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Stapleford deserted medieval village is a scheduled ancient monument in Leicestershire comprising the earthwork remains of a settlement that was inhabited during the medieval period before eventual abandonment. The site preserves visible ridge-and-furrow field systems and structural remains indicative of domestic occupation, whilst an ice house associated with a later post-medieval phase represents the evolution of land use at the location. The village abandonment reflects the broader pattern of settlement desertion that affected many English rural communities between the late medieval period and early modern era, often linked to agricultural restructuring and enclosure. The ice house demonstrates the technological and economic developments of the early modern period, when such structures became established features on estates across central England for the storage of winter ice.
Stapleford deserted medieval village and ice house is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1008553. View the official record →
Stapleford deserted medieval village is a scheduled ancient monument in Leicestershire comprising the earthwork remains of a settlement that was inhabited during the medieval period before eventual abandonment.
Stapleford deserted medieval village and ice house is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1008553.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cross 160m north east of St Mary Magdalen Church (0.3 km), Moated site and fishpond at Wyfordby (2 km), Wyfordby Wayside Cross (2.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Stapleford deserted medieval village and ice house's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Stapleford deserted medieval village and ice house stands on Lias Group, bedrock that formed in the Aalenian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, limestone and sandstone.