Monument record 2929 - Cottesbrooke

Cottesbrooke medieval settlement remains suggest a polyfocal origin of the village.

{1} The main area of earthworks, immediately west of the church are not easily interpreted as no settlement is depicted here in historic maps of the village. The earliest map of 1628 {3}, and later 19th century maps, depict a road which left the present one at the north-east corner of the churchyard and ran north towards the lake of stream as it was in 1628 and then turned west to run along the valley. The whole area of surviving earthworks was a single field in 1628; it is possible that the earthworks are no more than the remains of old paddocks and subsequent quarrying, all of which took place after 1628 and had been mostly abandoned by 1839 {4}. It is possible that Cottesbrooke consisted of two separate settlements and is an example of a polyfocal village. Whether this double-focus settlement existed at an early date is not known. The manorial boundary apparent on the 1628 map may indicate the division between the estates of the two settlements. The east part of the village underwent major changes in the 19th century but no earthworks bear witness to this.

The east part of the village underwent major changes in the 19th century but no earthworks bear witness to this. In 1628 the area was rather rectilinear in layout with a large number of houses scattered along its lanes. By 1839 this had been modified, partly by shrinkage but largely by the encroachment of the park from the north. Soon afterwards there were further alterations as the 1858 {5} map and later in the 19th century most of the area was altered again and the kitchen gardens of the hall were laid out across it. At the extreme end of the village on both sides of the road, east and south-east of Home Farm is a series of small rectangular enclosures bounded by low banks and scarps. These may represent another part of the village, but the area was already devoid of occupation by 1628.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1981, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.54-57 site 5 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77381.

<2> Billington V., 2000, Woad-Growing in Northamptonshire, p.59-70 (unchecked) (Article). SNN102516.

<3> 1628, Map of Cottesbrooke, NRO: Map 4427 (Map). SNN17505.

<4> 1839, Cottesbrooke Tithe Map, NRO: T234 (Map). SNN17513.

<5> 1858, Map of Cottesbrooke, NRO: Map 700 (Map). SNN111733.

<6> Rowley R.T.; Fowler W.J. (Editors), 1974, South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter (4), p. 27 (Newsletter). SNN17341.

<7> PARSONS D., 1977, Medieval Britain in 1976, p. 189 (Notes). SNN104780.

<8> Aerial Photograph, AP (CUAP AZU16) (Photographs). SNN112974.

<9> RCHME, Undated, RCHME Inventory: Northamptonshire II (Central), 890773; 890777 (Archive). SNN112900.

Record last edited

Feb 3 2025 7:31PM