Just off the A15 is an apparently empty field, on closer inspection you will see a ‘mass’ of humps and bumps which are the remains of the medieval village of Gainsthorpe which was once a haven for thieves and robbers. According to Abraham de la Pryme who visited the village in the late 17th century, Gainsthorpe was a home for criminals wanting to hide out in the Lincolnshire countryside.
But the locals rebelled and demolished the village to cast them out – or so the legend goes. As exciting as that may be, the actual reason behind the abandonment of Gainsthorpe is unknown.
An article in the heritage magazine for Britain Express suggests the ‘devastating effects’ of the Black Death in the mid-14th century may have played a part. The Black Death, or the bubonic plague, lasted for seven years, between 1346 and 1353, and is estimated to have wiped out as much as 60 per cent of Europe.
In explaining the village history, English Heritage stated: “The documentary evidence does not, unfortunately, reveal how the village declined or precisely when it was deserted. Land at Gainsthorpe was granted to the small priory of Newstead-on-Ancholme (a few miles north-east of the village) in 1343.
The population may well have declined because of the Black Death of 1348 – 1349. However, village land was part of the estate of the Duchy of Cornwall by the late 14th and 15th centuries, suggesting that some village farms survived, even if the village itself had shrunk. However, it was definitely abandoned by 1616 as archive records show that “not a single building still standing”.
Although this seems to be disputed by Abraham de la Pryme who in his diary said that he counted about 200 buildings lining three streets during a visit he made in 1697. However, he later contradicted himself in 1699, saying that there were in fact about 100 buildings on five or six streets. It was De la Pryme who first speculated that Tudor thieves had used Gainsthorpe as a base until they were set upon by the locals – though he speculated that it was more likely to have been abandoned due to changes in agriculture.
Gainsthorpe first appeared in the Domesday Book (AD 1086) under the name ‘Gamelstorp’. Its residents were subject to Norman Lord Ivo Taillebois, who had rather forcefully succeeded the Saxon lord Ulgar after the Norman Conquest 20 years prior.
There were around 19 fields surrounding the village, occupying about 108 acres.
Further analysis of the ruins has revealed they included a chapel, windmill and a bridge in the village. But all that remains of the village now are ‘humps and bumps’ in the grass.
According to English Heritage, the deserted medieval village site is one of the best preserved in the country. Only a 20-minute drive from Gainsborough, the ruined village is available for families and history enthusiasts alike to visit.
A small corner of the farmer’s field is set aside for free parking. However, it isn’t available when in use by the farmer during harvest time. If you do visit be aware that livestock may be in the field.