The village of Wharram Percy occupied a narrow valley called 'Deep Dale' and the high plateau along its western side.
In the valley are to be found the remains of an 18th-century farm complex, the ruins of the church of St Martin in its churchyard, and the site of the medieval water-mills. On the plateau, none of the buildings have survived, but their sites can be traced through ridges left by buried stone walls, and other earthworks.
In the Middle Ages, Wharram Percy contained two main streets. Each tenement was divided into two areas: a toft closest to the street, containing the houses, barns and outbuildings of the peasant families, and the croft, an enclosed strip of arable land behind it. Also on the plateau are the sites of two manors, larger enclosures containing the homes of the leading landholders of the village.
Disclaimer
The text and pictures on this page are derived from the 'Heritage Unlocked' series of guidebooks published in 2004. We intend to review, update and enhance the content in the near future as part of the Portico project, whose objective is to provide information on the history, significance, research background and sources for all English Heritage properties.
