Monument record 4268/1 - Braybrooke Castle

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Summary

The earthwork and buried remains of a medieval moated manor known as Braybrooke Castle and its associated enclosures and water control features. In the early 14th century Thomas de Latimer was granted a licence to strengthen his manor house at Braybrooke and documentary sources indicate that the moated house was constructed at this time. The manor passed to the Griffin family in the early 15th century, but by the mid-16th century the buildings were in a poor condition. They were finally pulled down in 1633 and replaced by a farmhouse which itself was demolished in 1960. The earthwork and buried remains of the moated site, which measures 80 metres square, lie within a larger rectangular enclosure which is bounded by a ditch to the east, by a ditch and bank to the south and a pond to the west and north. These enclosure ditches form part of a water managment system associated with the moated manor and include ponds, fish breeding tanks and further water channels. To the north of the moated site is a large rectangular pond. At its eastern end is a smaller pond which is joined to the former by two channels which in turn form two sides of a small raised island. To the west of the maoted site are a series of inter-connencting fishponds that take the form of rectangular mounds surrounded by ditches. Three have shallow depressions or ponds within them which have been interpreted as fish-breeding tanks where small fish were kept until they were large enough to be transferred into the main pond. A further dry, rectangular pond is visible to the south. The area to the east of the moated site is divided into a number of small enclosures or paddocks. To the south east of the moated manor site are the remains of a further moated site.

Map

Type and Period (15)

Full Description

{2} In the early 14th century Thomas de Latimer was granted a licence to strengthen his manor house at Braybrooke and documentary sources indicate that the moated house was constructed at this time. The manor passed to the Griffin family in the early 15th century, but by the mid-16th century the buildings
were in a poor condition. They were finally pulled down in 1633 and replaced by a farmhouse which was itself demolished in 1960. The earthwork and buried remains of the moated site, which measures approximately 80m square, lie within a larger rectangular enclosure which is bounded by a ditch to the east, by a ditch and bank to the south and a pond to the west and north. These enclosure ditches form part of the water management system associated with the moated manor and include ponds, fish breeding tanks and further water channels, originally fed from a west-flowing brook situated to the north. [relevant part of scheduling text only]

{3} Braybrooke Castle comprises several enclosures, the largest of which is a lake, filled by the stream at its NE corner. The castle keep was probably on the mound (Section E-F) although there are no traces of stonework there (or elsewhere). To the S and W of the 'keep' appears to be the courtyard, or bailey, and to the E of this is a rectangular enclosure, containing a moat (Section G-H) within which is a modern farmhouse. The moat is possibly not part of the original plan.

The small mounds cut by sections C-D and J-K are peculiar, and the writer knows of no similar cases.

The entrenchments are not now in very good condition, and the road passing along the S edge of the castle may have destroyed an outer ditch. The entrenchments probably continued NW, and W and N, and the entrenchment sectioned by L-M probably returned W to complete a triangular enclosure.

{5} The castle was apparently situated in an area known as East Hall, so-called to distinguish it from the existing village which was usually called West Hall. The capital messuage, later to be the castle, is first mentioned in an undated document of the mid 12th century. Around 1200 'Henry de Braybroc released to the Abbot and Convent of Pipe well all his rights in the dam which Robert de Braibroc his father had made in Braibroc ... so that the water of the dam may have its course to Henry's fishpond as it used to have'. This suggests that part of the existing fishponds was constructed in the late 12th century. In 1213 the same Henry de Braybrooke was given timber from the Forest of Leicester for build ing 'a fair chamber' at Braybrooke. At the end of the 13th century the manor passed by marriage to the Latimer family and in 1292 they were holding a capital messuage with a garden. In 1303–4 Thomas de Latimer had 'licence to strengthen his manor house at Braybrook with a stone wall and to embattle it' and soon afterwards had 'the roof of his great chamber at Braybrooke of the timber of the Abbot and Convent of Pipewell'. These documents suggest that the existing moated castle site was constructed at this time. Certainly by 1329–30 there was 'a capital messuage inclosed by water, with a close outside the gates', while the 'fishing around the inclosure' was worth nothing. There are a number of later references to the castle, as in 1334–5 when the 'houses within the moat' are mentioned. The castle and manor passed to the Griffin family in the early 15th century, but by the mid 16th century the castle buildings were in poor condition. The Griffins moved to their new home at Dingley in 1549–50 and the castle became a farmhouse. The buildings were finally pulled down in the early 17th century and in 1633 some stone from them was re-used in repairs to Walgrave church. A new farmhouse was then built and this stood until 1960 when it was demolished. This was an L-shaped stone building with mullioned windows of mid 17th-century date (Photographs in NMR).

The castle itself lies in the centre of the site. It has been much damaged by recent agricultural activity and farm buildings, and an old garden still exists on its S. side. The remains suggest that it was little more than a simple square moated island, completely surrounded by a wide ditch. This is still largely undamaged on the E. and N. sides where it is nearly 2 m. deep, though on the W. it is only a shallow depression less than 0.5 m. deep. N. of the castle and lying parallel to the stream is a large pond bounded on the N. and W. by a massive bank up to 2 m. high which retained the water. It is difficult to see from where the water was obtained, for it is considerably higher than the adjacent stream, and a gap through the bank on the N. side, leading to the stream, appears to be an overflow leet. The interior of the pond is covered with ridge-and-furrow up to 7 m. wide but extremely short, especially at the E. end where it is only 15 m. long. This is later than the pond for not only does it ride over the base of the bank on the N. side but in the S.W. corner it also crosses a clear scarp which apparently marks the edge of the former water. At the E. end of the pond is another smaller one, nearly 3 m. deep, joined to the first by two channels which form either side of a large quadrilateral island. To the W. of the castle is a series of rectangular flat-topped mounds, three large ones surrounded by ditches up to 2.5 m. deep, and two small ones bounded by shallow ditches only 0.5 m. deep. The latter have small depressions in them, 1 m. deep, while the easternmost of the large mounds has a rectangular depression 2.5 m. deep. No explanation for these mounds can be given, though it has been suggested that they are fish-breeding tanks {17}. S. of the mounds, parallel to the modern road, is a large rectangu lar pond, now dry, extending N. to join the ditch of the easternmost mound. This appears to be a former fishpond. E. of the castle is a series of low banks and shallow ditches forming a set of irregular paddocks. One of them has a small area of ridge-and-furrow within it.

{15} The earthworks comprise a large fishpond with, ranged along its southern bank, the remains of a complicated manorial site.

The pond was fed from the east, firstly into a small 'reception' pond and then either side of an island (section J-K, authy 3) into the main basin.

Of the other features, the westerly are two square islands situated N-S, (section C-D, authy 3) flat topped and of similar height, possibly an early double moat, the ditch bottom being above the pond bed. Adjacent are three sub-rectangular mounds, each having a sub-rectangular depression. Only the largest is noted by authy 3 who suggests it is the site of the keep (section E-F). It is however the only one to hold water and has an overflow out on the west side. The absence of masonry, the sharpness of profile and the off-squareness of the features seems to indicate it and the others were constructed for some other purpose.

The published site of the castle is occupied by the remains of the farmhouse where the moat survives only to the north and east. The west arm has been utilised as a drain and has silted up. The ditch alongside the road probably continued through where farm buildings now stand, to link up with the channel from the east end of the large pond.

South of the road at SP 76958438 is a small ditched enclosure which may be associated with the main site. See annotated 25" survey.

The ditch continuing eastward is not considered to be an integral part of the main complex.

{19} Former farm building standing on the site of Braybrooke Castle (SP 7686 8448). Currently unoccupied and in ruinous state. Not included within the scheduling.


<1> FOARD G.R., 1994, Braybrooke Medieval Village, (unchecked) (Notes). SNN1419.

<2> ENGLISH HERITAGE, 1983, DOE Scheduled Ancient Monuments: Northamptonshire (Part 1) (Schedule). SNN104791.

<3> Serjeantson R.M.; Ryland W. (Editors), 1906, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.414-15 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100369.

<4> Kenyon J.R., 2008, Castles, Town Defences and Artillery Fortifications in the United Kingdom and Ireland: A Bibliography 1945 - 2006, (unchecked) (Bibliography). SNN106309.

<5> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.11 site 1 (checked) (Series). SNN77380.

<6> Lanning K.; Pearson V.; Walker D., 1995, Castles in Northamptonshire: A Resource Pack for Teachers, (unchecked) (Educational Resource Pack). SNN75536.

<7> Parker, Domestic Architecture in England, 3/PART 2/404 (Book). SNN56159.

<8> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP78SE8 (part checked) (Index). SNN443.

<9> Kingsford, H.S. (Ed.), 1924, The Antiquaries Journal (Vol. 4 No. 3), p.298 (part checked) (Journal). SNN28237.

<10> 1943, HARBOROUGH MAIL, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN56960.

<11> English Heritage, 1992, English Heritage Scheduling Notification, (unchecked) (Report). SNN47128.

<12> 1767, Braybrooke Estate Map, 1767, (unchecked) (Map). SNN102453.

<13> Hall D.N., 1960-1999, Rockingham Forest Project: Archaeological Sites Recorded by David Hall, (unchecked) (Database). SNN102279.

<14> PALEY BAILDON W., 1923, Braybrooke, Its Castle, Manor and Lords, (unchecked) (Book). SNN56956.

<15> Seaman, BH, 1969, Field investigators comments, F1 BHS 27-JUL-1969 (Notes). SNN111907.

<16> Cathcart King, D J, 1983, Castellarium anglicanum : an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the Islands. Volume II : Norfolk-Yorkshire and the islands, p. 315 (Book). SNN112899.

<17> 1971, Northamptonshire Past and Present (4/6), p. 306 (Journal). SNN42342.

<18> Aerial Photograph, AP (CUAP AGU 46) (Photographs). SNN112974.

<19> Cadman, G, 2015, Note on Braybrooke Castle-Building (Note). SNN114655.

Sources/Archives (19)

  • <1> Notes: FOARD G.R.. 1994. Braybrooke Medieval Village. (unchecked).
  • <2> Schedule: ENGLISH HERITAGE. 1983. DOE Scheduled Ancient Monuments: Northamptonshire (Part 1). Job 1131.
  • <3> Series: Serjeantson R.M.; Ryland W. (Editors). 1906. The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire. 2. University of London. p.414-15 (unchecked).
  • <4> Bibliography: Kenyon J.R.. 2008. Castles, Town Defences and Artillery Fortifications in the United Kingdom and Ireland: A Bibliography 1945 - 2006. Shaun Tyas. (unchecked).
  • <5> Series: Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England. 1979. An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton. 2. HMSO. p.11 site 1 (checked).
  • <6> Educational Resource Pack: Lanning K.; Pearson V.; Walker D.. 1995. Castles in Northamptonshire: A Resource Pack for Teachers. N.C.C.. (unchecked).
  • <7> Book: Parker. Domestic Architecture in England. 3. 3/PART 2/404.
  • <8> Index: Ordnance Survey. 1950s/1960s. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. Ordnance Survey. SP78SE8 (part checked).
  • <9> Journal: Kingsford, H.S. (Ed.). 1924. The Antiquaries Journal (Vol. 4 No. 3). The Antiquaries Journal. Vol. 4 No. 3. Society of Antiquaries. p.298 (part checked).
  • <10> Uncertain: 1943. HARBOROUGH MAIL. 19 JUNE. (unchecked).
  • <11> Report: English Heritage. 1992. English Heritage Scheduling Notification. English Heritage. (unchecked).
  • <12> Map: 1767. Braybrooke Estate Map, 1767. NRO X9947. (unchecked).
  • <13> Database: Hall D.N.. 1960-1999. Rockingham Forest Project: Archaeological Sites Recorded by David Hall. 10/02/2003. Rockingham Pr SMR.xls. Excel97 + Mapinfo files. (unchecked).
  • <14> Book: PALEY BAILDON W.. 1923. Braybrooke, Its Castle, Manor and Lords. (unchecked).
  • <15> Notes: Seaman, BH. 1969. Field investigators comments. English Heritage. F1 BHS 27-JUL-1969.
  • <16> Book: Cathcart King, D J. 1983. Castellarium anglicanum : an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the Islands. Volume II : Norfolk-Yorkshire and the islands. 2. p. 315.
  • <17> Journal: 1971. Northamptonshire Past and Present (4/6). Northamptonshire Past and Present. 4 No.6. Northants Record Society. p. 306.
  • <18> Photographs: Aerial Photograph. AP (CUAP AGU 46).
  • <19> Note: Cadman, G. 2015. Note on Braybrooke Castle-Building. NCC Archives & Heritage Service.

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (17)

Related Events/Activities (3)

Location

Grid reference Centred SP 7677 8451 (498m by 269m) Transfer
Civil Parish BRAYBROOKE, North Northamptonshire (formerly Kettering District)

Protected Status/Designation

Other Statuses/References

  • NRHE HOB UID: 343946

Record last edited

Feb 10 2025 7:04PM

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