Monument record 394/1/3 - Medieval Manorial Fishponds

{3} Fieldname: Fish Weir

{4} The village earthworks lie within a square area bounded on the north by a shallow valley occupied by the manorial fishpond (Site 2). Earthwork plan.
The remains consist of a flat rectangular area bounded by a scarp only 0.25-0.5m high with two very low dams, again under 0.5m high, at the west end. Unless there has been considerable levelling or silting in the post medieval period the original pond could not have been more than 0.25m deep. Along the north side of the pond just below a steep natural scarp, is a shallow channel which presumably carried surplus water around the outside of the pond. Its eastern end has been destroyed by the modern sewage works and it is not clear how the leat ended. On both the 1785 Estate Map and the 1842 Tithe Map the area is called 'Fish Wier'. It is almost certainly the place described as "a meadow called Fishwere" at Braunstonbury in 1305.

{6} Probably 'meadow called Fiswere' in 1305.

{7} To the north of the moated site and the village, in an area called Fish Weir Field, is an extremely large fishpond, of which the banks still stand up to 2m high. The fishpond is about 420m long and 88m wide, and is connected to the moated site by a water channel. At present a stream runs east from the River Leam between the moat and the fishpond, and this originally supplied the water system for the ponds and moat.

<1> Inquisitions Post Mortem (4), p.298 (unchecked) (Document). SNN43575.

<2> 1785, Estate Map of Braunston, (unchecked) (Map). SNN9436.

<3> 1842, Braunston Tithe Map, (unchecked) (Map). SNN9734.

<4> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1981, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.22-23 Sites 1+2 (checked) (Series). SNN77381.

<5> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP56NW10 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<6> Taylor P., 1992, Fishponds Report 1992, (checked) (Report). SNN1339.

<7> English Heritage, 1992, English Heritage Scheduling Notification, (checked) (Report). SNN47128.

<8> Cadman, G., 1995, Braunstonbury DMV and Surrounds: Site Inspection Notes, (checked) (Report). SNN107606.

Record last edited

Aug 30 2013 2:52PM