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The East Midlands branch of the Council For British Archaeology are running a multi-year project to map the boundaries of all the parishes in the region. This includes recording ancient features such as banks and ditches, trackways and marker stones, as well as hedgerows, trees and other natural features.
FARI Archaeology are currently recording the boundaries for the Ancaster Parish and, as well as being recorded through the formal CBA system, the results will also be made public here.
So far the research has thrown up some surprising facts.
Most parish boundaries, particularly in rural areas, are thought to date back to Saxon times and are usually unchanged since then. However in Ancaster, until the early 20th Century, the parish boundary ran straight down the middle of Ermine Street. So if you live in a house on the Eastern side of Ermine street, originally you lived in Wilsford Parish, not Ancaster.
The 1900 map of the Poor Law Union boundaries showing the parish boundaries in thin red line.
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Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland'
Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland'
By 1932, the boundary had been altered to reflect the fact that the village sat on both sides of Ermine street. It is possible that this happened in 1929 at the time of the final abolition of the Poor Laws Unions. The new parish boundaries, those which still exist today, are shown below.
The 1932 Parish Boundary map showing the remodelled boundaries to Ancaster parish.
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Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland'
Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland'
We will be building on the Parish Boundary project over the next year and will add to this page as we proceed.
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