Monument record 1748/1/1 - Post-medieval windmill

Ring Ditch of Windmill (Morphed Aerial Archaeology Interpretation): Crop/soilmark: Good quality photography. Evaluated in 1990 and confirmed to be of a former windmill

{1} Fieldname: Little Windmill Field; on the fieldname map of 1932.

{2} Post-medieval windmill of the post mill type;

{3} A windmill mound surrounded by a horseshoe-shaped ditch, and with a circular structure and cross shaped trench at its centre, was recognised from aerial photos. Examination on the ground identified the surviving mound, c0.25m high.Excavation revealed a circular foundation trench filled with small pieces of ironstone and limestone, and a roughly cross shaped trench that presumably held a cross tree although no timber survived. The horeshoe shaped ditch was presumably excavated in order to provide material for the mound. A limestone wall had been constructed against the inner face of the ditch, angled towards the mound, presumably to act as a revetment.

{4} Trial excavation undertaken in 1990; tangible traces of the post-medieval windmill survive;

{5} Iron Age enclosures, post medieval windmill and later quarrying identified by evaluation directed by M Shaw.

{7} Cropmark recorded in 1979. Ring ditch of possible windmill mound. NCCAP:SP9774/017.

{9} From the trial trench record and cropmark evidence, an outline reconstruction is possible. The mound was c15m in diameter and stood to a height of c0.25m above the surrounding ground. The circular trench would have been the foundation for a stone-built room, the 'roundhouse', enclosing the base of the mill. In the centre was a roughly cross-shaped pit, although it is suggested that it was just the subsisdence hollow as it was too shallow to have been a full cross-tree slot- this feature remained unexcavated below.
On the basis of the pottery assemblage, it is suggested that this was the site of a medieval windmill that fell into disuse and was then reused for a new windmill built sometime in the early 19th century.

[10} Irregular ring ditch recorded on AP in 1979.

<1> 1932, Ringstead Parish Field Names Map (NRO), (unchecked) (Map). SNN36450.

<2> 1839?, Ringstead Enclosure Map, (unchecked) (Map). SNN36451.

<3> Shaw M.; Sharman T.; O'Hara P., 1990, Archaeological Evaluation at Ringstead Grange, Northants, pp.7-8 (unchecked) (Report). SNN72309.

<4> 1991, SMR REPORT FORM, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN48969.

<5> FOARD G.R., 1979, Oral Report To SMR, (checked) (Oral Report). SNN51264.

<6> Dix B., 1992, Recent Work in Northamptonshire Archaeology, P123 (Article). SNN104441.

<7> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, Used with NMR & CUCAP collections (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN104822.

<8> 1991, SMR REPORT FORM, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN48973.

<9> Simmonds C., 2017, Late Iron Age settlement and a medieval windmill north of Brick Kiln Road, Raunds (Article). SNN111040.

<10> Brown AE, 1980, Aerial Photography 1980, p. 179 (Notes). SNN104579.

Record last edited

Feb 4 2025 7:55PM