A plan of 1632 shows the village of Bearl, but there is no earlier documentary evidence. The 17th century plan shows two rows of crofts aligned east to west along the sides of a narrow green which opened onto common pasture at the east end. The present farm and cottages stand on same site as this earlier settlement and there are some earthworks in fields to the south. They probably represent the perimeter bank of the southern row of crofts.