Monument record 423 - Lilbourne

Shrunken village

{1} The settlement remains of Lilbourne village are especially interesting as they not only indicate a marked change in the location of the village over many centuries but also show that part of the village was at one stage laid out over previously arable land. The remains appear to be the result of movement away from an early riverside location near the church to its modern position on the hilltop.
The village is first mention in Domesday Book with a recorded population of 28 but this almost certainly includes Clay Coton. Only the Hearth Tax Returns of 1673 listing 66 houses in the parish gives any indication of the population. However by that time the changes in the village described above had presumably already taken place. Shift S-wards may have already taken place by early C18th. In 1801 243 resident in parish. Earthworks suggest an early focus of settlement along hollow-ways which may pre-date the castle, an area of closes laid out over earlier arable fields, and further closes immediately N of the modern village. [RCHM plan]

{6} Not taken forward to Stage 2 survey and assessment. The settlement was not studied in detail in the EUS because of the lack of good documentary sources and the absence of any archaeological evidence which contributed to the understanding of the commercial functions of the settlement. The manor was in the hands of the Earl of Leicester, who also founded the new town at Brackley and so if the market place can be identified and significant archaeological deposits are located then its origins and development might form a significant comparison to that of Brackley which was, in contrast, a major commercial success, especially in the 13th century.

{9} Lilbourne village has been described as a survivor from a pattern of settlements that may originate back into the Iron Age or possibly earlier (Satchell T. 2003). Bearing this in mind little evidence of the prehistoric periods is evident throughout Lilbourne and its immediate environs, although the remains of a possible barrow situated c.300m to the north-east of the site exists and forms part of the medieval castle’s defences.
The village is believed to have been settled around 500AD by the Saxon tribe of Lila who came from the Sleaford area of Lincolnshire. The name of the village is thought to derive from the Old English meaning ‘stream of a man called Lilla’. Certainly by the time of Domesday the village is known as Lilleburne, in the possession of Earl Albericus prior to the Conquest, but later falling into the hands of the crown. At Domesday the village consisted of two hides and a half, a Vigate, four Carncates and two oxgangs. It had 12 acres of meadow.
Contributing factors such as the castle, the location of the village close to Watling Street, the establishment of a market in 1219 and the sheep trade made Lilbourne a wealthy village throughout the medieval period.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1981, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, P.125-126 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77381.

<2> PRO series E179, PRO E179/254/14 (Document). SNN115882.

<3> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.571 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<4> Ryland, W, Adkins, D, and Serjeantson, R M, 1902, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p. 327, 330 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100368.

<5> Timmins E.W., 1997, Lilbourne, A brief history, (unchecked) (Website). SNN44073.

<6> Taylor J.; Foard G.; Ballinger J., 2002, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Overview (Report). SNN103118.

<7> The Ancient History of Lilbourne, (unchecked) (Typescript). SNN108805.

<8> RYLATT J, 1997, Lilbourne Castle, Northamptonshire: a survey of the earthworks, (unchecked) (Dissertation). SNN72869.

<9> Williams S., 2010, Night Owl Truck Stop, Watling Street, Rugby: Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment, p.4-5 (checked) (Report). SNN109621.

<10> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, A/P (RAF VAP 106G/UK/636, 3161, 4160) (Photographs). SNN104890.

<11> Aerial Photograph, A/P (CUAP, AGU82, AKP62, AWQ5) (Photographs). SNN112974.

<12> RCHME, Undated, RCHME Inventory: Northamptonshire II (Central), 889374/ 890729 (Archive). SNN112900.

Record last edited

Jan 31 2025 2:32PM