Monument record 482 - Hothorpe

Site of deserted medieval village at Hothorpe. Almost the entire recorded earthworks have been destroyed. A small area of ridge and furrow cultivation remains. The village lay in Northamptonshire but formed part of the parish of Theddingworth across the county boundary (the river Welland) in Leicestershire.

{1} The village of Hothorpe had its own land unit, the eastern boundary of which is shown on the Enclosure Map of Marston Trussell dated 1815. In medieval times it was a chapelry of Theddingworth on the other side of the River Welland, in Leicestershire. Hothorpe is first recorded in 1086 when it consisted of 3.5 virgates of sokeland, held by the Abbey of Bury St Edmunds. However the place is listed by name in Nomina Villarum of 1316, and by 1334 it paid 36s. 4d. Lay Subsidy. By 1377 a total of 57 people over the age of 14 paid Poll Tax, and even in the early C18th Bridges said that there were about 20 houses there. In 1801 the present Hothorpe House was built, and in about 1830 the owner removed what remained of the village, re-housed the inhabitants in Theddingworth, and laid out a park which surrounds the house. This work is shown as completed on an Estate Map of 1832.

{3} "Hothorpe. 667 852. 15 S.W. In 1377, 57 people paid poll tax. Bridges {9} speaks of about 20 houses, so this may be an emparking depopulation of eighteenth century? I have visited the site, which seems to lie to the west of the Hall."

{11} There were nine families still living in Hothorpe in 1564. In 1788 Hothorpe was boughto by William Cook. His sone John demolished the existing manor house, which lay nearer the river c1801 and built the present hall. In 1830-1, John Cook diverted the original road from Sibbertoft, so that it ran to the east of the new house and started to clear the remaining cottages to make a park, but on a map of 1832 four houses were still there. A map of 1882 shows that the process of emparkment was complete.

Until recently the land to the south and east of the hall was grass with rather battered earthworks of part of the village still visible; the house sites immediately south-east of the hall had clearly been set on earlier ridge and furrow, those to the north-east possibly so. The land has now been ploughed over and fieldwalking was undertaken in 1996.
The group of crofts sat on an occupation site of Iron Age and Roman date. Both sets of earthworks produced pottery of the 11th-12th centuries (mainly 12th century). Many fragments of 12th-13th centuries and a smaller number of late medieval wares. Considerable quantity of late pottery, some of which could be attributed to the surviving cottages of the early 19th century, some to the hall.
The fieldwalking demonstrated that the two blocks of ploughed crofts represent well-ordered additions to the plan of Hothorpe of probable 12th century date and that the original settlement, of whatever form, lies beneath the hall with its former stables, dog kennels and gardens.

{13} Area centred SP 6690 8515 - The house and gardens of HOTHORPE HALL are surrounded by old rig-and-furrow fields with little evidence of a depopulated village site. There are no traces on the west
side of the Hall and on the east and north the traces are confined to surface irregularities in areas significantly free of old rig-and-furrow. It seems probable that the nucleus of the village is occupied by the present, comparatively modern Hall and gardens.

{14} No change.

{15} Almost the entire recorded earthworks have been destroyed by ploughing and as a consequence the site is not recommended for inclusion upon the schedule.

A small area of ridge and furrow cultivation remains survive in the park to the north of Hothorpe Hall, which in turn have been cut by later emparking works and landscaping elements. It is suggested that the remaining area of earthwork and the site of the Hall which was constructed over part of the settlement should be monitored and protected through the auspices of PPG 16.

Originally a chapelry of Theddingtonworth the site is mentioned in Domesday when 3.5 virgates of sokeland and one sokeman were held by the abbey of Bury St Edmunds. The village forms part of Martson Trussell parish. Numerous documentary refereces throughout the middle ages - e.g. In 1377 there were 57 adults paying Poll Tax, by the early 18th century approx. 20 households were recorded. In 1801 the present hall was built and by 1830 an estate map depicts the landscaping and emparking completed, the settlement was depopulated and its inhabitants rehoused in Theddingworth. RCHME survey suggests that the long enclosures, which formerly survived to the SE and E of the Hall, were the result of earlier shrinkage and survived by virtue of their relative distance from the Hall. These have since been destoyed by modern agriculture and no remains are visible from ground level.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1981, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.141-2 (checked) (Series). SNN77381.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP68NE12 (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<3> Beresford M.W., 1954, The Lost Villages of England, p.367 (unchecked) (Extract). SNN7102.

<4> Allison K.J.; Beresford M.W.; Hurst J.G. et al, 1966, The Deserted Villages of Northamptonshire, p.41 (unchecked) (Report). SNN39628.

<5> 1815, Marston Trussell Enclosure Map, (unchecked) (Map). SNN18093.

<6> Thorn F.; Thorn C., 1979, Domesday Book: A Survey of The Counties of England, (unchecked) (Series). SNN1170.

<7> Serjeantson R.M.; Ryland W. (Editors), 1906, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.318 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100369.

<8> 1316, Nomina Villarum, (unchecked) (Document). SNN8783.

<9> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.37 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77326.

<10> 1832, Hothorpe Estate Map, (unchecked) (Map). SNN106731.

<11> BROWN A.E., 1997, Fieldwalking Ploughed deserted Villages in Northamptonshire (Report). SNN62296.

<12> MEDIEVAL SETTLEMENT RESEARCH GROUP, 1996, Annual Report, Hothorpe, p. 43-4 (Annual Report). SNN105122.

<13> Aerial Photograph, AP 541/256, 4393, 10.5.49 (Photographs). SNN112974.

<14> Baird, J., 1970, Field investigators comments, F1 JB 16-MAR-70 (Notes). SNN110341.

<15> English Heritage Alternative Action Report, Foster, C L 14-JAN-1999 (Report). SNN113037.

<16> RCHME, Undated, RCHME Inventory: Northamptonshire II (Central), AF0615738/889688 (Archive). SNN112900.

Record last edited

Feb 3 2025 8:41PM