Monument record 2920/2/10 - Former medieval/post-medieval chapel and probable cemetery, Deene Hall

A chapel was probably part of the earliest, medieval, phase at Deene when it belonged the Abbey of Westminster estate. Scars on the east front of the hall mark its former position. The only in situ medieval fabric of the hall is a door jamb dating to c1300, which may have led from the cross-wing to a compartment to the east, in the position occupied by the chapel in the 17th century. It had been demolished by 1820. Limited archaeological investigation to the north of the former chapel has uncovered a single grave cut which, along with numerous disarticulated human remains, are probably part of an associated cemetery.

{1} Chapel possibly extant in the earliest, pre 1514, phase of the house. Evidence about the medieval house is limited, but the jamb of a stone doorway at ground level in the east wall of the east range, is apparently in situ. It moulding and probable shape of the head date it to c1300. It was not an external door… if the great hall and upper cross-wing retain their medieval positions the doorway would have led would have led from the cross-wing to a compartment to the east, in the position occupied by the chapel in the 17th century.

In the earlier 17th century the chapel was refitted and a new stair turret built from the chapel gallery to the high attic level. A stone reredos, reset in the church but presumably from the chapel, is dated 1635 and perhaps indicates refurbishment at the time of construction. Prior to 1746 the chapel was remodelled; the east wall of the chapel was cased in ashlar and given a shaped gable and a window with a semicircular top. Although it had been demolished by 1820 it appears on a view of the house drawn by Brasier in 1746 and scars on the east front mark its position. Internally the ground floor was fitted with box pews and there was a gallery across the west end, at the level of the first floor of the east range, providing a family pew reached from the Great Chamber. A stair turret built in thin ashlar blocks on the north side of the chapel survives.

{2} Removal of the turf in an area immediately in front of the central bay window uncovered a grave cut containing the articulated lower limbs of a skeleton and copious amounts of disarticulated human bone in the topsoil, probably from burials disturbed during groundworks in the 18th century. It is likely that the grave and charnel were related to the chapel in some way, perhaps burials of ecclesiastical or lay people associated with the manor when it was part of the Abbot of Westminster's holdings.

<1> Heward J.; Taylor R., 1996, The Country Houses of Northamptonshire, p. 152-165, Fig 194 (Book). SNN41757.

<2> Brown, C., 2019, Archaeological recording at Deene Park, Corby, Northamptonshire, NN17 3EH (Report). SNN111511.

<3> Crank, N. (Editor), 2019, South Midlands Archaeology (49), p. 87 & Fig 15 (Journal). SNN111755.

Record last edited

Feb 25 2025 8:11PM