Landscape and Rural Society in North Hampshire in the Middle Ages

With apologies for cross-posting, I'd be very grateful if you could draw
this to the attention of masters students with interests in medieval
local/regional history, as we have a couple of funded PhD studentships
at the University of Winchester, closing date 17 August, one of which is
for the project below (see http://www.winchester.ac.uk/?page=5687 for
details). Prospective candidates are welcome to contact me informally
via email (Ryan.Lavelle@winchester.ac.uk)

Many thanks,

Ryan Lavelle


Landscape and Rural Society in North Hampshire in the Middle Ages

This studentship will take a long view of the development and evolution
of settlement and rural organisation in the under-studied area of
northern Hampshire, roughly defined as the area north of Winchester,
from the eighth century to the fifteenth century, broadly the period
dominated by a manorial economy.

The study is intended to consider the significance of the types of
landscape and their effects on the organisation of settlements, the
influences of landholders, including royal and ecclesiastical landlords,
and the economic influences of the developments of small-town economies,
especially that of Basingstoke, as well as the wider economic influence
of the wider hinterlands of larger towns (London, Salisbury, Southampton
and Winchester).

The study will use Anglo-Saxon charters, Domesday Book, feudal aids,
inquisitions post mortem and deeds, manorial court rolls and accounts,
and much later documentary evidence pertaining to the medieval
landscape, such as Tithe Apportionment records, as well as the evidence
of the landscape itself, to assess the types of economies and the
patterns of landholding in the area.

The studentship will have a close working relationship with the
University of Winchester's Victoria County History Basingstoke project,
which considers the parishes of the Basingstoke area, and to this end
the relationship between Basingstoke and its hinterland will be an
important element of the study, although it will not be its defining
feature. It is intended that the development of interests and
organisation of a manorial economy can be studied through close focus on
a defined area.






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