(Centred NZ 08427310) Earthworks. (1)

Shrunken village at Heugh. (2)

Visible on aerial photographs. (3)

Typical remains of minor depopulation consisting of a series of crofts and building steadings. Surveyed at 1:2500. (4)

Published survey (25 inch) revised. (5)

SAM management agreement. (6)

Circa 1112-22 the manor of Heugh and Stamfordham was subinfeudated to the Stamfordham family. During the Middle Ages the connection between the settlements was close and ambiguous. Stamfordham seems to have been regarded as a village within Heugh township. In a mid-14th century document they were described as separate vills, but another of similar date records them as comprising a single vill.
The Heugh had no separate entry in the Lay Subsidy of 1296. In 1368-9 a third part of Heugh was said to comprise three tofts, nine husbandlands and 90 acres of arable. The total number of holdings was about 30.
A large village survived into the 17th century. The total number of late medieval tenements were 14 'farms'. By 1679 the number of tenants had declined to 11. A rental of 1745 listed only five holdings. The labour force required to maintain the farms and quarries seems to have maintained an extensive settlement at Heugh into the 19th century. A Tithe Map of 1841 showed ten homesteads and house sites. Heugh now contains a farmstead and four houses.
The village earthworks are prominent. The village was formed of two rows of crofts running east-west on both sides of the green. Some of earthworks to the east of the standing buildings, partly relate to the 19th century tenements. (7)

Watching brief was maintained on water pipe trenches dug by North East Water in the centre of the hamlet, c.NZ 08277324. The area appears to have been partially levelled in post-medieval times. Two trenches, each c.23m long by c.0.8m-0.9m deep, were dug. No structures or finds
were found except for modern pottery in topsoil. (8)

Scheduled. (9a)

NZ 084 732. Shrunken medieval village, The Heugh. Scheduled No ND/603. (9b)

Medieval boundary banks, buildings, mounds, platforms and enclosures are visible as earthworks on air photographs centred at NZ 0838 7314. The shrunken medieval settlement of Heugh comprises a number of rectilinear crofts formed by broad banks on a north-west south-east alignment. A linear row of buildings and platforms is visible to the north of the crofts. To the east of these earthworks is a sub rectangular enclosure at NZ 0855 7300 measuring 19m by 20m. A possible building platform lies at NZ 0867 7299 and a hollow way is centred at NZ 0862 7309. Other linear earthwork boundaries and mounds are visible. Elements of the site date from the post medieval period but from the air photographs it was not possible to establish the phasing of the earthworks. A post medieval quarry and medieval/ post medieval extractive pit have impinged on the earthworks but the features are extant on the latest 1992 oblique photography. (9c)

General association with HER 31495, HER 31496 and HER 31497. (9)