Building record 600/1/3 - Former Medieval Priory Church Foundations

{1} The results of the geophysical survey show a series of linear positive anomalies which may indicate traces of wall alignments but the results were masked by rubble spreads so it was impossible to reconstruct the plan of the former priory church.

{3} An amorphous area of varying resistance lies to the east of the church and is likely to represent rubble spreads associated with the demolished remains of the former priory. Within this data there are also a number of linear anomolies that follow the same orientation as the existing church. These are very likely to reflect elements of the former priory building complex although the layout does not conform completely to the sketch plan prepared by Dryden - it appears that the former priory complex extended further northwards than was previously anticipated.

{4} Immediately east of the church, within the churchyard, are several low scarps up to 2m high which may be, in part, the foundations of the medieval church.

{5} All that remains of the conventual church is a truncated fragment; the fine Early English arcaded west front gives some indication of vanished glories. Excavation in 1828 established foundations running more than 100ft east of the present building.

<1> Dix, B.; Masters, P.; Steadman, S., 1992, Archaeological Investigations at St. Mary's Church, Canons Ashby, Northamptonshire, (checked) (Report). SNN70945.

<2> Masters, P., 1992, SMR report form, (checked) (SMR Report Form). SNN106477.

<3> Hibbitt D.; Allen M., 2010, Archaeological Evaluation Report: Geophysical Surveys at Canons Ashby, Northamptonshire, p.6 (checked) (Report). SNN107714.

<4> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1981, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.36 site 2 (checked) (Series). SNN77381.

<5> Steane J., 1974, The Northamptonshire Landscape, p.121 (checked) (Book). SNN5137.

Record last edited

Mar 24 2015 6:46PM