Suffolk · Local History

The History of Lindsey

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, Lindsey was held by (Bury) St Edmunds, abbey of.

The record

What the Domesday Book records for Lindsey

When William the Conqueror's commissioners surveyed Lindsey in 1086, they recorded 2 manors held by (Bury) St Edmunds, abbey of and Richard son of (Count) Gilbert. Before the Conquest, in the time of King Edward, the land was held by free men, twenty and free men, six.

The settlement was assessed at 2.58 hides for tax. The record notes 7 plough teams at work. The recorded population was 24 heads of household: 22 smallholders and 2 slaves. These are heads of household, so the settlement's true population was several times larger. Its recorded resources included meadow (2 acres). The manors were valued at 2.5 pounds in 1086, up from 1 pound in 1066.

The record in full
Holdings
2 manors
Held in 1086 by
(Bury) St Edmunds, abbey of; Richard son of (Count) Gilbert
Held in 1066 by
free men, twenty; free men, six
Value in 1086
2.5 pounds (1 pound in 1066)
Taxable assessment
2.58 hides
Ploughs at work
7
Recorded population
22 smallholders, 2 slaves
Meadow
2 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 →

Lindsey 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 Lindsey

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

Notable places nearby

Colchester
Roman town · ~12 miles
Conflict

Battlefields near Lindsey

Nationally registered historic battlefields within 25 miles of Lindsey.

Battle of Maldon 991
Registered battlefield · 991 · ~25 miles
Archaeology

Archaeological finds near Lindsey

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

Medieval: 15Post medieval: 13Roman: 13Neolithic: 1
Landscape

The ground beneath Lindsey

The bedrock beneath Lindsey is Thames Group (Eocene).

Common questions

Questions about Lindsey

Was Lindsey in the Domesday Book?+
Yes. Lindsey was recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book as a settlement in the historic county of Suffolk.
Who held Lindsey in 1086?+
In 1086, Lindsey was held by (Bury) St Edmunds, abbey of.
Who held Lindsey before the Norman Conquest?+
Before the Conquest in 1066, Lindsey was held by free men, twenty.
What was Lindsey worth in the Domesday Book?+
In 1086, Lindsey was valued at 1.5 pounds. The 1066 value was 1 pound, showing a rise.
How many people lived in Lindsey in 1086?+
The 1086 survey recorded 24 people in Lindsey: 22 smallholders and 2 slaves.
What land did Lindsey have in 1086?+
The Domesday Book records Lindsey as having 5 ploughs in use.
Where is Lindsey today?+
Lindsey is a settlement in the historic county of Suffolk, England.
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Discover Lindsey'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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