Monument record 4760/1/1 - Paulerspury Manor House

The medieval manor house was said to be ruinous by the mid 16th century. Construction of a new house began on the site in 1593. By the mid 17th century it had already been let as a farmstead. The buildings, known as the Great House, were still tenanted in 1772, when part of them was being used as a parish workhouse. Stone and brick foundations to the west of the church are of a recently demolished farm building which apparently stood on the site of the original manor house.

{1} Medieval manor house of Paulerspury; "the manor house which is a very good one stands at some distance within a park". In the keeper's lodge are various marks of its antiquity.

{2} The house, having been deserted many years, was taken down at the end of the 18th c. It stood contiguous with the W side of the churchyard (SP 71474550).

{3} Immediately west of the church are stone and brick foundations of a recently demolished farm building. The latter apparently stood on the site of the original manor house of Paulerspury which was demolished at the end of the 18th century. This manor house and associated earthworks lay within a large rectangular area bounded on the north by the Pury End Road, on the east by Church Lane and on the west by a double-scarp or terrace.

{4} The capital messuage belonging to the manor of Paulerspury stood to the west of the church, in the field adjoining the lane to Pury End. In the mid-16th century it was said to be ruinous and was ordered to be repaired. In 1593 Sir Arthur Throckmorton began building a new mansionon the site of the old house. James Furness was paid 10 French Crowns for 'directing the building' and can probably be identified as the architect. Stone came from Throckmorton's own quarries at Silverstone and Cosgrove and oak from his woods at Silverstone and Tiffield. Bricks were also used in the construction. At around the start of the 17th century new gardens were being laid out. Terraces were being laid out across the slope which runs down from the house to the stream. A causeway was built from the mansion to the churchyard and seats were made for the garden, including one near the bowling place. It was described in the mid 17th century as a fair capital messuage of stone, with barns, stables, coach-houses, outhouses, gardens and orchards, the Throckmortons former mansion was then let as a farmstead. The buildings, known as the Great House, were still being tenanted in 1772, when part of them was being as a parish workhouse. In 1791 the Grafton Estate was buying stone from the Great House to re-use elsewhere, and much of the structure was apparently taken down before the end of the 18th century. In Baker's day a barn was still standing and the workhouse remained in use in 1819. It may have been given up in the 1820s, when the parish acquired cottages to be used for the same purpose in Pury End, and was then presumably demolished.

{5} Recently demolished farm building shown in 1958

{6} Earthworks to north & west of church: at least 1 house site lies to the west of the terraceway.

{7} Foundations at SP 71454550 are remains of farm buildings recently demolished but it is possible that the farm buildings were erected on the site of the manor house.
The keeper's lodge or its site was not traced.

{8} A trial trench was excavated in the field adjacent to the manor house in 1972. it was excavated at right angles to two extensive terraces.

<1> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.311 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<2> Baker G., 1830, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.120 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77328.

<3> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.113/Site 13 (checked) (Series). SNN77382.

<4> Riden P.; Insley C., 2002, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p. 254-255 (Series). SNN102540.

<5> , 1958, Ordnance Survey 6 Inch Map Series, SP74NW (unchecked) (Map). SNN44340.

<6> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, NCCAP: SP7145/001+005-006 (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN104822.

<7> Baird, J., 1970, Field investigators comments (Notes). SNN110341.

<8> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1973, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1972, 8/21 (Journal). SNN8956.

Record last edited

Feb 21 2024 12:35PM