Monument record 1742/3 - C12th-C13th Manorial Complex, West Cotton

West Cotton was excavated by the NAU between 1985 and 1989 in advance of road construction and quarry development. During the 12th century the earlier timber halls were replaced by the stone ranges of a minor medieval manor house including a two-storey hall, detached kitchen range, dovecote and other ancillary buildings

{1} It seems likely that the earthwork remains belong to the manor of West Cotton or Wilwencotes, which can be identified as existing in the early C12th although not specifically named as such until 1314.

{3} By the mid C12th the timber buildings had been replaced in stone by a hall with ancillary buildings including a malt house, dovecote, and kitchen/bakehouse, set around the same courtyard area as that for the earlier timber buildings, and forming a small manor. However, by this time the adjacent watermill had been abandoned, and the site was surrounded by a protective flood bank. Both may have been necessitated by a period of exceptional flooding and alluviation.

{5} Details, plans etc in final published report.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1975, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.81-3 Site 20 (checked) (Series). SNN77379.

<2> Parry S., 1993, Raunds Area Survey Report, p.95 (unchecked) (Draft). SNN1175.

<3> Parry S. et al, 2006, Raunds Area Survey: An Archaeological Study of The Landscape of Raunds, Northamptonshire 1985-94, p.176 (part checked) (Book). SNN105780.

<4> Dix B., 1992, Recent Work in Northamptonshire Archaeology, p.123 (unchecked) (Article). SNN104441.

<5> Chapman A., 2011, West Cotton, Raunds: A Study of Medieval Settlement Dynamics AD450 - 1450 (Excavation of a Deserted Medieval Hamlet in Northamptonshire, 1985-89), (unchecked0 (Book). SNN107508.

<6> Windell D., 1988, SUPPLEMENTARY FILE, (unchecked) (Interim Note). SNN51885.

Record last edited

Jul 7 2020 2:23PM