Monument record 3965 - Glendon deserted medieval settlement

Site of a deserted medieval village in poor condition. Converted to pasture in 1515. Now only the Hall remains. An east-west holloway may be the former main street, with disturbed ground either side of it the remains of former tenements. North of the street large fragments of 12th or 13th century Lyveden ware were found and archaeological investigation in 2005 confirmed medieval settlement to the north and south of the holloway.

{1} At Domesday had population of 14; by 1428 there were less than 10 inhabitants; in 1514 land was enclosed by R.Malory when 9 of 12 remaining houses were destroyad; Bridges records only 2 or 3 houses in early C18th;

{2} SP 847 814: Deserted village of Glendon. North of the original main street large fragments of medieval pottery, including 12th century or 13th century Lyveden ware have been found in a fox earth.

{3} In the Domesday Book the village was recorded with a population of 14. The village was sometimes taxed with Basford (SP 88 SE 2) and both villages were converted to pasture at about the same time. Village deserted between 1450 & 1700; in 1514 9 of 12 houses destroyed when 494 acres of arable was enclosed & converted to pasture; 324 acres of pasture enclosed by Robert Malory; in 1547, 1500 sheep were maintained;,

{10}Small enclosed lordship now only 2-3 houses; principle seat of Ralph Lane Esq Lord of Manor; formerly seat of several more; owns whole Lordship & bought manor from Griffins;

{14} A gradiometry survey was undertaken in 2005 of the fields containing the remains of the deserted settlement. A complex of ditches, enclosures and pits was identified. Some of the anomalies are likely to be medieval tenement blocks adjoining the remains of the holloway and to the north elements of , although a possible ring ditch and enclosures on different alignment may indicate features of an earlier, prehistoric or Roman, date.

{15} Archaeological evaluation undertaken in 2005 as part of a Time Team production attempted to refine the date and form of the medieval settlement. Features were identified in most of the trenches; most were dated to the medieval period, although some were undated and, given the presence of a Roman cremation, may have been Roman. Most of the features were ditches lying parallel with the holloway. Several potentially structural features were recorded including possible wall foundation, a possible beam slot and two groups of postholes.



C12th pot sherds found from deserted village of Glendon [source unknown]

<1> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Book). SNN100366.

<2> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.133 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77380.

<3> Allison K.J.; Beresford M.W.; Hurst J.G. et al, 1966, The Deserted Villages of Northamptonshire, p.40 (unchecked) (Report). SNN39628.

<4> 1316, Nomina Villarum, (unchecked) (Document). SNN8783.

<5> Eyre T. (Revised by Jefferys T.), 1779, Map of the County of Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Map). SNN1852.

<6> GOTCH J.A., 1940, Manor Houses of Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Book). SNN58776.

<7> 1922, Country Life (1922), 676-81 (Journal). SNN60356.

<7> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.226 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<8> NEALE J.P., 1828, Views of Seats (4), (unchecked) (Series). SNN60357.

<9> , 1950, Ordnance Survey 2.5 Inch Series, SP88 (Map). SNN60295.

<10> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.14 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77326.

<11> HYLTON T.; MASTERS P., 1998, Empingham to Hannington Anglian Water Pipeline, Northamptonshire Section, Archaeological Evaluation: Stage 1, (unchecked) (Report). SNN63049.

<12> Billington V., 2000, Woad-Growing in Northamptonshire, p.59-70 (unchecked) (Article). SNN102516.

<13> Prentice, J., 2005, A Salvage Excavation at Glendon Coach House Barns, Glendon, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN105414.

<14> GSB Prospection, 2005, Glendon Northamptonshire Geophysical Survey Report (Report). SNN105321.

<15> MCKINLEY J.I., 2005, Glendon Hall, Kettering, Northamptonshire Assessment of the Results from the Archaeological Evaluation (Report). SNN105320.

<16> Seaman, BH, 1969, Field investigators comments, F1 BHS 13-AUG-1969 (Notes). SNN111907.

Record last edited

Feb 17 2025 7:14PM