Excavations at West Whelpington. Photo by Harry Rowland, 1976.

(Centred at NY 97538380) Village, site of. (1)

West Whelpington was surveyed and two houses excavated in 1958 by Durham Colleges Board for Extramural Studies. The survey has shown that it was basically a series of houses together with their crofts, enclosing on all sides a village green. 25 'house' sites have been identified. A few pottery fragments were found most of which were of the 16th/17th century. (2)

Excavations in 1967 confirmed a 17th century date for the village. (4)

Village of West Whelpington flourishing in the 12th century and deserted c.1720 Partly destroyed by quarrying; total destruction anticipated by 1985. A group of houses surrounding a village green, excavated 1958-60 by the Extra Mural Dept. of Durham University, and annually since 1965 by the D.M.V. Research Group [see plan]
Finds included pottery ranging from 12th-18th centuries and seven Saxon sherds, a 13th century coin, three 17th century coins and a corroded bronze coin 'probably a Scots turner, but might be a Roman antoninianus' John Hodgson [Hist of Northumb. 1820-35] mentions a peel tower near the circular feature on the village green. A group of large stone blocks unearthed south of sites 2 and 3 [see plan] may constitute its remains.
'In the croft south of site 16, more of the Iron Age palisade trench (Located 1971) was excavated'.
The central area of the site has been destroyed by quarrying and only fragmentary remains of banks survive along the northern lip of the quarry. Jarrett's plan is now unintelligible apart from crofts 10-14 at the west end of the complex which show as turf-covered banks with occasional stone visible.
Excavation in advance of quarrying is carried out annually and Dr M G Jarrett is currently clearing crofts 9 and 15 and the area between (centred NY 9745 8375). He was not prepared to confirm the identification of the peel mentioned by Hodgson and said that the remains that he found south of crofts 2 and 3 (now removed by quarrying) were so scant that no positive identification was possible.
A semi-circular rock cut palisade trench found in 1971 is visible at NY 97478370 but more excavation is required to determine its purpose. Dr Jarrett said that a broken saddle quern and a fragment of 'iron-age' pottery had been found at this point. The corroded bronze coin found during earlier excavations has not yet been identified but Dr Jarrett is of the opinion that it is unlikely to be Roman. (5)

The excavations currently in progress show little of interest as the bulk of the dwelling sites have now been destroyed. Quarrying continues and the whole of the site will eventually be lost in the next few years. (6)

AO survey (1/2500) of 1968 revised. (7)

Excavation summary: 16th century croft cleared. Traces on the west side of palisade trench of Iron Age farm located in 1971 were identified. (8)

Excavation summary: no trace of buildings on the green. 13th century croft boundary. Timber slots - undiagnostic. (9)(10)

Excavation summary: fragmentary remains of 13th century longhouse at west end of green. Trace of palisade trench of Iron Age farmstead. (11)(12)

Excavation summary: Excavation at west end of green - 13th/14th century. (13)

Seven joining sherds from deserted medieval village of West Whelpington. Found under a wall, not later than 1250. Accession number 1971.17. 7th-11th century date. (14)

Middle Saxon pottery found at West Whelpington. Evidence of Anglo-Saxon domestic settlement site under the deserted medieval village - rock cut drain and post hole, date c.450-c.650 possibly. (15)

Interim excavation reports. (16)(17)

Deserted medieval village gradually destroyed by a slow moving quarry, excavation in progress since 1958. Village was occupied from 12th century till at least c.1720 when the lands were taken over by a farmer called Thomas Stott and the village was left to decay. The walls were still standing until c.1880 when the stone was used to build field walls. Sites 6-9 in the Middle Ages had been five longhouses; three farms replaced the longhouses in the late 17th century. In the 15th/16th centuries documentary records show 19 husbandlands assessed; Hearth Tax 1666 recorded 11 households. (18)

Settlement described by Hodgson in 1827 as 'defended on all sides by a whinstone precipice. Of oblong form c.440 yards long, of two rows of houses enclosing a large town green'. Marked ridge and furrow in surrounding fields. Quarrying of whinstone started in 1937 in the south east corner of plateau. (19)

A circular stone built feature near the centre of the green was thought to be a cockpit, but is now interpreted as a pound. (20)

The Rev John Hodgson, writing circa 1830, noted that the village consisted of two rows of houses and a large green with a cockpit at its centre, and nearby a pele with tower-like dimensions of 23.5 feet by 21.5 feet and a small barmkin in front. The date of construction of the pele is unknown. (21a)

Listed by Cathcart King. (21b)

NY 975 839. Deserted village (site of) at West Whelpington Crag. Scheduled No ND/312. (21c)

(NY 9735 8390) Medieval Village of West Whelpington [NAT] (site of) [NAT]. (21d)