Monument record 2954/1 - Wolfage Manor

Wolfage Manor was not mentioned by name until 1509, but was probably the main manor of Brixworth in the medieval period. The site was completely abandoned by 1846.

{1} Brixworth's manorial history set out. Isabel Harrington of Wolfage and Brixworth received a general pardon in 1509 and this appears to be the first reference to Wolfage Manor. When Isabel died in 1518 the manor was divided between five of her daughters. By 1604 Alexander Standish had obtained possession of two fifths of the manorial share, which seem t have comprised Wolfage Manor. From him the land passed to Edward Standish, who sold the manor of Brixworth alias Wolfage to Simon Finch in 1671. The Finch family retained these two-fifths for at least fifty years as it was owned by Mr Finch of Hertfordshire circa 1720. The manor was never re-united.

{2} Manor house site (SP 738705), lies SW of the village,near the west boundary of the parish and S of the Spratton road, on the side of a deep,narrow valley, on Upper Lias Clay at 90m above OD. The earthworks are the site of Wolfage Manor which, though not mentioned by name until 1509, was probably the main manor of Brixworth in the Medieval period. Nothing is known of the history of the site until 1668, but a map of that date shows a building called Wolfage Manor, set in a large rectangular area called a park. The remains include a number of well-marked building platforms and embanked enclosures, set on a spur projecting from the valley side.Below in the valley bottom is a mutilated dam,possibly for a fishpond,as well as other more indeterminate earthworks. The site was completely abandoned by 1846.

{3} Nothing is known of the history of the site until a map was surveyed in 1668. A building is shown within the park.

{5} In about 1720 John Bridges writes that two-fifths of the lordship, comprising the manor of Wolphage, are now in the hands of Mr Finch of Hertfordshire.

{7} An undated C17th survey of the manorial lands shows that at the time they were interspersed throughout the open fields of Brixworth, in the normal way, and that Wolfage manor lands did not occupy a separate consolidated portion of the parish. Bridges writes as though Brixworth belonged to Wolfage, and not vice versa, and this sense survives at least as late as 1632 when a court roll was headed "Wolfage cum Brixworth". The fields adjacent to Wolfage manor are called "Palace End" and "Palace End Rick", and have been since at least 1671. Parsons {17} came to the conclusion that the name is derived from 'paleis' meaning the park pales.

{9} Documentary survey, sketched earthwork plans and interpretations following field observation.

{11} The medieval fields cover all Brixworth parish except the flooding meadows and the park of Wolfage Manor, which is detached from the village. The earthworks and fishponds of the manor house are well preserved.

{12} Earthworks of building platforms, manor house and embanked enclosures of the possible medieval/post medieval manor of Wolfage and its associated park.

{13} A reconstructed plan of the Brixworth open fields shows the extent of Wolfage Park.

{14} D.N. Hall excavated a trench on the site in the early 1970's. He established the presence of a C12th building in a good state of preservation. Much pottery was also revealed by the excavation.

<1> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, (unchecked) (Photographs). SNN104822.

<1> Salzman L.F.(ed), 1937, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.150-52 (part checked) (Series). SNN100371.

<2> 1668, Northants Record Office map including Brixworth, (unchecked) (Map). SNN289.

<2> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1981, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.31/Site 39 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77381.

<3> 1632, Wolfage cum Brixworth, (unchecked) (Document). SNN105098.

<3> 1668, Northants Record Office map including Brixworth, (unchecked) (Map). SNN289.

<4> 1846, Terrier of Brixworth (NRO Map 3588), (unchecked) (Map). SNN105079.

<5> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.82 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77326.

<6> BROWN A.E., 1996, Wolfage Manor Earthwork Survey, (unchecked) (Plan). SNN74052.

<7> Hall D.N.; Martin P., 1978, Brixworth, Northamptonshire: An Intensive Field Survey, p.6 (checked) (Report). SNN57221.

<8> IL 3702, (unchecked) (Document). SNN105100.

<9> WELSH T.C., 2005, Wolfage Manor, Brixworth, Northamptonshire SP737705, (unchecked) (Report). SNN105080.

<10> Brown, A E and Woodfield, P, 2005, Wolfage Brixworth (Article). SNN112205.

<11> Williams J.H., 1973, South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter (3), p. 32 (Journal). SNN896.

<12> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, (unchecked) (Photographs). SNN104822.

<13> HALL D.N., 1993, The Open Fields of Northamptonshire : The Case for the Preservation of Ridge and Furrow, p.15 (part checked) (Report). SNN70145.

<14> CADMAN G.E., 1996, SMR Report Form, (checked) (SMR Report Form). SNN49858.

<15> 1422, Brixworth Open Fields, (checked) (Map). SNN57463.

<16> CADMAN G.E., 1996, Archaeological Summary (Report). SNN105105.

<17> PARSONS D., Brixworth and Its Monastery Church (Report). SNN105093.

Record last edited

Dec 7 2023 9:42AM