Site Of Medieval Village of Towthorpe

Walking across this field near Driffield, you're standing on ground that was once a thriving medieval village. Towthorpe vanished centuries ago, but earthworks still show where houses, streets and the manor once stood - low ridges and bumps in the landscape that tell the story of a community that simply ceased to exist.

This is proper archaeological territory. There's no visitor centre, no reconstructed buildings, no interpretive panels telling you what to think. What you get is the raw landscape and your imagination. The site works best for walkers with an interest in local history or archaeology - casual visitors might find it underwhelming, if I'm honest. You're reading the land rather than looking at something dramatic.

The village was likely abandoned in the 14th or 15th century, possibly due to enclosure or plague, though the exact story remains somewhat mysterious. That uncertainty is actually part of the appeal. You're doing the detective work yourself, spotting the patterns that archaeologists have mapped out.

It's free, obviously, and takes as long as you want - twenty minutes for a quick look, an hour if you're genuinely interested in tracking the layout. The nearest proper base is Driffield, but if you're camping at Seaways Glamping nearby, this makes an absorbing morning's walk before heading to the coast. East End Farm Campsite, also close by, puts you within easy reach of the Yorkshire Wolds walks, of which this is one of the more intriguing.