West Backworth village

HER Number:
790

District:
N Tyneside

Site Name:
West Backworth village

Place:
Backworth

Map Sheet:
NZ27SE

Class:
Domestic

Site Type: Broad:
Settlement

Site Type: Specific:
Deserted Settlement

General Period:
Medieval

Specific Period:
C12

Form of Evidence:
Earthwork

Description:
It seems that there were certainly two Backworths in 1189 when Richard I confirmed Tynemouth Priory in possession of their lands, and there is explicit mention of both East and West Backworth in 1306. The lay subsidy roll of 1296 records 4 taxpayers here. The village still existed in 1353, but was deserted by the 16th century, not appearing in the Dissolution survey. Wrathmell suggests that it lost its identity in the priory's reorganization of their estates in the 15th century. Aerial photographs seem to show a row of crofts along each side of an east-west street, but this is not clear on the ground where there is prominent but disturbed ridge and furrow, and no trace of a two-row village plan. SCHEDULED ANCIENT MONUMENT

Easting:
293

Northing:
722

Grid Reference:
NZ293722

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
<< HER 790 >> W.S. Gibson, 1846, The History of the Monastery at Tynemouth, I, 61, 127, 153; II (1847), cxii-cxiv H.H.E. Craster, ed. 1909, Northumberland County History, IX, 25-43 C.M. Fraser, ed. Lay Subsidy Roll of 1296, Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle, 99-100 S. Wrathmell, 1975, Deserted village of South Northumberland, University of Cardiff Unpublished PhD thesis, II, 295 Aerial Photograph, RAF 1956, 13 March, F22 540/RAF/1792, 0035-0036