Monument record 1127 - Nortoft

Nortoft medieval settlement remains located to the north and south of Nortoft Road

{1} The present village of Guilsborough is made up of two distinct medieval settlements, Guilsborough itself, and Nortoft. The triangular green in the north west and the single street running north east with earthworks at its north east end was the hamlet of Nortoft, listed as a separate settlement in Domesday Book. This means that the earlier assumption that Nortoft was an unlocated deserted village is no longer valid.

Settlement Remains (SP676735), formerly part of the hamlet of Nortoft, lie to the E. of the existing houses, on Northampton Sand at 150 m. above OD. The remains consist of one well-defined close and an area of disturbed ground.

{4} Customer comment recieved April 2017: 'The SMR has records of extensive Saxon Fishponds in the two fields below Nortoft Cottage, South of Nortoft Road, nr NN6 8QB, OS 678714) and North West of Rose Manor NN6 8QB on the North side of Nortoft (road). There is very clear field evidence of these over a wide area. The remains of what looks like dwelling platforms are located at the top of the fishponds area. The County Archaeologist (Lesley-Ann Mather) has been on-site (April 2017) and considers these might possibly be showing more characteristics of raised platforms than fishponds. Whether this is evidence of a deserted village is inconclusive.'

{5} There is no visible evidence of desertion on the ground in the area of the published name (SP 672733), which now forms part of Guilsborough.

{6} Nortoft in Guilsborough, SP 677738, Domesday Village.

(`Nortoft' (SP 672732), `Nortoft House' (SP 673733), `Nortoft Grange' (SP 677738), and `Nortoft Lodge' (SP 672746) on OS ", 1958, support Beresford's general siting. Nothing is visible in this area on 1947 Aps).

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1981, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p. 93 & p. 96/site 6 (Series). SNN77381.

<2> RENTON E., 1929, Records of Guilsborough: Nortoft & Hollowell, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN59631.

<3> Beresford M.W., 1954, The Lost Villages of England, p.370 (unchecked) (Extract). SNN7102.

<4> ORAL REPORT, Unknown (Oral Report). SNN53287.

<5> Seaman, BH, 1969, Field investigators comments, F1 BHS 05-FEB-69 (Notes). SNN111907.

<6> Beresford M.W., 1954, The Lost Villages of England, p. 370 (Extract). SNN7102.

<7> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, A/P (RAF VAP CPE/UK/1994 1466-7) (Photographs). SNN104890.

Record last edited

Feb 3 2025 8:53PM