Early history

Northfield has evidence of both Stone Age and Bronze Age activity, including likely occupation over a lengthy period of time.

In the Roman period the road from the Bristol Channel port of Sea Mills to the north-east of England passed through Northfield.

The 'old' village of Northfield (Nordfeld) was described in the Domesday Book as having a priest as well as seven villeins, sixteen borders, six cottars, who shared enough land for thirteen ploughs, two serfs and a bondswoman (a slave). This entry tells us that there was a church in Northfield before the Norman Church of St Laurence was built.

The population expansion of the 12th and 13th centuries saw the building of a number of substantial farms within moats.