Wharram Percy Deserted Medieval Village
Wharram Percy in North Yorkshire is one of the largest and best preserved of Britain's 3,000 or so known deserted medieval villages.
Abandoned soon after 1500, all that remains of the village are the ruins of its church and millpond.
The sole surviving medieval structure is the ruined church, surrounded by the overgrown foundations of two manor houses, around 40 peasant homes, and their outbuildings.
Since 1948, Wharram Percy has been the subject of extensive research, earning its place as Europe's most renowned deserted medieval village.
Although the site of Wharram Percy has evidence of settlement since prehistoric times, the village was most active between the 10th and 12th centuries.
The Domesday Book of 1086 refers to it as 'Warran' or 'Warron'. The 'Percy' suffix comes from the influential Percy family, who owned the land during the Middle Ages.
While the Black Death of 1348–49 did not significantly impact Wharram Percy directly, the widespread population decline across England likely prompted movement toward larger settlements.
Around 1402 or 1403, the Percy family transferred their holdings to the Hylton family.
In the 15th century, shifts in prices and wages made pastoral farming, especially sheep farming, more profitable than cereal cultivation.
The Hylton family increasingly dedicated their land to sheep farming, reducing their agricultural labor force.
By the early 16th century, the last residents of Wharram Percy were evicted, and their homes were dismantled to expand sheep pastures.
On April 1, 1935, the parish was dissolved and merged with Raisthorpe, Burdale, and Wharram le Street to form the new parish of Wharram.
How the village declined
During the late Middle Ages, the increasing value of wool, driven by England's lucrative woolen cloth exports, led many landowners to shift from arable farming to sheep farming, converting farmland into pastures.
This transition had devastating effects on small English communities that relied on farming.
A document from around 1500, detailing the eviction of four families and the destruction of their homes by Baron Hilton, was once believed to signify the end of Wharram's depopulation.
However, it appears this was part of a broader trend, with a significant population decline noted after 1458.
This decline may have been due to unrecorded evictions, though a few houses remained occupied by smallholders and shepherds after 1500.
By 1527, Baron Hilton had converted the remaining arable land to pasture, marking a complete shift to sheep farming.
Records from 1543–4 show John Thorpe of Appleton maintaining 1,240 sheep with just two shepherds on what was once arable land.
By the lawsuits of 1555–6, involving the rebuilding of the vicarage after a fire, none of the witnesses lived in Wharram.
In 1573, William Hilton sold the manor, which changed hands several times before being acquired by the 6th Baron Middleton in 1833, whose family still owns the site.
A ‘chief messuage’, or principal farmstead, primarily used for sheep farming in 1605, might be one of the well-preserved medieval longhouses that have not been excavated.
Its disappearance shortly after 1636 marks the definitive end of village life.
Today, the site of Wharram Percy is now managed by Historic England.
While the ruined church is the most visible feature above ground, the layout of the village is discernible in the surrounding fields.
Archaeological investigations have been ongoing since the 1950s.
In 2002, Historic England conducted a detailed archaeological survey and field study of Wharram Percy.
A 2004 examination of a significant collection of human skeletal remains from the village's churchyard provided insights into the medieval rural community's health, diet, and mortality.
Using advanced scientific techniques, researchers examined aspects such as childhood growth, breastfeeding practices, and conditions like osteoporosis and tuberculosis.
The site is intersected by the Yorkshire Wolds Way National Trail, and the Centenary Way long-distance footpath runs to the east of the village.
Someone who recently visited the abandoned village said: “This lovely deserted medieval village is truly fascinating!
”The history is incredible and it was wonderful to wander around and explore. We really lucked out and had beautiful weather so we got to sit on the grass by the pond and soak it all in.
”I was definitely concerned about the walk in, given the comments about how steep it is, but given the good weather and dry path, it was all fine.”
If you enjoyed this blog post, please follow Exploring GB on Facebook for daily travel content and inspiration.
Don’t forget to check out our latest blog post below!
Thank you for visiting Exploring GB.
