Monument record 2190 - Lutton

Earthworks south-east of Lutton suggesting a medieval planned village. The site is recorded as having a grid-plan layout of former roads surviving as holloways. Ditches running at right-angles from the holloways occurs at regular intervals representing boundaries of individual toft and crofts. An L-shaped earthwork south-east of the present manor house may represent a moated site, possibly the site of an earlier manor house or moated garden or orchard. The site was assessed in 2009 but was not scheduled.

{1}Settlement remains, formerly part of Lutton village. Although claimed to be the remains of a homestead moat the site, partly shown on OS large-scale maps and plans, in fact comprises a number of hollow ways and ditches which are the survivals of old roads, closes and house sites. The whole area was already abandoned by the late 17th century but the hollow ways remained in use as roads until the 19th century. Plan.

{7} In 1673 there were 22 families, and 30 in 1801. In 1673 Lutton had only 2 houses with more than 2 hearths. Building materials include both brick and timber-framing.

Aerial photos NCCAP:TL1187/1-7

{8} The site is that of medieval settlement remains lying south-east of the modern village of Lutton. The remains were surveyed in detail by the Royal Commission on Historic Monuments (now subsumed within English Heritage), and published in its Northamptonshire Inventory in the volume `Archaeological Sites in North-East Northamptonshire' (1975), pp 65-7, site 1. The RCHM earthwork plan and analysis record a grid-plan layout of former roads surviving as holloways, with one main road leading south-eastwards off a present lane from the village to a stream, with another holloway leading south-west off this, connecting to the modern road leading south from the church and Manor House. Ditches running back at right-angles from these holloways occur at regular intervals; these represent the boundaries of individual tofts and crofts, the medieval house-plots and gardens. Their regularity, and that of the holloways, indicate that this part at least of Lutton was laid out as a planned village. Typically planned villages such as this (or planned village extensions) date from the 250 years following the Norman Conquest of 1066, and reflect England's expanding population and the ambition of lords of the manor to profit from enlarged rent rolls.
South-east of the present Manor House an L-plan earthwork running north off the long holloway may represent a moated site, possibly the site of an earlier manor house or alternatively of a moated garden or orchard. There are also records of coin hoards and other finds from the site.
In the 1990s English Heritage commissioned an evaluation of medieval settlement remains from Dr Stuart Wrathmell and Prof Brian Roberts as part of the Monuments Protection Programme. The outcome of that evaluation was draft recommendations, based on a scoring system, of sites which might be suitable for designation. This site scored 31 on the basis of the published documentation, which indicated a site of significant earthworks and a level of survival which would potentially warrant Scheduling.

Assessment (field visit 17 June 2009)
A site visit determined that the earthworks are now degraded, and part of the field to the south-east between the brook and the holloway which leads south-west across the field has been ploughed and planted. A large part of the holloway itself has also been levelled.

Recommendations
While the desk based assessment carried out by Wrathmell and Roberts indicated a site which would potentially warrant Scheduling, degredation (notably ploughing for agricultural operations) since 1975 when the earthwork survey was published has markedly lessened the extent and quality of the site's above-ground remains. Scheduling is therefore not recommended. Although nationally significant archaeological remains may survive beneath the ground surface it is felt such deposits would be best managed through the planning system guided by the government¿s advice set out in Planning Policy Statement 5 (2010).

{9} Two photos of building "near Church, remains of timber framing and brick infilling" taken 1st July 1963, now demolished;

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1975, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.65/Site 1 (checked) (Series). SNN77379.

<2> Serjeantson R.M.; Ryland W. (Editors), 1906, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.412 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100369.

<3> 1690, Northants Record Office map of Lutton 1690, (unchecked) (Map). SNN10990.

<4> 1802, MAP, (unchecked) (Map). SNN10991.

<5> 1843, Lutton Tithe Map, (unchecked) (Map). SNN10992.

<6> OS 25 INCH MAP, (unchecked) (Map). SNN10993.

<7> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1984, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.116 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77384.

<8> Skinner C., 2010, Site Management Report - Alternative Action Report (Lutton Shrunken Medieval Settlement Site), Heritage Protection Adviser, 3rd Feburary 2010 (Report). SNN107434.

<9> Miss June Swann, 1960s- 70s, Miss June Swann Photographic Archive (Photographs). SNN116665.

Record last edited

May 7 2025 10:23AM