Monument record 402 - Onley

The site of a deserted medieval village at Onley, which lies north west in the parish of Barby. The settlement area lies on a flat plain between the upland of the Rugby plateau to the west and Barby hill to the east. It is first mentioned in documents of 1272. There are 28 hectares of visible, well-preserved earthworks, comprising a series of hollow ways and closes. Many have been ploughed over leaving traces of ridge and furrow over the closes. There are also two large fishponds at the north west end of the village, and a ruined cottage with 18th century features. 14th century pottery sherds have been found. There is also tentative 16th century documentary evidence implying that the circular mound on the site may have been a dovecot rather than a mill. It has been suggested that the desertion of the settlement may have been part of a larger pattern of activity. Farmers'/landowners' relationships between neighbouring villages in the surrounding area along with other factors, (based both on documentary research and fieldwork), indicate there may have been a sequence of events for breeding and rearing, pasturing, shearing and selling meat on the hoof, which spread across the local area.

{1}{5} Own lands separate from Barby parish.

{6} The Rugby Branch of the Historical Association in 1948-9 mapped the visible street layout but no buildings of any substance have been found.

{8} In the early 18th century there were only 7 shepherds cottages in the village and the manor was held by the Zouche family.

{9} SP 520 715: The site of the DMV of Onley was in good condition in 1955, the first reference to the village was in 1345. In 1729 Onley was described as "a hamlet of 7 shepherds' houses" but a map of 1791 shows only 5 scattered farms. Population of 19 in 1841.

{10} The village of Onley is not mentioned in documents until 1272 and is presumably included under Barby in all the national taxation records. In 1272 it is recorded that one George de Cantelupe held Onley, together with the manor of Barby. At Onley were '13 virgates in villeinage, value 9s. Per annum'. In 1345 there is a reference to 'tenements in Onle' perhaps implying that the village still existed. Thereafter there is no indication of its status until the early 18th century when it was described as 'a hamlet of seven shepherds houses'. By 1841 nineteen people lived in the area, all in the five scattered farms which still exist.
The remains of the village are difficult to interpret because most of the site has been over-ploughed in narrow ridge and furrow which has smoothed and flatterened the village earthworks, but they are still well-preserved.

{12} In 1484 William Catesby leased the manors of Barby and Onley. In the early 17th century, the manors of Barby and Onley were bought by Giles Isham, whose brother Zaccheus Isham died in 1651 at Onley. A canal map of 1791 shows ‘Onley Lodges’ as 5 scattered farms.
A search was undertaken for any other available documentation that mentioned the village. This exercise produces a considerable harvest of documentary data for Onley, with 44 documents in all (see Appendix Section 7 of report for complete details of documentary sources), including:
a) 23 wills of Onley inhabitants, between 1544 and 1673.
b) 14 leases, conveyances, deeds and abstracts of title, between 1583 and 1719.
c) An abstract of title dated 1839, reciting details of previous C18th ownership.
D) 2 land sale announcements, 1716 and 1851.
e) An extract from the Patent Rolls dated 1549, providing some helpful details of
the extent of the lordship of Barby cum Onley at that date.
F) Reports on enclosures in neighbouring Hillmorton, from the early 1600s.
G) A legal deposition by an Onley inhabitant dated 1650.
h) An inventory for one of the Onley farmsteads, dated 1666.

The evidence of the 23 wills mentioned above indicates that there was a thriving community at Onley as late as 1550.

It has been suggested that the desertion of the settlement may have been part of a larger pattern of activity. Farmers'/landowners' relationships between neighbouring villages in the surrounding area, along with other factors (based both on documentary research and fieldwork), indicate there may have been a sequence of events for breeding and rearing, pasturing, shearing and selling meat on the hoof, which spread across the local area.

{13} Desertion visible on AP's at SP 513 707.

{14} Surviving earthworks comprise two streets and an area of three or four possible steadings, though the area has been disturbed and their condition is poor. SP 5102 7024: To the south is a small mound which probably once carried a mill. [See later sources which suggest actually possibly a dovecot.] See annotated 25" survey.

<1> Dably, C., 1840, Parish Map of Barby, (unchecked) (Map). SNN10274.

<2> 1977, CORRESPONDENCE, 28/11/1977 (Note). SNN58030.

<3> DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT, 1979, CORRESPONDENCE, (unchecked) (Correspondence). SNN57273.

<4> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP57SW11 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<5> 1776, Enclosure Map, (unchecked) (Map). SNN10273.

<6> Beresford M.W., 1954, The Lost Villages of England, p.40 & p. 70 (unchecked) (Extract). SNN7102.

<7> Gover J.E.B.; Mawer A.; Stenton F.M. (Eds.), 1933, The Place-names of Northamptonshire, p.14 (unchecked) (Series). SNN5881.

<8> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.24 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<9> Allison K.J.; Beresford M.W.; Hurst J.G. et al, 1966, The Deserted Villages of Northamptonshire, p.44 (unchecked) (Report). SNN39628.

<10> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1981, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.12 Site 1 (checked) (Series). SNN77381.

<11> Chapman, A., 1997, Archaeological Evaluation of Lane at Onley, Barby Stage 1: Desk-based Assessment and Field Surveys, p.3 (checked) (Report). SNN44229.

<12> Hatton, G., The medieval settlement at Onley, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN110334.

<13> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, RAF/AP's 541/341 15.8.49 4065 (Photographs). SNN104890.

<14> Seaman, B H, 1970, Field Investigator's Comments, F1 BHS 07-JUL-1970 (Notes). SNN111541.

<15> Ordnance Survey Map (Scale/date), AP (CUAP SB2-4,NT 32,33 AWQ45,48) (Map). SNN112944.

<16> Historic England, Medieval Village Research Group Archive - measured drawings (Archive). SNN114857.

<17> RCHME, Undated, RCHME Inventory: Northamptonshire II (Central), 889265 (Archive). SNN112900.

<18> Historic England, Quarter Sheet SP 57 SW: Archaeological site number 11 (Onley DMV), MD002731 (Archive). SNN114858.

Record last edited

Jan 31 2025 2:32PM