Monument record 5138/3/2 - Possible C16 or C17 garden remains, Upton

Upton 16th or 17th century garden remains possibly the site of a garden house or banqueting hall

{1} Garden Remains (SP 719600; Fig 17), lie 300 m. S.E. of the church and S.E. of Park House or Upper Lias Clay at 78 m. above OD. The site consists of a series of low terraces, less than 0.5 m. high, which lie across the closes at the N. end of the deserted village of Upton [SP 75 NW 26] and block its central hollow-way or former main street. In the N.E. corner is a large rectangular area cut back into the rising ground and bounded on the S. by low banks. The bank at the W. end turns S. to form a broad terrace or raised path. At the extreme N. of the site W. of the modern farm buildings, are more amorphous earthworks which may be the site of a former building.

The remains are of a formal terraced garden dating from the late 16th or early 17th century. They must therefore have been laid out by the Knightley family shortly before they sold Upton or, more likely, by the Samwell family who brought the estate in 1600 and who were certainly responsible for alterations to Upton Hall.

The remains are, however, some distance from the hall itself and can hardly have formed part of a garden arrangement associated with it. Nor is there a record of any other house at Upton whose status would have necessitated such a garden. The most likely explanation for a garden in such a position is that it was perhaps associated with a detached garden house or banqueting hall similar to that at Lyveden New Bield.

{3} Terraces of a former garden cut the settlement remains.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1985, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.409-10; fig 17/Site 7 (Series). SNN77383.

<2> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, Used with NMR & CUCAP collections (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN104822.

<3> Shaw M., 1990, Archaeological Evaluation At Upton, Northampton (South West District), (checked) (Report). SNN102374.

Record last edited

Feb 4 2025 7:27PM