Monument record 3738/1/1 - Berry Mount Earthworks (& Buried Remains of Earthworks)

Earthwork remains of a mound and ditch the date of which is uncertain. The mound is ovoid, flat-topped and 2 metres high.It appears to have been cut back a little on its south side as a result of alteration of the churchyard. It is bounded on the north side by a wide curving ditch up to 4 metres deep which has been truncated at both ends by later infill. The relationship between the mound and the ditch is unusual, especially on the east side where the ditch appears to be turning south east on an alignment different from the curve of the mound. This may indicate that the two features are not contemporary. The mound has been interpreted as both an early medieval feature and as a Norman motte. There is a Saxon church standing in the bailey. The mound is scheduled.

{1} Earthwork mound and ditch on 'neck' of a small south-facing spur; the mound is ovoid & flat topped, 2m high, & cut back on the south side. It is bounded to the north by a wide ditch c.4m deep; truncated at both ends by later infill; possible 'cross dyke' cutting off the spur. Ditch ends at the south-east turns on a different alignment to the curve of the mound & may not be contemporary. The ringwork or cross dyke could be associated with the late Saxon tower, being the defence works of a thegn's dwelling. The ditch might be prehistoric. If the mound is truly a motte then it must post-date the tower & be overlooked by it; plan: 6 inch

{4} The church at Earls Barton (SP 86 SE1) stands on a small spur which projects southward towards the valley of the Nene. On the north a flat-topped motte, and a bank and ditch, now much obliterated, protect the spur. The motte is later than the bank and ditch; it has been cut back and the south side of the ditch filled, in order to enlarge the churchyard.

The original church (SP 86 SE1) of which only the tower remains was late Saxon and belongs to a group of private churches built by the larger Saxon landowners alongside their dwellings. They recall the provision of an 11th c document according to which a villein who so flourished that he possessed five hides of land, his own church and bell-tower, kitchen and 'gate' became worthy of thegn right. That the 'gate' was a fortification is implied by an earlier text. Earls Barton was held in 1066 along with other adjacent Manors, by Bondi, and the small church (and presumably the bank and ditch defences) was built by one of his immediate predecessors. (The later Motte is by inference Norman).

{6} Conjecturally the defences could be connected with the church as part of a private 'burh' of pre-conquest date. To text this hypothesis the RAI hopes to carry out trial excavations in 1969. (Note this article refers only to bank and ditch defences entirely ignoring the 'motte')

The name 'Barry Mount' is apparently of no great authenticity. It is noted in EPNS (10, 138) only as the name used by the OS 6", although 'Berry Close' occurs in 1772, the VCH (11, 405) refers only to 'Earls Barton Castle'.

{7} A ditch remains on the weakest north side and the ballast used to create the mound, protected on the south by the fall of the hill and on the north by the ditch. There are no visible remains of stonework or further entrenchments.

{8} Letters giving permission for proposed draining of the moat.

{10} An oval, flat-topped conical mound 3m high & with a basal diameter of c.60-65m; ditch is flat-bottomed & 10m wide x c.3-4m deep; there are traces of outer bank on the north side; ditch possibly surrounds a Saxon manor & was re-used for motte;

{11} Despite the very high potential of this site the evaluation has recorded a low incidence of surviving archaeological features within the impact area of the proposed redevelopment. The earliest activity on the site was the possible earthworks indicated in Trench 1 by a small section of ‘worked’ natural which showed a fairly sharp slope, and the successive layers of what has been labelled as ‘fill’ and ‘backfill’ of the Berry Mount ditch. These features were only observed in section after a machine sounding had been made to confirm the results observed down to the limit of archaeological impact, therefore no further excavation was carried out. The pottery retrieved from the ditch fills would appear to confirm a late Saxon or Norman date for the earthwork, although in such small quantities that a more detailed chronology is not possible.
Detailed descriptions, section etc p.6-8.
If the features in Trench 1 have been accurately interpreted this would suggest that the Berry Mount earthworks continued round from the north-west to the area where Trench 1 was located, although any archaeological remains in the vicinity of Trench 2 have been truncated by the construction of the Old Vicarage.

{16} Small motte as described above. See annotated 25" survey.

{22} Geophysical survey identified a stone building which may be the remains of an early Norman chamber block. The location of the chamber suggests that it preceded construction of Berry Mount, which raises the liklihood that the motte is a product of the 12th century rather than an early post-Conquest construction.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.40/Site 14 (checked) (Series). SNN77380.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP86SE (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<3> Clark G.T., 1878, The Earthworks of Brinklow, Lilbourne and Earls Barton, p.112-119 (checked) (Series). SNN43998.

<4> 1953, The Archaeological Journal (110), 110/196 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN59424.

<5> 1998, Medieval Archaeology (42), 147 (checked) (Journal). SNN55239.

<6> 1967, The Archaeological Journal (124), 124/202-211 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN32057.

<7> Serjeantson R.M.; Ryland W. (Editors), 1906, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.405 (checked) (Series). SNN100369.

<8> Department of The Environment (Inspectorate of Ancient Monuments), 1979, Earls Barton Castle Moat, (checked) (Letter). SNN51756.

<9> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, (unchecked) (Archive). SNN115.

<10> English Heritage, 1993, English Heritage Scheduling Notification, (part checked) (Report). SNN48078.

<11> Hopkinson D., 1997, An Archaeological Evaluation At Saxon Lodge, High Street, Earls Barton, Northampton, p.5-8 (checked) (Report). SNN100009.

<12> Taylor, HM and Taylor, J, 1965, Anglo-Saxon Architecture: volume 1, 222-226 (unchecked) (Book). SNN44010.

<13> Kenyon J.R., 2008, Castles, Town Defences and Artillery Fortifications in the United Kingdom and Ireland: A Bibliography 1945 - 2006, (unchecked) (Bibliography). SNN106309.

<14> Lanning K.; Pearson V.; Walker D., 1995, Castles in Northamptonshire: A Resource Pack for Teachers, (unchecked) (Educational Resource Pack). SNN75536.

<15> Petrie, J, 2019, Mottes and 'Ringworks', Wednesday 10th April 2019 (Gazetteer). SNN111445.

<16> Seaman, B H, 1970, Field Investigator's Comments, F1 BHS 03-SE-70 (Notes). SNN111541.

<17> Cathcart King, D J, 1983, Castellarium anglicanum : an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the Islands. Volume II : Norfolk-Yorkshire and the islands, Vol 2/p. 315 (Book). SNN112899.

<18> 1878, The Archaeological Journal (35), p. 119 (Journal). SNN15197.

<19> Aerial Photograph, AP (Fairey Surveys Ltd VAP FSL 6603 1526) (Photographs). SNN112974.

<20> Ordnance Survey Map (Scale/date), OS 6" 1958 (Map). SNN112944.

<21> Historic England, Undated, SMALL MOTTE POSSIBLY SAXON AND CONTEMP. WITH CHURCH (SP86SE1) ARCH J/110/1953, BB76/02106 (Archive). SNN114628.

<22> Wright, D, Chaussee, S, Creighton, O, Gould, D, and Shapland, M, 2024, Geophysical and topographical survey at Berry Mount and All Saints Churchyard, Earls Barton, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN116589.

Record last edited

Sep 12 2024 11:19AM