Monument record 4264/1 - Harrington Manor

Earthwork remains of a Medieval manor house which was a major Hospitallers camera from 1228 until the mid 16th century. It was then in use as a country house until the 18th century.

{1} The manor house at Harrington has been built several times...the present earl (c1720) made the garden and built another part. Part of the present house belongs to the old manor house which belonged to the priory of St John of Jerusalem, but has been modified by the present earl. The stable is said to have been the gateway of the old priory house. Here was formerly a chapel, and near a pond called 'Chapel Pond' many human bones have been dug up. The manor was given to the Knights Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem in the 12th year of Henry III (1228) with whom it continued until the Dissolution. In the 37th year of Henry III (1253) the Hospitallers obtained a grant to build a chapel to St Edward at their manor of Hetherington

{2} Large house erected by Lord Stanhope was demolished in 1740; extensive remains of terraces & fishponds.

{3} Harrington often confused with house & gardens of same name in Lincolnshire; house was owned by Tollemache family of Helmington Hall in Suffolk; linked to Earls Dysart by marriage; their main house was Ham House on banks of Thames at Richmond; Harrington gardens evoke Italianate Renaissance design although old-fashioned as 100 years too late; Dutch influence popular during reign of William & Mary; they possibly attempt to re-create grandeur of Holdenby House gardens which had been destroyed during Civil War; Dysarts were also connected to Holdenby by marriage; terraced gardens probably created by 3rd Earl Dysart who prefered to live more cheaply in country estate & left Ham House to decay; it is reported that he was tight with his money & therefore recent reconstruction of gardens & house commissioned by Northamptonshire Heritage is probably too grand; parterre likely to have been much simpler grassed quadrants with statue in centre of each;this would also have been more traditional Elizabethan style in keeping with overall layout; more complex design would have required too much upkeep considering that Harrington was secondary house.

{6} Medieval/post-medieval manor house of Harrington. Held by the Knights Hospitallers from 1288 until the Dissolution. By the early 16th century the manor was leased to the Saunders family who continued to hold it after the Dissolution. In 1582 it passed to the Stanhope family who held it until 1675. The subsequent history of the manor is not clear but seems to have been aquired by the 3rd Earl of Dysart in the late 17th century. Amorphous series of earthworks with no coherent plan;

{11} The fishponds and earthworks at Harrington are probably Elizabethan. The ornamental terraces are crossed by paths which probably lead to the manor house. The N quarter of the parish went down early to grass, and the manorial rabbit warren lay on the slopes above the River Ise;

{13}Site inspection to assess condition of monument; house earthworks in good condition with only limited erosion in surrounding area;

{14} A complex of earthworks comprising a manor house site with adjacent formal gardens and an extensive series of fishponds.

There are no extant remains of the Manor House but there is a very disturbed area at the published site indicative of former walling and there is much re-used worked stone in adjacent field walls. The former 18th-century terraced gardens are under pasture but their profile is very strong. The buildings noted by Bridges (map diagram) could not be identified. Centred at SP 77138045 is the fishpond complex complete with reservoir ponds, supply channels and draingage (sump) pond. The drainage channels noted on OS map 1958 are contemporary with the rig and furrow fields. The polygonal enclosure could not be traced on the ground but this appears to have been a sheepfold; it is clearly visible on air cover F22 82/RAF/865 0309-11

<1> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.32 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77326.

<2> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<3> BURT J., 1996, ORAL REPORT TO SMR, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN50482.

<4> Mowl T.; Hickman C., 2008, The Historic Gardens of England: Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Series). SNN106082.

<5> STEANE J.M., 1977, The Development of Tudor and Stuart Garden Design in Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Article). SNN69732.

<6> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p. 75 site 5 (part checked) (Series). SNN77380.

<7> Morris J., 2010, Harrington and Thorpe Underwood. Under the Ground and Undercover., Unchecked (Article). SNN107715.

<8> The Garden History Society, 1997-2007, Garden History: Journal of The Garden History Society, Vol.5 No.3 p.11 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN76380.

<9> Morton J., 1712, The Natural History of Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Book). SNN10113.

<10> BURT J., 1996, Harrington, (unchecked) (Notes). SNN109073.

<11> Beresford, M.W. & St. Joseph, J.K.S., 1958, Medieval England: An Aerial Survey, 69 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77361.

<12> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1976, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1975, 201 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN169.

<13> CADMAN G.E., 1995, SMR REPORT FORM, (unchecked) (Notes). SNN49937.

<14> Baird, J, 1969, Field Investigators Comments, F1 JB 11-JUN-1969 (Note). SNN111452.

<15> Ordnance Survey, 1955, 1950s/60s Ordnance Survey 6 Inch Mapping Series (SP44NE), 1958 (Map). SNN61128.

<16> Knowles; Hadcock, 1971, Medieval Religious Houses England and Wales, Page 308 (Book). SNN10192.

<17> Larking, L B, 1857, Knights Hospitallers in England, 118-9 (Book). SNN116442.

<18> Undated, Externally held archive reference, Pen fin.divers. Com temp reg fol n61 (Archive). SNN113573.

<19> Undated, Externally held archive reference, Rot claus anno 21 Hen III mem 10 (Archive). SNN113573.

<20> Historic England, Undated, Harrington manor (Archive). SNN116443.

Record last edited

Jun 27 2024 2:09PM