Monument record 503 - Welford

Welford medieval shrunken village

{1} Brass rubbing of Francis Saunders and three wives (1585).

{2} Source also relates to initial summary text.
Welford lays in a relatively peripheral location near the head of the Avon valley in gap between major medieval and post medieval markets and successful towns. Like a number of other attempted market foundations this may have been trying to exploit this gap during the height of the medieval expansion. While the other markets failed in this area, Welford seems to have survived, if on a very modest scale, until the C18th.
The documentary record for the settlement is not particularly good and a detailed analysis of the historical topography of the settlement was not possible. Neither is there any substantial archaeological evidence for the commercial activity in the settlement in the medieval period while the substantial areas of settlement. The settlement is also relatively heavily developed, in part with historic buildings, but leaving relatively limited areas in the core of the settlement accessible for future investigation. The settlement was not therefore subject to detailed study in the EUS. However ongoing research by A E Brown, when published, may require a review of this assessment as his work is likely to present a reconstruction of the historical topography of the settlement in the C16th from a detail post dissolution survey.

{5} Settlement remains centred SP 639804 suggest that formerly a third street ran parallel to the existing village streets. This could imply a planned layout rather than gradual growth. The street was abandoned by 1838.
At the north end of the village, on the south-east side of High Street (SP 644805), is another group of abandoned closes and a small embanked pond. These appear to be the remains of gardens behind houses which once stood along the High Street

{6} These earthworks were previously recorded under SP 68 SW 19

<1> Brass Rubbings at Ashmolean Museum, (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN41806.

<2> Taylor J.; Foard G.; Ballinger J., 2002, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Overview, Appendix 2 (checked) (Report). SNN103118.

<3> Bird H., 2005, Seaborne Re-Visited: Cob Cottages in Northamptonshire 2004, p.54-69 (unchecked) (Article). SNN109351.

<4> Daventry District Council, 2020, Welford Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan (Policy Document). SNN112019.

<5> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1981, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, Page 196, fig 146 (Series). SNN77381.

<6> LEE, E S., 1991, RCHME Recorder, 09-Aug-1991 (Note). SNN114837.

<7> 1838, Map of Welford (Map). SNN13702.

<8> RCHME, Undated, RCHME Inventory: Northamptonshire II (Central), 889310, 890730 (Archive). SNN112900.

Record last edited

Feb 3 2025 8:42PM