Although Low Swainston is now just a single farm, it was originally a medieval village. The name Swainston is Anglo-Saxon in origin and reflects the name of the individual "Swegen" who founded the first farm or "Ton" on the site. The surviving remains of the shrunken medieval village can be seen as a number of earth covered banks and flat platforms. These were once occupied by medieval wooden houses. Two of these house sites were excavated in the late 1950s, although the excavation remains unpublished. One of the excavated buildings was possibly a barn, while the other revealed evidence that it had been rebuilt several times between the 13th and 15th centuries.

The Medieval settlement of Swainston is visible as earthworks on air photographs taken in 1951. Later photography taken in 1995 shows that the earthworks are still extant but poorly preserved. Earthworks indicate enclosures, banks, ditches, building platforms and a pond. The excavation revealed pottery and occupational debris. (19)

This site was added to the Local List on 13th November 2023.