Monument record 4230/1 - Possible Civil War Sconce or undated fishpond

Levelled earthworks of possible Civil War defences or a fishpond/duck decoy identified at Kelmarsh.

{1} OS original classification as fishponds is still most likely.

{3} In June 1968 Col. Lancaster, owner of the Kelmarsh estate since 1902, decided to level the earthworks supposedly marking the site of the old manor. Prior to this he match-funded MPBW money to allow a complete aerial survey of the site, followed by exhaustive ground survey.

It was clear that these earthworks could be neither the foundations of the Old Hall, as had been supposed, nor fish ponds, as had recently been suggested. The absence of masonry or foundations and the high water table here made it inconceivable that this was ever the site of a building. The earthworks had a gap in the middle of each, and the sections showed no pond residue, which contradicted the fishpond theory.
The area was approximately 100ft square, surrounded by banks on the west, with two banks tapering towards one another, so that they are about 6ft apart at the eastern extremity. Almost all the banks were 6ft high, although probably originally higher. One curious feature was the gap that occurred in the middle of all of the banks; this being to ground level, and accompanied by a small mound in the interior of the earthworks.
The earthworks have been identified as a Civil War defensive siege-work. Similar works have been identified at Newark on Trent. The gaps in the banks have been interpreted as gun emplacements. The technical term for such works is “sconces”.

{4} Earthworks comprising a small rectangular area, with an elongated triangular one immediately to the south, bounded by earthen banks up to 1.5m high, in which there were a number of gaps. In general appearance they are similar earthworks to those at the north end of Kelmarsh village. The site was completely levelled in 1968, prior to which excavation was carried out, on the supposition that the earthworks represented the site of the former manor house [Old Hall].

The excavator concluded that this was the site of a C17th Civil War sconce. This is most unlikely, as the earthworks bore little relationship to Civil War defences. Although the excavator rejected the OS interpretation of the site as medieval fishponds, this is still the most likely explanation.

{6} The site has been ploughed out. No surface finds were made.

{7} (SP 72858010) (Earthworks portrayed - not named).

{8} SP 729 800: An aerial photograph site identified in 1976 as a possible Duck Decoy.

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP78SW9 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<2> Barley M.?, 1964, Newark-on-Trent, The Civil War Siegeworks, (unchecked) (Report). SNN106187.

<3> Brown G., 1969, The Old Manor House at Kelmarsh and A Civil War Fortification, p.7-17 (checked) (Report). SNN57929.

<4> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1981, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.112 Site 15 (checked) (Series). SNN77381.

<5> Department of Environment, 1969, Archaeological Excavations, 1968, 63 (Note). SNN110875.

<6> Colquhoun, FD, 1969, Field investigators comments, F1 FDC 12-NOV-69 (Notes). SNN112950.

<7> Ordnance Survey Map (Scale/date), OS 25" 1968 (Map). SNN112944.

<8> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1977, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1976, p. 230 (Report). SNN723.

Record last edited

Feb 10 2025 7:04PM