Monument record 3434/2/6 - Churchyard of St Mary the Virgin, Little Houghton

Burial ground associated with the parish church of Little Houghton. Churchyard survey in 1978 noted that there had been considerable amount of churchyard clearance, with gravestones lining the entire northern perimeter wall, some of which were of 17th-century date. The western area of the churchyard may be a more modern extension. Works in 1999 recorded human remains.

{1} A countywide church survey was undertaken in 1978. There has been a considerable amount of churchyard clearance and gravestones line the entire wall to the north, among them many 17th-century, legible, stones. The south has been cleared to allow a 1945 war memorial to be erected. Some 17th-century stones do remain and are legible. Some small (cremation) stones of 1977 have been laid to the east, otherwise new burials take place in what might be an extension to the west. The level of the churchyard has been raised in the south, where 0.5m high walls line the paths to support the earth.

{2} Archaeological observation of the excavation of a foundation trench for an extension to the church and of an associated sewer trench revealed a number of in situ burials and disarticulated bone and two archaeological features. In the sewer trench in the north-eastern part of the churchyard were two parallel brick walls set 2.5m apart, which may be the remains of a brick-lined vault or grave. In the foundation trench, just to the north of the tower, was an undated pit at least 0.7m wide by 3.6m long and 0.6m deep. There were distinctive bands of mortar in the pit fill and it was truncated by multiple grave cuts suggesting it was not modern. The pit may be related to construction.

<1> 1978, Graveyard Survey - St Mary's, Little Houghton (Report). SNN100983.

<2> Phillips, M., 2000, The Church of St Mary the Virgin, Little Houghton, Northamptonshire: Watching brief report (Report). SNN111659.

Record last edited

Feb 25 2025 7:45PM