Monument record 2266/1 - Possible Saxon/Medieval fortified manor site, Church Hill

The site of a probable late Anglo-Saxon or early medieval fortified manorial complex, although the date and nature of the remains have been much debated.

{1} Earthworks of rampart and house platforms, paddocks and terraceways. Possible hillfort described as a "castle", Fieldname: Castle Close.

{2} There is a Castle site at Wadenhoe, (Castle close, near the church" is mentioned in Bridges, Hist Northants, II 388).

{3} No records of a castle. The earthworks have been identified as quarries. No finds were made during fieldwork by Oundle School.

{4} It is considered that the small spur, centred TL 00928333, between the church and the village is in fact fortified by a once continuous limestone rampart, within which are later remains of building platforms etc much disturbed by quarrying. The date of the rampart is unknown but could be pre-Norman Conquest - the place-name Wadenhoe has been interpreted as 'Wada's spur of land', the platforms etc are presumably post-Conquest medieval. See plan.

{7} Geophysical survey, including both resistivity and magnetometry, was carried out over the earthworks. The survey proved that the irregular groups of mounds are not the result of quarrying, but relate to systematic stone robbing of medieval buildings, probably relating to an extensive manorial complex.

The buildings identified comprised a large rectangular structure 15.75m long x 9.80m wide. Interpreted as an aisled or open hall house. A square building 5.4m x 5.8m attached to the east wall may form a possible chapel or first floor solar. Other structures were built against the north wall including a 1.25m x 0.5m structure which may be a garderobe and a 4m square structure which forms an additional room with north facing oriel. A high magnetic anomaly situated within the centre of the main structure may indicate a central hearth, and a similar feature midway along the south wall may be the location of a fireplace. A possible earlier phase of hall building, with some common walls was also detected.

The possible remains of a rectangular east-west orientated building 9m x 11.5m. Strong magnetic responses to the west of area may indicate an area of fire. Suggests the building may be service quarters (possibly kitchen) to proposed hall house. A number of small structures would appear to be external service buildings for the hall house. The buildings all lie on the same alignment as the later hall house. Substantial structure measuring 9m square. The (robbed out) walls are nearly 2 metres thick indicating more than a single storey building. May be interpreted as a tower (similar to 14th century Longthorpe Tower near Peterborough).

{9} Dowsing survey over possible building platforms on Wadenhoe hilltop. Speculation that the results indicated a late medieval hall building.

{12} Brief note commenting on possible interpretation of the site as an Iron Age hillfort.

{13} The flat topped hill to the E of the Church is "evidently natural" - there are traditions of a Roman encampment here, but Oundle School AS has been here many times and found "nothing" (Roman). Mr Hunt (owner of the village) knew nothing of the Castle.

{14} Aps show a likely site on a hill just to the E of the church, at TL 0090 8335.

{15} There are no surface traces of Castle site at Wadenhoe nor could authoritive literary evidence be found to support the traditional claim. The suggested area is occupied by extensive former quarrying with contemporary spoil heaps and roads.

{16} Scheduled as a "Fortified Medieval Settlement" (which is erroneously taken as RCHM's conclusion).

<1> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.288 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77326.

<2> Morton J., 1712, The Natural History of Northamptonshire, p.55 (unchecked) (Book). SNN10113.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, TL08SW1 (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<4> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1975, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.102 (part checked) (Series). SNN77379.

<5> Dept of Environment, Letter in Supplementary File, (part checked) (Correspondence). SNN52251.

<7> CHALLANDS A., 1998, Report on The Geophysical Survey at Church Hill, Wadenhoe, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN44079.

<8> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, Used with NMR & CUCAP collections (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN104822.

<9> DAVIES B., 1997, Wadenhoe Hill Top Site Dowsing Survey, (checked) (Notes). SNN39790.

<10> CHALLANDS A., 1996-7, The Geophysical Survey at Church Hill, Wadenhoe, Northamptonshire: A Medieval Moated Site (Article). SNN104075.

<11> Hall D.N., 1960-1999, Rockingham Forest Project: Archaeological Sites Recorded by David Hall, (unchecked) (Database). SNN102279.

<12> Cadman, G, 2015, Wadenhoe, Northamptonshire- a hillfort? A note for CLASP (Note). SNN114661.

<13> Historic England, Unknown, Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments, JPG visit 9.9.67 (Oral Report). SNN111577.

<14> Vertical Aerial Photograph, RAF 541/602 4083-4 (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN112695.

<15> Colquhoun, FD, 1969, Field investigators comments, F1 FDC 07-NOV-69 (Notes). SNN112950.

<16> Scheduled Monument Notification, DOE (IAM) Rec Form Feb 1976 (Note). SNN113001.

<17> Historic England, Church Hill, Wadenhoe (Archive). SNN114711.

Record last edited

Feb 4 2025 7:53PM