A church and a mill are recorded at Prestetone (later Preston) in the Domesday Survey of 1086. The church still exists and the mill may have been a watermill powered by the Wellesbourne seasonal River. The land was managed by the Bishop of Chichester. At that time the village was home to 30 villagers and 20 smallholders.
1086 - The First Recording of Prestetone
According to ecclesiastical logs, the Archbishop of Canterbury at the time, Richard le Grant, visited the village in 1230. This may have been to consecrate the site of the unbuilt St Peters Church. The foundations of what is now Preston Manor consists of a nave, chancel and western tower were also built in the 1250’s.
1230 - A famous visitor
In 1510, Edward Elrington leased the manor for 80 years from the Bishop of Chichester
1510 Edward Elrington & The Shirley Family
A significant number of villagers were killed by the plague, reducing the workforce available to manage the agricultural lands around Preston on behalf of the powerful Bishop of Chichester.
1348-1350 - The Great Pestilence
A significant number of the Prestons villagers were killed by the plague.