Monument record 2247/0/1 - Medieval Buildings, Thorpe Waterville

13th Century earthwork and pottery remains of Thorpe Waterville suggest that there has been village shrinkage.

{1} Road widening has destroyed some houses here; stone walls of buildings, c18 x 9 ft were recorded, about 100 yds. from the castle site. The houses had clay floors 4 ins thick, lying on bedrock; these were covered with burnt daub with half-inch wattle impressions,and burnt straw and charcoal. Associated sherds were of Lyveden and calcite-gritted types.

{2} G.Brown. 13 sherds and thatched dwellings with clay floors and wattle and daub walls. Their ground plans were recovered.

{3} C12th houses were destroyed by road-widening. A clay floor 4ins thick lay over natural bedrock. On the floor wattle and daub 4ins thick and an ash layer 2ins thick, containing pieces of burnt straw and charcoal, indicated that the thatched roof had burnt and fallen, the walls collapsing afterwards. The masonry which remained showed the room to have been 18ft x 9ft.

{4} Settlement remains, formerly part of Thorpe Waterville village, lay along the main A605 road east of the village centre. During road widening, limestone walling of former buildings was discovered together with clay floors; finds included C13th and C14th pottery.

{6} Thorpe Waterville is an extant village. Authority {1} probably refers to shrinkage.

{7} Shrunken village probably connected with Baron de Waterville's Castle.

<1> 1967, Deserted Medieval Village Research Group (Vol.15), p.4 (unchecked) (Annual Report). SNN29346.

<2> Brown, A.E. (Ed.), 1969, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1967/68 (Medieval), p.29 (unchecked) (Article). SNN57956.

<3> Wilson D.M.; Gillian Hurst D. (Editors), 1968, Medieval Britain in 1967 (12), p.203 (checked) (Notes). SNN55155.

<4> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1975, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.96 Site 7 (checked) (Series). SNN77379.

<5> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, TL08SW31 (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<6> Colquhoun, FD, 1969, Field investigators comments, F1 FDC 19-SEP-69 (Notes). SNN112950.

<7> Mrs G Brown, 1967, Excavations and Fieldwork, 1966-67 (Note). SNN115491.

Record last edited

Sep 27 2023 11:42AM