Monument record 638/33/4 - Medieval boundary wall

Boundary wall dividing Robert fitz Walter's Inland and the monks’ enclosure called Bekkelow

{1}At some date between 1231 and 1254 the prior granted to Walter fitz Simon and other parishioners a remission of hay tithes in return for permission to shut off the way between the two fishponds. In later years a wall divided the Inland from the monks’ land known as Bekkelow, crossing the South Brook just to the east of the lord’s fishponds and continuing northwards to the road to Northampton, enclosing the brook for the whole of its length. It appears that the wall may have been built in about 1315. In that year Walter fitz Robert granted the monks land for building a wall from his fishpond to ‘Le Syhet’ between their respective fields and agreed that he and his heirs would not divert the stream running from ‘Suthbrok’ to their fishpond and cause the water to flow outside the monks’ walls. A further grant of a piece of land two foot in width allowed the monks to divert the water course to prevent damage to the wall over time. In 1328 Robert fitz Walter quitclaimed to the prior the right to repair the wall between his Inland and the monks’ enclosure called Bekkelow, and to divert the stream running by his fishpond inside their wall, building if necessary a ditch eight feet wide. An amendment altered the width of the ditch to twelve feet.

<1> Ballinger J.; Foard G., 1999, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Daventry (Medieval/Post Medieval/ Industrial), Section 3.1.2.2 Fishponds (Digital archive). SNN100501.

Record last edited

Nov 17 2016 12:30PM