Docking has two neighbouring deserted medieval villages. To the north-west is the hamlet of Summerfield, which used to be the village of Southmere with its own parish church dedicated to St Andrew (grid ref: TF 7479 3850). The village was abandoned in the mid 16th century, and the parish combined with that of Docking. The name of "Docking with Southmere" was then used for the latter until the 20th century. The other deserted medieval village is Choseley on the lane to Thornham, which was also parochial. The church was abandoned probably in the 16th century, but here the parish was kept. The main cause of the abandonment of these villages was that the land around Docking was being converted from arable into pasture by the landowners.