Monument record 369 - Croxton

The earliest mention of the placename Croxton is in 1310. This may indicate the presence of a deserted medieval hamlet though no further evidence has been found. Medieval and later villages were abandoned by their inhabitants for many reasons. The effects of disease and poor harvests made rural living difficult, and whole communities are thought to have relocated to urban settlements. Once abandoned the villages quickly became derelict and were not inhabited again surviving only as earthworks, often visible only from aerial photographs. They can also be identified by documentary evidence or the presence of a church where there is no settlement.