'Near Little Swinburn Tower are foundations of buildings and to the south of it is an ancient fish pond'. (1)

Centred NY 94947781 and NY 95007758. The pasture fields in the vicinity of the tower and the farm at Little Swinburn show typical traces of population shrinkage. Low grass-covered banks divide the area into small crofts, while smaller enclosures and platforms represent the steadings of buildings. The fish pond, at NY 95037767, consists of a rectangular depression, oriented north east-south west and measuring approx 30m x 18m, with traces of a longitudinal dividing bank. Spoil from the depression has been used to form containing banks 8m to 10m wide and from 0.3m to 1.2m high. Water from an underground source enters at the north east and is piped away at the south west end. (2)

As described above banks and scarps vary in height from 0.2m to 1.1m. Surveyed at 1/2500. (3)

(Subsequently published NY 94887773 and NY 95017754) Earthworks. (4)

Condition unchanged. (5)

The vill of East Swinburne was a member of the lordship of Baliol. In the 1296 Lay Subsidy, 15 inhabitants were listed. The Poll Tax of 1377 was paid by 21 people. The township was devastated by the Scots.
The Hearth Tax of 1666 recorded 12 houses in the township. A plan of 1709 showed three houses and a tower (NY 97 NW 22). In the 19th century the settlement had declined to two farms and a few cottages. It now comprises a single farmstead and two cottages.
Earthworks are located around the tower, and was at one time part of a larger complex of buildings and yards, all evidently deserted by the 18th century. A fishpond lies south of the tower, separated from it by ridge and furrow. Other ridged enclosures lie on the west side of the tower and reach as far south as the present farmstead. To the south of existing farm buildings the southern perimeter of the settlement is defined by ridge and furrow and surrounds old ?croft banks. The earthworks confirm that the tenant settlement was largely confined to the area of the existing hamlet, and that the demesne farmstead and capital messuage lay outside it. This disposition seems to have obtained by the mid-16th century.
A 12th century chapel was recorded at East Swinburne (NY 97 NW 37). (6)

Little Swinburn deserted medieval village, sited at NY 939786(?). (7)

NY 9499 7775. Shrunken medieval village, tower and fishpond at Little Swinburne. Scheduled RSM No 20942. Part of the shrunken village and tower of the medieval village of East Swinburne, later referred to as Little Swinburne. The tower (see NY 97 NW 22) was clearly once
part of a much larger complex as in the field surrounding it are the remains of a shrunken village visible as a series of earthworks standing 0.2m to 1.2m high. The area immediately around the tower is sub-divided by low banks into small plots and small rectangular enclosures and platforms, representing the steadings of buildings. An area of ridge and furrow cultivation bounded by prominent banks and additional rectangular platforms is visible in the centre of the field S of the tower. In the SE corner of the field there is a well preserved fishpond measuring 30m by 18m flanked by banks 8m to 10m wide and standing from 0.3m to 1.2m high. The village of East Swinburne is first mentioned in documents of 1296, when there may have been as many as 300 inhabitants, before being devastated by Scottish raids in the 14th century. Since that time the village has gradually dwindled to its present size of one farmstead and two cottages. Other earthwork remains of this village survive outside the area of Scheduling and are not included as they are not as yet fully understood. (8)

Village remains visible on infra-red imagery. (9)