Monument record 830/1/1 - Possible Medieval Manor House

A small trial excavation was carried out during October 1972 to explain the presence of medieval roof tile fragments, building stone and sherds. A large stone foundation (over 1m wide and at least 6.5m long) was uncovered.

{1} A small trial excavation was carried out during October 1972 to explain the presence of medieval roof tile fragments, building stone and sherds on top of a large natural hillock near the edge of the present village. A few inches below the turf was found a large wall foundation running roughly West-South-West to East-North-East. The foundation was built of flat, roughly dressed limestone slabs at the edges and a mixture of sandstone and limestone rubble in the middle. Neither end was found. The foundation is between 3ft 3in and 3ft 6in wide and is at least 22ft 10in long.
The foundation was found on the south-west side of the level-topped hill and further trial holes a short distance away produced a lot of stone rubble suggesting that the building was quite extensive. Topography suggests that the foundation revealed was part of the south side of the building.
The site overlooks meadows to the west where there are several embanked enclosures, presumably medieval fishponds, centred on SP67505761.
Finds included small pieces of worked sandstone, several broken roof tiles (of both limestone and clay, the latter with partial brown or green glaze), two oyster shells, a few medieval pot sherds including some from a flanged bowl in a dark grey ware, one sherd of the characteristic local Saxon fabric and another Saxon rim sherd.

<1> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1973, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1972, 8/20 (checked) (Journal). SNN77428.

Record last edited

Jul 17 2019 11:07AM