The earliest documentation of the village is found in the Domesday Book where it appears as Heletone.[1] The land was rented out to someone by Hugh de Grandmesnil, and had a total value of 60 shillings. There were 25 villagers, 1 being a man at arms and 4 smallholders. There were 8 ploughs, 1 mill, 4 acres of meadow, woodland 1 league long. The name is probably derived from ald, and the suffix tūn, meaning "old settlement".[2]
It is one of only four villages in Leicestershire that seems to have been deserted as a result of grange formation, the others being Dishley, Ringlethorp and Weston.[3] The most important possessor of granges in Leicestershire was the CistercianGarendon Abbey whose economy was largely based on sheep farming.
Nothing remains of the village other than a few vague topographical features.[4]
Referencesedit
^G. Martin & A. Williams (2003) Domesday Book: A Complete Translation, Penguin Books Ltd., United Kingdom. ISBN0-14-143994-7
^Watts, Victor et al., (2004) The Cambridge Dictionary of Place Names, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. ISBN0-521-36209-1
^"The Monastic Granges of Leicestershire" (PDF). University of Leicester. Retrieved 7 August 2010.
^"Provisional List of Deserted Medieval Villages in Leicestershire" (PDF). University of Leicester. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
alton, leicestershire, alton, deserted, medieval, village, between, coalville, ashby, zouch, north, west, leicestershire, england, earliest, documentation, village, found, domesday, book, where, appears, heletone, land, rented, someone, hugh, grandmesnil, tota. Alton is a deserted medieval village between Coalville and Ashby de la Zouch in North West Leicestershire England The earliest documentation of the village is found in the Domesday Book where it appears as Heletone 1 The land was rented out to someone by Hugh de Grandmesnil and had a total value of 60 shillings There were 25 villagers 1 being a man at arms and 4 smallholders There were 8 ploughs 1 mill 4 acres of meadow woodland 1 league long The name is probably derived from ald and the suffix tun meaning old settlement 2 It is one of only four villages in Leicestershire that seems to have been deserted as a result of grange formation the others being Dishley Ringlethorp and Weston 3 The most important possessor of granges in Leicestershire was the Cistercian Garendon Abbey whose economy was largely based on sheep farming Nothing remains of the village other than a few vague topographical features 4 References edit G Martin amp A Williams 2003 Domesday Book A Complete Translation Penguin Books Ltd United Kingdom ISBN 0 14 143994 7 Watts Victor et al 2004 The Cambridge Dictionary of Place Names Cambridge University Press Cambridge ISBN 0 521 36209 1 The Monastic Granges of Leicestershire PDF University of Leicester Retrieved 7 August 2010 Provisional List of Deserted Medieval Villages in Leicestershire PDF University of Leicester Retrieved 9 August 2010 External links editAlton in the Domesday Book52 43 52 N 1 25 23 W 52 731 N 1 423 W 52 731 1 423 nbsp This Leicestershire location article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Alton Leicestershire amp oldid 782232373, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
