The small village of Shaftholme is laid out in linear fashion along a road. Magilton (1977, 3) refers to a probable timber framed house and the SMR records it as a deserted medieval village. The name contains Scandinavian elements and it does not appear in Domesday. Internal and external boundaries of plots are remarkably consistent with the 1st edition OS. Wheeler (1994) refers to an undated reference in the Nostell Cartulary and a reference in the 1379 Poll Tax returns. Translated as 'water meadow marked by a pole or made of poles'