Woughton on the Green Medieval Village
The shrunken medieval village, sited in the parkland of Woughton on the Green, has clearly defined earthworks with some of the best-preserved ridge and furrow in Milton Keynes.
Imagine stepping back nearly 1,000 years! Woughton’s medieval village once stretched from the River Ouzel in the east, across what is now the village green, to the spot where the Triceratops sculpture stands in the west. Today, this area is home to some of the best-preserved medieval earthworks in Milton Keynes.
A quick overview
At the heart of the village stood the church—still here today as the only surviving medieval building. Nearby was the main manor house, probably where the hotel now sits.
Woughton was first mentioned in the Domesday Book (1086), with 24 households recorded under two owners. This explains why there were two manor houses here.
By the 1600s, for unclear reasons, the original village had fallen into decline. Homes and farms were rebuilt around the edges, and from then on, the area became known as 'Woughton on the Green'.
This site is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, protected by law.
The east of the village
Look for the sunken track of Meadow Lane, thought to be the best-preserved medieval track in Milton Keynes. On either side were peasant houses and crofts (small garden plots). Eight crofts lie to the north of the lane, and one still shows cottage remains.
This area survived so well because it became grassland after the village was abandoned, later part of the manor’s parkland, and now protected by The Parks Trust. Cattle graze here to keep the land healthy without heavy machinery.
A water mill once stood by the river (recorded as Voxmill in 1346), though its exact location is unknown.
Directions:
Follow Meadow Lane ahead, keeping to the right of the fence, then through the gate and across the road. Or take the hard path to your right, turn left, go through the gate, then left again to the field entrance.
What are the humps and bumps in the fields?
The surrounding fields were used to grow barley, oats, and wheat. You can still see the humps and ditches—called ridge and furrow—created by oxen pulling ploughs through the soil. These are some of the best ridge and furrow in the city, as shown by this aerial photo.
The centre of the village
This is where today’s Woughton on the Green sits. The original village lay beneath these fields, but centuries of ploughing and later building have disturbed much of the archaeology. Some lumps and ditches mark old crofts and peasant houses, while others are from later settlement, including farm buildings associated with Green Farm, which was demolished in 1971.
Stand with your back to the church and look for the sunken track of Meadows Lane, which once wound through the village toward the River Ouzel. Another track, Church Lane Way, crosses it. The medieval village continued ahead, across the canal to the Triceratops sculpture.
To the left is a photo of the Green taken from St Mary's church tower in the 1950s.
Directions: From the church, head straight across the fields toward the canal bridge for another interpretation board. Or take the path to the left of the church to reach the west end of the earthworks.
The west of the village
Beyond the canal lies the western part of the village. Here stood the second manor house, near today’s Triceratops sculpture. The only visible trace is part of its moat which was 80 by 60 metres. The building of the Grand Union (then Grand Junction) canal destroyed the eastern section, and the south was filled in, but you can still see the edge near the sculpture.
Excavations during the building of Peartree Bridge Marina in 1973 revealed a glimpse of medieval life:
- A 14th-century farmhouse with timber walls and a thatched roof.
- A detached kitchen or brewhouse.
- Pottery, tools, animal bones—and this engraved buckle (photo left)
Look for the interpretation board on site for more details.
Want to find out more?
Thank you to Milton Keynes Museum, Milton Keynes Heritage Association and the Offset project for helping with the research for this site.
To find out more, you can visit the Historic England website.
Plan your visit
The earthworks can be explored at What3Words location flame.bumpy.ship.
Woughton on the Green connects to the wider Ouzel Valley Park which meanders from Caldecotte Lake to Willen Lake. During your visit you'll be able to see many historical sites, livestock grazing and wildlife along the river.
Discover Milton Keynes' heritage by exploring the city's historical landmarks and scheduled ancient monuments.
