Monument record 952/2/1 - Watford Court

Site of a country house which was built in 1568, possibly for Richard Burnaby and his wife Anne. The South front was added during the mid 17th century. The house was rebuilt and enlarged in the mid 19th century by Lord Henley. During the 18th century a landscape park, associated with the house, was laid out. Following the demolition of the house in 1974, its site and that that of a 19th century formal shrubbery to the north has been redeveloped as a housing estate.

{1} The house and its yards are shown.

{2} House shown.

{3} House shown.

{5} [House and yards are shown on the earthwork plan.] Little is known about the history of the site but the demolished building appears to have incorporated part of the house built in 1568 by Richard Burnaby. It was added to in the C17th and greatly restored and enlarged on more than one ocassion in the C19th. It was demolished c.1970.

{7} Lord of manor and greater part of parish Sir Robert Clerke hath here an old seat with good gardens and a park of about 200 acres.

{8} Watford new inclosures belonging to William Cartwright and surveyed by James Collingridge.

{9} Report by J.M.Steane on observation work conducted prior to the demolition of Watford Court.
The house falls into three periods, comprising an Elizabethan core with some C16th work evident in the doorways and fireplaces, two large balanced C17th windows (probably the most interesting part of the building dated to 1657 and 1659), and a great deal of Victorian extensions round the central core. The whole premises had been thoroughly gutted of everything of value, including an important Jacobean fireplace and mantelpiece and all the early Jacobean panelling. We felt that this was a particularly tragic situation because this property had been obviously an interesting, well cared for building with several important architectural features, which had been turned into a complete wreck within a few years, despite the fact that it was a scheduled building. It showed that the measures designed to protect our architectural heritage are so ineffectual that this should be a lesson for future legislation.

{10} Watford is a small shrunken settlement retaining many trees in parkland of the manor house, Watford Court, which was demolished c.1972. There is still much grassland with steep ridge and furrow earthworks.

{13} Various photographs mainly showing external views of the boundary walls of the parkland and Watford Court, including the kitchen garden and a good photo of the gateway onto the Kilsby Road.

{14} Watford Court has been the home of the Lords Henley since the mid C19th. Before that it belonged to the Clerke family and before them to the Burnabys. George Clarke (unrelated) has made several sketches of Watford Court between 1820 and1860, most show the house before the mid-C19th alterations. The modern rooms resulting from these alterations have views over a beautiful park and gardens. Further description of the hall is given.
The builder of the hall must have been Richard and Anne Burnaby as their initials are displayed on the porch with the date 1568, now illegible. Sir Richard Burnaby sold the property to Sir George Clerke shortly after 1615 as the latter has his own initials with a date of 1627 on the building.

{17} Watford inclosures belonging to William Cartwright and surveyed by James Collingridge; shows tenants homes and type of ground, acreage etc.

{18} Watford Park; property of Henry Pilkington; total greater than 415 acres; note made on plan that the estate was purchased by Hon.ld. Henley on 23rd March 1836.

{20} The north porch carried a date of 1568; C19th alterations were carried out to Jacobean ironstone extensions dated to 1657 and 1659, attributed to Webb. The house was very decayed, and Watford Court was demolished circa 1974.

{23} Watford Court is now unoccupied but in good condition. Restoration dates of 1854, 1863 and 1870 are visible. See photographs.

{24} Demolished Nov/Dec 1974. Permission granted Aug 1974.

{25} Letter from Lord Henley, research into family trees, notes, shields, coats of arms;

<1> Wilson C., 1740, Clement Wilson's Survey of The Park Belonging to Edward Clerke (NRO Map 3161), (unchecked) (Map). SNN42147.

<2> Eyre T. (Revised by Jefferys T.), 1779, Map of the County of Northamptonshire, (checked) (Map). SNN1852.

<3> Bryant A., 1827, Map of The County of Northampton, (checked) (Map). SNN2733.

<4> 1764, Map of Watford, (unchecked) (Map). SNN15055.

<5> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1981, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.192-3 site 5 (checked) (Series). SNN77381.

<6> 1821, NRO Map 3684, (unchecked) (Map). SNN56309.

<7> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.585 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<8> Collingridge J., 1771, Watford New Inclosures Belonging to William Cartwright (Map 3158b), (unchecked) (Map). SNN42160.

<9> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1976, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1975, p.205-6 (checked) (Journal). SNN169.

<10> HALL D.N., 1989, The Rural Settlements of Medieval England: Field Systems and Township Structure, (unchecked) (Report). SNN106634.

<11> NORTHAMPTONSHIRE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY & FIELD CLUB, 1876, Watford Court, (unchecked) (Photographs). SNN106635.

<12> Northamptonshire County Council, 1970, Watford Court, (unchecked) (Photographs). SNN106636.

<13> Northamptonshire County Council, 1970, Watford Court Boundaries, (unchecked) (Photographs). SNN106637.

<14> Gotch J.A., 1936, The Old Halls and Manor Houses of Northamptonshire, p.63 (unchecked) (Book). SNN44101.

<15> Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 2011, Watford Park, C18 Garden Remains Overlying The Shrunken Medieval Village of Watford and Associated Ridge and Furrow Cultivation, (unchecked) (Schedule). SNN107298.

<16> Northamptonshire Industrial Archaeology Group, 1996-2013, Northamptonshire Industrial Archaeology Group Newsletter, Issue 117 p.6 (unchecked) (Newsletter). SNN55360.

<17> 1760, NRO Map 3159, (unchecked) (Map). SNN42162.

<18> 1815, Watford Park; Property of Henry Pilkington (NRO Map 3162), (unchecked) (Map). SNN42165.

<19> 1780, Map of Watford, (unchecked) (Map). SNN54491.

<20> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.447 (checked) (Series). SNN1320.

<21> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, p.104 (checked) (Catalogue). SNN41254.

<22> Ordnance Survey Map (Scale/date), OS 6" 1923-50 (Map). SNN112944.

<23> Colquhoun, FD, 1969, Field investigators comments, F1 FDC 24-FEB-1969 (Notes). SNN112950.

<24> Historic England, Unknown, Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments, Information by telephone: D.E. Cowley, Archaeological Officer, Northamptonshire (Oral Report). SNN111577.

<25> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, DR/25/288/3 (Archive). SNN115.

Record last edited

May 15 2024 12:15PM