Monument record 600/4/3 - Medieval/Post Medieval Enclosure (Morphed Aerial Archaeology Interpretation)

Earthwork: Non-destructive fieldwork

{1} A large trapezoidal area occupying most of a shallow valley and formerly bounded, except on the north west side, by a broad flat-topped bank or terrace 1m-1.5m high wih a slight inner ditch. The south and south west sides have recently been destroyed and little trace remains. Within this enclosure, along its east side, were three irregular ponds, now reduced to one large marshy area. In the centre of the area and immediately north of the northernmost pond is a circular mound only 0.5m high. The embanked area and moat have previously been ascribed to the priory and are traditionally called ‘The Canons Walk’ or ‘The Vineyard’. However there is not direct evidence fort his assumption and indeed, air photos show that before it was destroyed, the bank running along the south west side of the area overlay ridge and furrow. Unless this ridge and furrow was very early the bank or terrace walk probably belongs to the 16th century gardens of Sir John Cope’s house. The form of the earthworks would agree with either hypothesis.

{2} Now a marsh area. North of the pond is a circular mound 5m high. Traditional names for the area are "Canons Walk or "The Vineyard". This may be a post medieval and not the priory garden; the south west boundary cuts ridge and furrow, possibly suggesting a post medieval date.

{4} One of the earliest post-medieval pleasure gardens to be identified is that at Canons Ashby in Northamptonshire. It was laid out in 1540 by Sir John Cope on one side of a new house constructed from the ruins of the former priory and was abandoned in 1551 when a replacement house was erected some distance away. This garden had many of the features of a medieval garden including an inner moated enclosure attached to the house and a group of still water ponds in an outer garden. Yet this latter feature was bounded, not by a confining wall, but by a flat-topped terrace walk, the perambulation of which allowed views across the adjacent countryside as well as of the internal garden. Thus it combined the traditional idea of a garden, with its enclosed spaces, with new concepts abandoning the old cloistered effect.

{8} In 1536 the site of the monastery also included an orchard, with fishponds and a garden, and so we cannot be certain to what extent the earthworks which lay to the south-east of the priory, now partially destroyed by ploughing, were related to the monastery, or has been recently suggested from their form and layout and the way they overlie ridge and furrow, that they were a post medieval creation associated with the Cope mansion. This question cannot be resolved, although the fact that the features overlie ridge and furrow cannot be used as evidence for we know that most of the land around the village was already enclosed by the dissolution.

{10} Also the moat, enclosure banks and ponds to the south-east survive in part, despite recent infilling and ploughing.

{11} Some 200yds south-east of the church can be traced the remains of fishponds and the terraced feature known as Canons Walk.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1981, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.36 site 2 (checked) (Series). SNN77381.

<2> Taylor P., 1992, Fishponds Report 1992, (unchecked) (Report). SNN1339.

<3> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, Used with NMR & CUCAP collections (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN104822.

<4> Taylor C., 1983, The Archaeology of Gardens, p.41-42 (checked) (Series). SNN41440.

<5> National Trust, 1992, Archaeological Survey: Canons Ashby, Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Report). SNN47558.

<6> Beamish, H.J.H., 1987, Earthworks at Canons Ashby, (unchecked) (Typescript Report). SNN77339.

<7> RCHME, 1992, Canons Ashby, Northamptonshire: An archaeological survey by the RCHME, December 1992, (unchecked) (Report). SNN71599.

<8> FOARD G.R., 1982, Canons Ashby, Northamptonshire: An Archaeological Report, 1982, p.4 (checked) (Typescript Report). SNN45382.

<9> Ordnance Survey, 1950, Ordnance Survey 1950s Mapping Series (SP55), (unchecked) (Map). SNN46916.

<10> Steane J., 1974, The Northamptonshire Landscape, p.121 (checked0 (Book). SNN5137.

<11> Taylor S.J., 1974, An Excavation on The Site of The Augustinian Priory, Canons Ashby, Northamptonshire, p.57 (checked) (Article). SNN71340.

Record last edited

Jun 19 2024 12:40PM