Monument record 116 - Stockham Village

Stockham is a placename first recorded in 1288. The name suggests a new homestead in assarted (forest clearance) land. Last mentioned in 1663. It has been suggested as possible Deserted Medieval Village. 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. Landowners sometimes relocated settlements for aesthetic reasons and for landscaping. 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.