Gainsthorpe
Near Hibaldstow, Lincolnshire
Gainsthorpe was a medieval village that was abandoned, perhaps after the Black Death or when land was turned over to sheep. Its houses, yards and streets survive as earthworks, clearly visible from the air.
Read the full story, see it on the map, get directions and find what else is nearby in the free Hidden Britain Atlas map.
- When
- Deserted by 1600s
- Where
- 53.5500, -0.5300
- Group
- Lost & drowned villages
Visiting
English Heritage, free, reached across a field.

The Ledger of Lost Britain
The Romans arrived in AD 43. For most people that is where the history of Britain begins. But by the time the legions landed, people had already been living on these islands for thousands of years. They had hunted, farmed, mined flint, dragged stones across the country, raised a hill by hand, and buried their dead in great tombs. They left no written words. What they left was the ground itself. Every place in this book can be visited, or has been dug up, or is in a museum.
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- The Longhill Park LandingUFO case · Longhill, Hull · 19 miles away
- Tom Otter's GibbetExecution site · Saxilby, Lincolnshire · 20 miles away
- Newport ArchRoman Britain · Lincoln · 22 miles away
- Lincoln CastleExecution site · Lincoln · 22 miles away