdings
2 manors
Held in 1086 by
Ely (St Etheldreda), abbey of; Hugh de Montfort
Held in 1066 by
Ely (St Etheldreda), abbey of; King Edward
Value in 1086
1.75 pounds (2.5 pounds in 1066)
Taxable assessment
1.3 hides
Ploughs at work
3
Recorded population
8 smallholders, 16 freemen
Meadow
0 acres

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 →

Chilton was one of the settlements recorded in Suffolk in the 1086 survey. Suffolk in the Domesday survey →

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Chilton

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Chilton'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.
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 Chilton report
Or see a real report first
Explore further

Villages near Chilton

Stowmarket
~0.6 miles
Harleston
~0.9 miles
Thorney
~0.9 miles
Dagworth
~1.2 miles
Onehouse
~1.9 miles
Combs
~1.9 miles
Newton
~2 miles
Haughley
~2.2 miles
Buxhall
~2.8 miles
Creeting
~2.8 miles
Protected heritage

Scheduled monuments near Chilton

Haughley Castle
Scheduled monument · ~2.2 miles
Rookyard Farm Moats
Scheduled monument · ~2.3 miles
Russell's Hill moated site
Scheduled monument · ~3.3 miles
Lady's Well (holy well and moat)
Scheduled monument · ~4.8 miles
Chapel Farm moated site
Scheduled monument · ~4.9 miles
Archaeology

Archaeological finds near Chilton

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

Medieval: 34Post medieval: 31Roman: 4Iron age: 2Early medieval: 2
Landscape

The ground beneath Chilton

The bedrock beneath Chilton is Neogene To Quaternary Rocks (Undifferentiated) (Quaternary).

Common questions

Questions about Chilton

Was Chilton in the Domesday Book?+
Yes. Chilton was recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book as a settlement in the historic county of Suffolk.
Who held Chilton in 1086?+
In 1086, Chilton was held by Ely (St Etheldreda), abbey of.
Who held Chilton before the Norman Conquest?+
Before the Conquest in 1066, Chilton was held by Ely (St Etheldreda), abbey of.
What was Chilton worth in the Domesday Book?+
In 1086, Chilton was valued at 5 shillings.
How many people lived in Chilton in 1086?+
The 1086 survey recorded 8 people in Chilton: 8 smallholders.
What land did Chilton have in 1086?+
The Domesday Book records Chilton as having 0 acres of meadow.
Where is Chilton today?+
Chilton is a settlement in the historic county of Suffolk, England.
Aubrey Research

Discover Chilton'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.

Start your Aubrey reportView a sample report
Covers any location in England, Scotland or Wales