Gayton (recorded as Gaitone) was listed in the Domesday Book (1086 AD), together with nearby Amerton, in the Pirehill hundred, as having 8 households, with 10 villagers and 6 smallholders, and the Tenant-in-Chief was Earl Roger of Shrewsbury. Agriculturally, they had 4 ploughlands, 1 lord's plough teams and 4 men's plough teams, and had a value to lord of £1.5, with the total amount of tax assessed 0.5 geld units. The village was documented to be held by Aelmer and Alric. It was also documented to have woodland of "1 league in length and half a league in breadth".