Monument record 2416/41 - The Wodehouse, South Bridge

The Wodehouse, la Wadhaus, The Stibbings, Wakerley Closes. A medieval farm belonging to Wakerley Manor, Oundle in the C14th.

{1} Within Oundle township there was only one settlement other than the town itself. This was the Wodehouse, a single, possibly moated farm with at some point an associated dovecote. It belonged to the Wakerley manor in Oundle in the 14th century and had been created through the clearance of about 100 acres of woodland to create closes later known as the Stibbings. This clearance had presumably been completed by 1292 when we have the first reference to the site, with William Wasteneys paying 1lb of cummin as rent for the Wodehouse. In 1307-8 the rent was paid by John of Milton but in 1400 la Wadhaus was a tenement held by John Wakerley. In 1565 the area known as Wakerley Closes, included a Dovecote Close and must represent the site of the Wodehouse, though by this time any settlement had been lost.

[2} Land and pasture only-no house. Richard Palmer of Stoke holds freely from the lord of this manor one separate close of pasture and underwood now called Doffhowse [Dovehouse] Close and formerly Le Woodhose…..lately Wakerleese land.

<1> Foard G.; Ballinger J.;, 2002, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Oundle, p.13 (checked) (Report). SNN102637.

<2> 1565, Austell Survey of Oundle (Map). SNN54729.

Record last edited

Jul 25 2018 11:34AM