Monument record 1679/7 - Medieval Rabbit Warren Adjacent to Higham Ferrers Castle

The medieval rabbit warren, containing a large warren mound and several fishponds, immediately north of the castle site, has well preserved earthwork remains. Indeed this would appear to be one of the best preserved as well as most substantial of all medieval rabbit warrens in the county.

{8} Earthworks of a medieval warren comprising a circular depression at SP96076880, a large irregular high mound and a tree-covered 'rampart'. Sometimes wrongly identified as the castle site. Surveyed in 1967 6 inch plan included. Name: Coney Garth.

{9} Documentary source: medieval warren. Right of 'free warren' granted to William de Ferrers in 1248.

{13} The warren is first mentioned in 1314. C14-C15th accounts describe the warren as being enclosed by a wall and gate, and mentions a warrener. In 1372 the warren was broken into and rabbits, hares, pheasants and partridges were taken, amongst other offences.

{14} There is no reference to a warren in the extent of Higham in 1298, but a garden and fishpond were at that time associated with the capital messuage. By 1313-14 the accounts do record the employment of a warrener. It is possible therefore that the warren was created in the early 14th century out of an existing garden attached to the castle. However, a grant of free warren had been made to the Earl of Derby in 1248, for which warrant was proved in 1329, and so it is still possible that a warren existed by this date. The warren was leased to the warden of the College in 1492 and was still held at farm by the warden in 1535. After the dissolution it continued to be leased to tenants, well after the demolition of the castle, though whether still functioning as a warren is unclear. Certainly by 1649 it was described simply as a close of pasture containing 66 trees and called the Connygarth. In 1789 the enclosure immediately north of castle yard is identified as the coneygarth, an identification confirmed by the 1649 survey. At that time it incorporated several ponds, also shown by Norden in 1591. The surviving earthworks in the warren include, in addition to the fishponds, a large irregular mound which has been interpreted as a mound for the rabbits to create burrows.

<1> 1591, Bibliotheque Nationale Paris, Mss 706 Anglais, Acq. Nouv. No.58, (unchecked) (Map). SNN100545.

<2> Bainbridge T., 1789, Higham Ferrers, 1789 (NRO Map 1000), (unchecked) (Map). SNN100544.

<3> NORDEN, 1610, MAP, (unchecked) (Map). SNN59147.

<4> SERJEANTSON R.M., 1918, The Court Rolls of Higham Ferrers, (unchecked) (Article). SNN75224.

<5> Brown A.E. (Ed.), 1967, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1966/67 (Medieval), p.25 (unchecked) (Article). SNN26725.

<6> BROWN A.E., 1974, Higham Ferrers Castle - Or Otherwise, 5/79-84 (unchecked) (Article). SNN37501.

<7> TAYLOR C.C., 1974, FIELDWORK IN MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY, p.120+121 (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN58049.

<8> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1975, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.56 Site 9 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77379.

<9> Page W. (ed), 1930, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire- The Borough of Northampton, p.269 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100370.

<10> 1915, The Court Rolls of Higham Ferrers, p.95-146 (unchecked) (Series). SNN37519.

<11> 1917, Associated Architectural Societies Reports, p.47-102 (unchecked) (Series). SNN58047.

<12> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP96NE6 (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<13> Steane J., 1974, The Northamptonshire Landscape, p.179-80 (unchecked) (Book). SNN5137.

<14> Foard G.; Ballinger J., 1999, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Higham Ferrers (Medieval - Industrial), (unchecked) (Digital archive). SNN100543.

Record last edited

Apr 24 2017 1:07PM