Monument record 3880 - Doddington Thorpe deserted medieval settlement

Deserted medieval settlement located to the extreme north west of the parish against the Wilby parish boundary on Northampton Sand. A quantity of Early Saxon, medieval and post medieval pottery has been found in the area as well as an Elizabethan coin. To the north in Wilby parish a hollow way approaches the area from Wilby village. Also there is an earlier rectangular enclosure visible as a cropmark in the area.

{1} Earthworks of the deserted hamlet; closes, banks and house platforms at SP869656; house platforms and hollow way SP872656 (?);

{2} Northampton-Wellingborough pipeline. A quantity of medieval and post medieval pottery collected. Stone walling, pits and hearths recorded.

{3} Paced earthwork survey etc;

NCC aerial photo: NCCAP:SP8765/013;

{5} SP 871 656: Deserted medieval settlement lies in the extreme north west of the parish against the Wilby parish boundary, on Northampton Sand between 80 metres and 90 metres above OD. The settlement is largely unrecorded but Thorpe, the local name for the field, suggests that it was perhaps known as Doddington Thorpe (cf. Earls Barton (16) and p. li). Certainly in the early 14th century a person is recorded with the name Johannes de Thorpe de Dodyngton. The area is now permanent arable and any former earthworks have been destroyed. However in the 19th century the area was apparently covered with scrub. Now only rather uneven ground with large quantites of limestone rubble and dark patches of soil. A considerable amount of medieval pottery was found in a pipeline trench which was cut across the north part of the site and pottery of 13th century date is also recorded from the area.

Recent examination has produced two sherds of early Saxon pottery and small quantites of late medieval and post-medieval pottery as well as a silver groat of Elizabeth I (1560-61). To the north in Wilby parish, a hollow-way approaches the area from Wilby village.

{6} Features observed in August 1973 include a hearth, pits and walls associated with medieval and post-medieval pottery;

{9} Fieldwalking survey identified an area of stone associated with medieval and post-medieval pottery. A post-medieval silver Groat of Elizabeth I (1560); the area has only been ploughed since the late 1960s; fieldname: Upper Thorpe Close; SP 8710 6560;

{10} Field names on the 1820 Estate map {11} relate to the deserted medieval village: New Thorp Close, Street Way Close, Town Ground Close and Upper and Lower Thorp.

{12} SP 871 656: A rectangular enclosure on AP in 1978.

<1> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1975, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1974, 10/167 (Report). SNN41605.

<2> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1974, Archaeology In Northamptonshire 1973, 9/105 (Article). SNN9109.

<3> Foard, G, 1975, SUPPLEMENTARY FILE- Doddington Thorpe DMV, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN51795.

<4> ROLL OF SUPERVISORS IN NORTHAMPTON 1314-16, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN48326.

<5> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.38/Site 13 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77380.

<6> 1973, Site records- Doddington Thorpe pipeline observation, 1973, (unchecked) (Notes). SNN57289.

<7> 1973, PLANS; MISC., (unchecked) (Plan). SNN57290.

<8> FOARD G.R., 1976, M.A. Dissertation, (unchecked) (Dissertation). SNN60707.

<9> FOARD G.R., 1976, M.A. Dissertation, (unchecked) (Dissertation). SNN48330.

<10> Walker C., 2009, An archaeological desk-based assessment of land at Wilby Grange, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, p.5 (checked) (Report). SNN106482.

<11> 1820, Great Doddington Estate Map, (unchecked) (Map). SNN109510.

<12> COWLEY D.E.; FOARD G.R., 1979, Aerial Archaeology in Northamptonshire, p. 97 (Article). SNN60721.

<13> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, AP (RAF VAP F21 540/RAF/1312, 0285-6) (Photographs). SNN104890.

Record last edited

Feb 3 2025 7:53PM