Monument record 717 - Foscote

Foscote deserted medieval village

{1} Most of the settlement earthworks result from 18th to 19th century desertion.

{2} Foscote (SP 659473) was probably taxed with Towcester. Arable cultivation by the villagers is recorded 1373-1420. In 1488 80 acres were enclosed and 12 persons were evicted from one manor. Another manor is also recorded in the vicinity. In 1958 the earthworks were clearly visible where now there remain two farms
and two cottages.

{3} In medieval times the hamlet was the centre of a unit of land with its own field system entirely separate from Abthorpe. Foscote first recorded in 1200AD but is probably much older. It was usually taxed with Abthorpe or Towcester. In 1301 10 people paid a lay subsidy. 1525 five people paid lay subsidy. By the early 19th century the hamlet was probably no smaller than it had been 400 years earlier and the main contraction of settlement didn't occur until later. During the 2nd half of the 19th century all the buildings at Foscote except the new Foscote House, Hill Farm and one of the cottages at the south east end of the old green were removed though it is possible that the two building north west of Hill Farm actually remained standing until well into this century. Most of the earthworks of this settlement are thus the result of recent desertion or are the boundaries of closes shown on the various maps.

{4} The earliest depiction of the hamlet is a map of 1726 which shows an irregular green with 5 houses and 2 farmsteads arranged around it, and 2 other houses lying on the north side of a lane to the north east. Another farmstead, the present Hill Farm, lay to the east.

{5} On a map of 1823 associated with the enclosure of the parish the green is shown, although its south end had by then been encroached upon by the grounds of the two houses there. One of the farmsteads still stood but the other farm and one of the cottages shown on the 1726 map had been abandoned, as had a lane running south east from the green. The lane to the north east and the two houses still existed and a third building is shown in the area. Hill Farm also remained to the east. The Enclosure Map of two or three years later shows the changes effected by enclosure. The green had been reduced to a track leading north west to one farmstead and a house, though Hill Farm, the two houses at the south east end of the green and those to the north east all remained. The map also shows in outline the present Foscote House which was presumably built soon afterwards.

{11} Towcester's medieval taxation records included the hamlet of Foscote. In 1301 Towcester was assessed cum membris (ie with hamlets).

{12} Earthworks of the DMV are clearly visible between and to the north west of Hill Farm and Foscote House.

{13} Most of the earthworks visible on air photographs as being associated with this village have been ploughed or are only field boundaries. Three steadings are visible at SP 6600 4722, 6596 4737 and 6593 4734 of these the two latter had extant buildings in 1900 (OS 25" 1900). Large ponds, probably associated with the early village still
survive as published.

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP64NE2 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<2> Allison K.J.; Beresford M.W.; Hurst J.G. et al, 1966, The Deserted Villages of Northamptonshire, p.40 (unchecked) (Report). SNN39628.

<3> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.1 site 3 (checked) (Series). SNN77382.

<4> 1726, Map of Abthorpe, (unchecked) (Map). SNN13519.

<5> 1823, Enclosure map of Abthorpe, (unchecked) (Map). SNN42287.

<6> Ivens R., 2001, Archaeological Watching Brief At Grafton Court, Foscote, Abthorpe, Northamptonshire, p.3 (checked) (Report). SNN101153.

<7> Ivens R., 2003, Archaeological Watching Brief at Kingscourt, Foscote, Abthorpe, p.3 (checked) (Report). SNN103307.

<8> Gover J.E.B.; Mawer A.; Stenton F.M. (Eds.), 1933, The Place-names of Northamptonshire, p.90 (unchecked) (Series). SNN5881.

<9> PRO series E179, PRO E179/155/31 (Document). SNN115882.

<10> PRO series E179, PRO E179/155/130 (Document). SNN115882.

<11> Taylor J.; Foard G.; Laughton J.; Steadman S.; Ballinger J., 2002, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Towcester, 3.5.1 (checked) (Report). SNN103132.

<12> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, APs (RAF CPE/UK/1926 1229-31, 16.1.47 (Photographs). SNN104890.

<13> Baird, J., 1970, Field investigators comments, F1 JB 02.01.70 (Notes). SNN110341.

Record last edited

Jan 31 2025 10:06AM