Domesday Book›Sussex›East Lavant
Sussex · Local History

The History of East Lavant

Also recorded as: [East] Lavant

A place in Sussex 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, East Lavant was held by Canterbury (Christ Church), archbishop of.

The record

What the Domesday Book records for East Lavant

When William the Conqueror's commissioners surveyed East Lavant in 1086, they recorded a manor held by Canterbury (Christ Church), archbishop of and Ralph. Before the Conquest, in the time of King Edward, it was held by Canterbury (Christ Church), archbishop of.

The settlement was assessed at 18 hides for tax. The record notes 8 plough teams at work (3 in the lord's demesne and 5 held by the villagers). The recorded population was 26 heads of household: 15 villagers and 11 smallholders. These are heads of household, so the settlement's true population was several times larger. Its recorded resources included meadow (26 acres) and 1 mill. The manor was valued at 18 pounds in 1086, up from 12 pounds in 1066.

The record in full
Held in 1086 by
Canterbury (Christ Church), archbishop of; Ralph
Held in 1066 by
Canterbury (Christ Church), archbishop of
Value in 1086
18 pounds (12 pounds in 1066)
Taxable assessment
18 hides
Ploughs at work
8
Recorded population
15 villagers, 11 smallholders
Meadow
26 acres
Mills
1

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 →

East Lavant was one of the settlements recorded in Sussex in the 1086 survey. Sussex in the Domesday survey →

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about East Lavant

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

Fishbourne Roman Palace
Archaeological site · ~3 miles
Conflict

Battlefields near East Lavant

Nationally registered historic battlefields within 25 miles of East Lavant.

Battle of Cheriton 1644
Registered battlefield · 1644 · ~21.2 miles
Archaeology

Archaeological finds near East Lavant

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

Roman: 114Post medieval: 88Medieval: 84Iron age: 14Early medieval: 13Bronze age: 12Neolithic: 6Modern: 3Palaeolithic: 1
Landscape

The ground beneath East Lavant

The bedrock beneath East Lavant is White Chalk Subgroup (Maastrichtian).

Common questions

Questions about East Lavant

Was East Lavant in the Domesday Book?+
Yes. East Lavant was recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book as a settlement in the historic county of Sussex.
Who held East Lavant in 1086?+
In 1086, East Lavant was held by Canterbury (Christ Church), archbishop of.
Who held East Lavant before the Norman Conquest?+
Before the Conquest in 1066, East Lavant was held by Canterbury (Christ Church), archbishop of.
What was East Lavant worth in the Domesday Book?+
In 1086, East Lavant was valued at 18 pounds. The 1066 value was 12 pounds, showing a rise.
How many people lived in East Lavant in 1086?+
The 1086 survey recorded 26 people in East Lavant: 15 villagers and 11 smallholders.
What land did East Lavant have in 1086?+
The Domesday Book records East Lavant as having 8 ploughs in use, 26 acres of meadow.
Where is East Lavant today?+
East Lavant is a settlement in the historic county of Sussex, England.
Aubrey Research

Discover East Lavant'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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