Monument record 2416/35/4 - The Mill Yard, Oundle

Immediately to the north of the mill lay a plot of ground called the mill yard, which is mentioned as early as 1471 and may be the site of a cottage.

{1} In 1125-28 the mill was a tenement with a virgate of open field land attached to it and rendered 40/- and 200 eels. In 1214-22 the mill paid rent of ,11/5/8d and still had attached to it a virgate of open field land which rendered 25/- a year. This was held by Simon the miller who also held another toft with a virgate of land attached. The field land probably became detached from the mill in the later 13th century when the mill was taken in hand, like much of the rest of the demesne, to be managed directly by the lord, as a result of economic changes which caused a similar phase of direct management throughout the country.
Immediately to the north of the mill lay a plot of ground called the mill yard, which is mentioned as early as 1471. In the early 14th century there is reference not only to the mill house itself but also to a cottage at the mill, which clearly belonged to the mill. The mill yard may be the site of this cottage for in 1471 the mill yard was described as a toft. In 1516-17 it was in the lord's hands and so yielded no rent. Significantly it is described as a parcel of the lord's waste 36ft long and in width 5 feet held for a rent of 6d and which had previously been enclosed by Henry Lytster to extend the mill site. The pasture strip next to the mill yard is also described as a piece of the lord's waste in 1565. In 1542 the mill yard is still described as a toft, but in 1565 it was 'a peece of great wast ground' which stood at the corner of Mill Lane and Back Lane.In the early 14th century two other cottages lay immediately to the north of the water mill, though they apparently had no connection with it. By 1399, like some other tenements in the town, the two cottages had gone though the two vacant tofts within which they had stood still remained. In 1491-2 they and the tenement immediately to the north were still recorded as empty tofts but in 1542-3 they were termed crofts. This is probably the tenement recorded in 1565 as lying immediately north of the Back Lane.

<1> Foard G.; Ballinger J.;, 2002, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Oundle, Section 3.1.2.3 (checked) (Report). SNN102637.

Record last edited

Jul 13 2021 1:20PM