Site of medieval settlement at Wimbish (EHER 81340)

A possible deserted medieval settlement at Wimbish.

NRHE data transfer: Deserted medieval village (DMV) at Wimbish. <1> Very slight evidence of earthworks here, on APs. <2> Wimbish - This name must remain an unresolved problem. Harrison, who was rector of the neighbouring Radwinter, calls the place Gwinbach or Winbech and took the name to be that of one of the head waters of the Pant, which he called Gwinar Pant. There is little likelihood that this is anything more than the philological speculation of an antiquity. <3> 1989. Field survey. At Wimbish a number of strands of circumstantial evidence have been drawn together to postulate the location of a deserted or shrunken village. The place-name does not help to give any clue to the origin of the settlement auth 3. The present settlement lies on the west facing valley side of the River Pant along the crest line between 91m and 100m. The principal elements today are: Wimbish Hall Farm, its outbuildings and a large Victorian vicarage. At the centre is all Saints Church containing some Norman work. The densest settlement in Wimbish parish now lies over 1.5km to the south between Wimbish Green and Tye Green. The fields around the farm were under smooth improved pasture no traces of village earthworks were seen. The only area preserving any earthworks was to the north-west of the church centred TL 5893 3695. The principal feature was a north-west to south-east hollow-way turning westwards at its south end, with an average depth of 0.7m. A bank caps its west lip for some 40m. Attempts have been made to fill the hollow-way and the whole feature is generally very disturbed. The line of the hollow-way has subsequently been used as a hedge row, remnants of which may be seen on APs auth 2. A shallow ditch the line of a further hedge departs off this way to the north-east. A low bank runs parallel with the hedge bounding this field to the north and east. It is unlikely to represent a headland as may be traced around the two sides of the field. To the south-west of the hollow-way are a series of low hummocky earthworks none of which exhibit any coherent form. An additional element in the medieval settlement of Wimbish is the remains of the moat TL 53 NE 9 to the south. <4> See also: <5> <6>