Guidebook: Wharram Percy Village

Wharram Percy is among the largest and best preserved of the 3,000 or so deserted medieval villages known in Britain, and unquestionably the most famous. Perched on the side of a remote dale in the heart of the Yorkshire Wolds, the remains of the village present a perfect picture of desertion. The ruined church, begun in the early 12th century, is the last standing medieval building. Around it are the grassed-over foundations of houses, agricultural outbuildings and boundaries, as well as the broad, low ridges of ‘strip fields’, all connected by a network of ‘green lanes’. Since 1948, when research first focused on Wharram Percy, a series of eminent archaeologists have pioneered new techniques here. Although field investigations ended in 2002, research continues to further our understanding of how and why such settlements came into being, of their inhabitants’ daily lives, and of the factors that led to their abandonment. This guide includes a comprehensive tour of the site and brings together new photography, historical images, reconstruction drawings and phased plans to help visitors to understand the earthworks visible on the ground. Key Features: Published January 2013 Paperback 24 pages 65 illustrations