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| The Lands of the Abbey from the Chronicles of Battle Abbey |
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| Medieval measurements found in this article ▲ |
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Please see our page on the description of terms used in the medieval chronicles
Medieval Measurements and Modern equivalents
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| Abbey Lands mentioned in the Domesday Book ▲ |
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Domesday Book
Let us start with the Domesday Book, this was King William I tax register and listed the details of most of the
settlements in England. It was written by a number of different monks across the country so the format varies as do the
descriptions depending on the author.
The Abbot of St Martin's of Battle has its own record in the Domesday Book and is as follows:
Uckham spelt Bochehã in Domesday
(this translates from the Saxon 'bocce hamm' - the valley settlement with the beech trees)
The Abbot has in lordship
1 plough
4 smallholders with 1 plough
Meadow, 3 acres
Woodland, 2 pigs
value before 1066 and now 20s
Beech spelt as Bece in Domesday
(this translates from the Saxon 'bocce' - Beech trees)
The Abbot has 3 virgates of land (90 acres)
3 villagers with 1 plough
value 6s
Bathurst spelt Wasingate in Domesday
(this translates from the Saxon 'wæsc-ærn gat' - the gate to the washing house)
The Abbot holds 1 virgate of land (30 acres)
1 villager and 1/2 plough
Woodland, 2 pigs
value 4s
Netherfield spelt Nirefeld in Domesday
(this translates from the Saxon 'niwe feld' - the new field)
6 virgates of land (180 acres)
5 villagers and 1 smallholder
3 ploughs
value 10s
Penhurst spelt Penehest in Domesday
(this translates from the Saxon 'pín hyrst' - the clearing in the pine forest)
1/2 hide (60 acres)
2 villagers with 2 ploughs
meadow, 1 acre
woodland, 2 pigs
value 15s
Hooe spelt Hou in Domesday
(this translates from the Saxon 'hoh' - a headland or promontory originally a heel)
1/2 hide (60 acres)
2 villagers with 1 plough
value 5s
Filsham spelt Pileshã in Domesday
(this translates from the Saxon 'píle hamm' - the valley settlement that makes stakes)
1 virgate (30 acres)
1 villager 1 plough
meadow, 1 acre
value 4s
Catsfield spelt Cedesfeld in Domesday
(this translates from the Saxon 'séde feld' - the sowing field)
3 virgates (90 acres)
Bullington spelt Bollintun in Domesday
(this translates from the Saxon 'bollen ton' - the hill where the bulls bellow)
2 hides less 1 virgate (210 acres)
7 villagers and 5 ploughs
value 20s
Crowhurst spelt Croherst in Domesday
(this translates from the Saxon 'croh hyrst' - the clearing in the forest where the saffron grows)
1 virgate (30 acres)
1 villager
value 12s
Wilting spelt Witinges in Domesday
(this translates from the Saxon 'wíþing es' - the willow s)
1 virgate of land (30 acres)
waste - destroyed in 1066AD
Hollington spelt Holintun in Domesday
(this translates from the Saxon 'Holen tun' - the hill where the holly grows)
1 virgate of land (30 acres)
waste - destroyed in 1066AD
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| Abbey Lands described in the Battle Abbey Chronicles ▲ |
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The lands of the Leuga as described in the Description King's Book(Domesday Book) consist of these portions of the
Abbey lands the Leuga. (See above)
The Abbey of Battel holds a leuga lying around it.
- It holds Boccham that is Vochehant and has there half a hide
- Of this half hide there is one virgate lying without the leuga and belonging to Croherste which Walter Fitz Lambert
exchanged for a certain wood within the leuga and it holds it for that reason.
- In Bece which Osbert holds of the Earl of Eu three virgates
- In Wasingate that is Bothherstegate says the King's Book the Abbey has a vir gate in fact however it is but half a
one.
- In Wilminte says the same record the Abbey possesses six virgates though it has really but five.
- In Nirefeld Nedrefeld it has six virgates
- In Peneherste half a hide
- In Hou half a hide
- In Philesham one virgate
- In Cattesfelde three virgates
- In Bulintune two hides wanting one virgate
- In Croherste one virgate.
- In Wiltinges one virgate.
- In Holintune one virgate.
Total six hides and a half virgate
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| The Leuga boundary ▲ |
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The next paragraph describes the boundary of the leuga in a clockwise manner which allows us to identify modern
locations
From without Bodeherste on the east is the boundary of the Leuga near the land of Robert Bos and Boundary of it runs
near the land of Roger Moin as far as Hecilande and includes Hecilande near the land of William Fitz Robert Fitz Wido
and the land of Croherste on the south Thence it passes by the land of Cattesfelde and
by Puchehole as far as Westbece near the land of Bodeham to the west After this it passes along by the land of Itintune
as far as to the north Thence there is a boundary by the land of Wetlingetuna and the land of Wicham and by Setlescumbe
and thus it returns to the first limit namely without Bodeherste on the east
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Map of the leuga of Battle Abbey showing the clockwise map of the outer boundary.
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Animation of the Leuga of Battle Abbey in the modern landscape ▲
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As you watch this animation, you can see that the leuga of Battle Abbey is still visible in the modern landscape along
the edges of woodlands, boundaries or roads.
This visibility of the past also remains for Roman roads, and probably other features we have yet to
identify.
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| Abbey Lands inside the Leuga ▲ |
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Again from the Battle Abbey Chronicles
The leuga is parcelled into wists which in other places are called virgates In Uccheham are three wists in domain There
are also in Uccheham four wists and a half the holders of which shall pay for each three shillings a year and shall do
in the fourth week all the labour allotted to them On the sabbath they shall go with their own horse whithersoever they
are ordered.
Between Hecheland and Bodeherste is one wist with the like labour and pence
In Telleham are held seven wists which shall do all the labour in the manner above described But one of them is free
from these labours because as often as the holder of it shall be summoned he shall go with his own horse with a monk or
with any other person whithersoever he is ordered. For this service he is likewise exempt from the rent of pence Both
going and returning he shall have from the Abbey an allowance for his horse He shall also have entertainment and shoes
for his horse And if his horse die on the journey the monks shall make good the loss.
In La Stene is one wist which pays the said pence and does the labour
In Richelherste are five wists which pay the aforesaid pence and labour
In Puchehole is one wist which is also subject to the labour and pence
In Beche are three wists the holder of which must during half the year have ready a horse at the summons of the
abbot fit for the riding of the abbot or one of his monks and as often as necessary he shall go with his horse wherever
he is ordered horse shoes and nails being found at the expense of the abbot and monks.
For this service he shall be free from the rent of pence but if he shall not do it he shall pay ten shillings a year for
the land.
In Dunintune lie three wists which pay the before mentioned rent and labour
Besides these the leuga includes three woods namely Hecheland Bodeherste and Petlee and a fourth which is called
Duniford.
There are likewise three orchards one adjoining the Abbey to the south another near the house called the Hospital and a
third by the church of S Mary to the north where also the monks garden usually is.
The Abbey has also three mills in domain Two within the leuga namely one under Loxebeche another lower down in the
valley and a third partly within and partly without the leuga to the south of the Abbey at a place called Piperinge the
part without the leuga being that which was exchanged with the lord of Cattesfelde for a certain little meadow lying in
Bulintune near Bulworehethe Thus far of these now let us speak of the lands which are in domain within the leuga
In Petlee is one wist in domain which one Oter formerly held. It consists of forty eight acres
In Catecumbe are five acres lying near Wetlingetune
Between Petlee and Uccheham lie forty two acres reaching to the road leading from Battel to Wetlingetune
In Uccheham are three wists with the meadow called Hanwisse Bodeherstegate as far as the road near Hechilande lies a
very large uncultivated plain
In Hechilande are two wists In Santlache reaching as far as the infirmary are held 31 acres this place is called Dune
On the other side of the way where was formerly a part of the vineyard and in Celvetege which are on the south side of
the church are reckoned 36 acres.
In the land of Chapenore near them are 15 acres besides 12 acres which the church of S Mary has
Between Bodeherste and Hechilande and between the infirmary and Chapenore and as far as the land of Telleham are
computed 37 acres.
There is a certain land lying between the orchard adjoining the Abbey and the park which is on the south side It is
called Quarrere and contains four acres
On the other side of the road by the orchard adjacent to the hospital are two acres in Herste
Near these is a messuage with two acres of land where the vestments of the monks are washed where also there are three
acres more.
There also on the west side are eight acres Near them towards the south there are likewise eight acres of demesne
In Loxbece are held two wists
On the west side of the town lie ten acres of excellent land some of which being tilled yields abundance of corn
In Bretherste are eleven acres
In Plesseiz the land consists of 15 acres
There also near them to the north are 18 acres
Besides these there are some lands which pay a rent without labour thus In Uccheham is one acre which pays 4d
Near the town on the east are 11 acres belonging to the fee of Uccheham which pay 11d This land is called Cook's land
Next to them lie five acres reaching to Santlache which likewise pay 5d
There is also one acre where the house called the Gildhall stands Near Strellewelle are four acres which Gilbert the
stranger held and his heirs after him It is called Wrench's land which also is free for the service that the tenant is
bound to render with his horse to go whithersoever he is ordered as before mentioned
Gildhalls and their There are two Gildhalls in the town one above mentioned in Santlache called the GILD OF ST MARTIN
The other on the west side of the town at a place called Claverham And there is a third out of the town hard by the park
which is below Quarrere for the use of the churls who live out of the town
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| Battle and District History Society research ▲ |
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Please
click here for the BDHS article
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![Battle Abbey leuga on Google maps](javascript:launch_resize("/images/DbImages/Battle_Abbey.gif"))
