Monument record 1620 - Heathencote

A secondary settlement to Paulerspury which developed close to Watling Street. Not mentioned separately in Domesday Book, but a manor can be traced there from c1200. Shrunken medieval village remains with hollow way and C13-C14 pottery found.

{1} First mentioned by name as Heymundecot in 1220 but is probably much older.

{2} It is presumably included silently under Paulerspury in Domesday Book and in all medieval taxation records is listed with Paulerspury except in 1525 when 11 people at Heathencote paid the Lay Subsidy. The two separate areas of settlement existing in 1820 might indicate that Heathencote was once two places. The hamlet is shown much as it is today on a map of 1820 except that a group of buildings is depicted to the west on either side of a road running north from Watling Street (SP 706474). The buildings have now been destroyed and all that remains is an area of ill-defined earthworks and part of a road surviving as a shallow hollow way. A hollow way continues the NE course of the single street but is blocked by an 18th century cottage. 13th and 14th century pottery has been found in the area.

{3} By 1720 it consisted of six farms and ten families in scattered houses.

{4} The hamlet is shown much as it is today on a map of 1820 except that a group of buildings is depicted to the west on either side of a road running north from Watling Street (SP 706474).

{5} There were considerably more houses in 1728 according to the evidence of a map in the Grafton Collection.

<1> Gover J.E.B.; Mawer A.; Stenton F.M. (Eds.), 1933, The Place-names of Northamptonshire, p.104 (unchecked) (Series). SNN5881.

<2> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.116/Site 18 (checked) (Series). SNN77382.

<3> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.314-5 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<4> 1820, Map of Paulerspury, (unchecked) (Map). SNN16285.

<5> HALL D.N., 1973, Paulerspury survey 1973, 3/68 (checked) (Article). SNN77045.

<6> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, Air Photographs (RAF CPE/UK/1926, 1236-7) (Photographs). SNN104890.

Record last edited

Feb 3 2025 8:56PM