Monument record 3202/0/1 - Medieval Fishponds

The site of medieval fishponds originally associated with Higham Ferrer's castle. The fishponds have now been levelled. Documentary sources suggest that they comprised two rectangular embanked ponds.

{1} Earthwork. Two medieval manorial embanked fishponds, originally belonging to Higham Ferrers Castle. King's Meadow Lane. They were let to the warden of Chichelle College in 1425 for 50 years at 5s. Per annum ("with The Vine's Close").

(SP 957693) Fish Pond (NR)

{2} Fishponds (SP 957693) now completely destroyed, lay NW of the town in the valley of a small brook draining NW into the R. Nene. The only indication of their lay-out is on OS maps which suggest that they comprised two rectangular embanked ponds. They were almost certainly of medieval date.

{3} Survey by Mr Groome of Higham Ferrers History Society.

{4} There were at least two separate groups of fishponds in the manor. One group lay in the bottom of the small valley of Kings Meadow Lane in the close called The Vines. The fishpond in The Vines is recorded in 1464 and in 1885 comprised a single pond created by a dam across the valley bottom. Area of fishponds taken from digitised 1st editon OS map.

{5} Hollowell aerial photograph (D86 1976 163) shows distinct cropmark of pond and outflow channel.

{6} Mr Groome of Higham Ferrers History Society said the fishponds were medieval and belonged to the castle (SP 96 NE 6). They have now been filled in and levelled.

{7} The fishponds described were viewed on historical aerial photographs as part of the Bedford Borough NMP project, but the fishponds were already levelled by 1947.

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP96NE16 (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<2> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1975, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.56/Site 10 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77379.

<3> GROOME, 1964, Untitled Source, p.7 (unchecked) (Report). SNN48187.

<4> Foard G.; Ballinger J., 1999, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Higham Ferrers (Medieval - Industrial), (checked) (Digital archive). SNN100543.

<5> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, (unchecked) (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN104822.

<6> Seaman, B H, 1970, Field Investigator's Comments, 28-JUL-70 (Notes). SNN111541.

<7> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, RAF/CPE/UK/1925 RS 4254-4255 16-JAN-1947 (Photographs). SNN104890.

<8> RCHME, Undated, RCHME Inventory: Northamptonshire II (Central), 890494 (Archive). SNN112900.

Record last edited

Jul 8 2024 4:04PM