Monument record 2193 - Papley

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Summary

The site of the deserted medieval village of Papley depopulated between 1450 and 1700. Earthworks including ridge and furrow indicate a small settlement, the most prominent feature of which is a large moatperhaps modified into a garden during the late 15th or early 16th century and an associated fishpond all of which lie just to the north east of Papley farm. Remnants of small closes lie nearby. Small quantities of medieval and later pottery have been found, along with late medieval window tracery fragments. A building of 12th to 13th century was excavated during the 1970s.

Map

Type and Period (9)

Full Description

{1}{8} It is not mentioned by name in the Domesday Book, but is listed as the manor of one and a half hides held by Isembard and Rozelin in Warmington, with a recorded population of three villeins.

{2} The remains comprise a 1m deep hollow way off which run other roads and tracks, the remains of building platforms, all surrounded by ridge and furrow. Adjacent nearby quarrying.

{3} The village is documented in 1316.

{4} Star Chamber Enclosure Case of 1539.

{5} In 1301 twelve taxpayers are enumerated in the Lay Subsidy Rolls.

{6} In 1632 a detailed map of the manor of Papley was commissioned (see Plate 15 in Ref {11}). Moated area labelled "House Yard & Orchard". A large farmhouse is shown within the moat. Farm Buildings are shown.

{7} In about 1720 Bridges claimed that there were only "three shepherds' cottages" left.

{10} The site was part-ploughed by 1969. An abundance of medieval pottery, stone rubble and Collyweston slates have been found.

{11} The deserted village of Papley is situated on high clay land in the remote south-east of Warmington parish. It is very well documented and is unusual in that the surviving earthworks can be shown to date largely from the post-desertion period. The village lies on both sides of a small stream. Parts of it have been destroyed by ploughing.
Papley seems to have originated as a daughter-hamlet of Warmington. It was probably always small and its subsequent depopulation, apparently in the late C15th and early C16th was perhaps a result of its small size.
In 1456 the manor was sold to William Browne, a wealthy merchant of Stamford, and it subsequently passed to his daughter, Elizabeth Elmes, in 1495. She and her husband destroyed seven houses in Papley, and enclosed 200 acres of former common fields there. Their grandson, John Elmes of Lilford was brought before the Court of Star Chamber in 1539 and charged, amongst other things, with having closed up highways in Papley, converted arable land into pasture and impounded cattle on the commons. Witnesses testified that there had been 10 houses and 4 cottages in Papley but by 1539 only 2 houses were inhabited. The findings of the court are not known but it seems that the decline of the village was in no degree halted by the case.
The two remaining Papley Cottages were occupied until their abandonment "a few years ago", and the former village is now completely deserted. A large quantity of cobbles and limestone rubble, and a few sherds of medieval and later pottery have been found. Fragments of late medieval window tracery, probably from a domestic building, have been recovered from the modern pond.

{12} By 1802 a new farmhouse had been erected just outside the moat, together with other buildings, which lay around a courtyard to the north-west of the moat. The rest of the moated area appears to have been used as a garden.

{13} Excavation pre 1972 revealed a small C12th to C13th building of stone 50ft x 20ft. It had large boulder foundations. Floor tiles were found in situ on a mortared floor within the building. Medieval pottery, floor tiles, roof tiles and window glass was found.

{15} A watching brief undertaken in 1968 during pipe laying for field drainage identified medieval and post-medieval pottery, floor tile and glass fragments. A small excavation was subsequently undertaken in 1972 just outside the Scheduled Monument where a stone-founded building, between 15m and 18m long and 6m wide was found. The floor was mortared and tile impressions were observed; the tiles had been green-glazed. The walls were plastered and the roofs had both collyweston tile and green-glazed ceramic tile with cockscomb ridge tile. Fragments of glass had a foliate design. Pottery dating from the 14th to 16th century was found, with the stone building being replaced by a timber framed building in the 15th century.


{16} The main house within the moat is depicted in a form which suggests that it was ruinous by this time. Trees suggest orchard still in existence. The farm buildings are still standing in 1685.

{17} The three-sided moat in the centre of the deserted village of Papley was for long assumed to be the site of the medieval manor house. Yet close examination, combined with some simple historical research, proved that it is the boundary ditch of an early C17th garden associated with the house which was built there fifty years after the village had disappeared and which was demolished in the 1670s. Plate 1.

{18} Sometime after 1834 the farmhouse was pulled down and in the late C19th the present two farms, both known as Papley Lodge, were built at some distance from the village site.

{19} Surface disturbance north east of the published moat is subject to a preservation order. Apart from ridge and furrow field boundaries no identifiable features are to be seen. East of the moat evidence of occupation is visible on air cover but this falls outside the scheduled area and has now been ploughed. An abundance of medieval pottery, stone rubble and Collyweston slates were found there.

The 'moat' has only three sides and is banked without. Obviously not a homestead moat as there is no trace of a fourth side. It would seem to have been no more than a water hazard or pond. See annotated 25" survey.


Historic England, Papley (Photographs) (Archive). SNN114967.

<1> Page W. (ed), 1930, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.113-114 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100370.

<2> English Heritage, 1992, English Heritage Scheduling Notification, (part checked) (Report). SNN47128.

<3> 1316, Nomina Villarum, (unchecked) (Document). SNN8783.

<4> Allison K.J.; Beresford M.W.; Hurst J.G. et al, 1966, The Deserted Villages of Northamptonshire, p.44 (unchecked) (Report). SNN39628.

<5> 1301, Lay Subsidy Rolls, (unchecked) (Document). SNN105222.

<6> 1632, The Manor of Papley, (unchecked) (Map). SNN105223.

<7> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.483 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77326.

<8> Ryland, W, Adkins, D, and Serjeantson, R M, 1902, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.316 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100368.

<9> Serjeantson R.M.; Ryland W. (Editors), 1906, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.117-19+412 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100369.

<10> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, TL18NW11 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<11> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1975, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.108+Plate15/Site 21 (Series). SNN77379.

<12> 1802, Papley Farm, (unchecked) (Map). SNN105225.

<13> 1973, Medieval Archaeology (17), p.183 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN35139.

<14> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.194 Site 21 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77382.

<15> Harcourt, J, 1980-1, Papley, Warmington, Northants (Report). SNN112737.

<16> 1685, Map of Papley, (unchecked) (Map). SNN105224.

<17> Taylor C., 1983, The Archaeology of Gardens, p.8 (checked) (Series). SNN41440.

<18> Ordnance Survey, 1824, First Edition Ordnance Survey 1 Inch Map Series (Sheet 44), (unchecked) (Map). SNN42154.

<19> Seaman, BH, 1969, Field investigators comments, F1 BHS 10-SEP-69 (Notes). SNN111907.

<20> Aerial Photograph, AP's 106G/UK 928 16 Oct 45. 4154 - 5. U C 18 (St Joseph 4.4.57). (Photographs). SNN112974.

<21> Aerial Photograph, A/P (CUAP PK61-64, UC16-18) (Photographs). SNN112974.

<22> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, A/P (RAF VAP CPE/UK 2109 3399) (Photographs). SNN104890.

Sources/Archives (23)

  • --- Archive: Historic England. Papley (Photographs).
  • <1> Series: Page W. (ed). 1930. The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire. 3. University of London. p.113-114 (unchecked).
  • <2> Report: English Heritage. 1992. English Heritage Scheduling Notification. English Heritage. (part checked).
  • <3> Document: 1316. Nomina Villarum. (unchecked).
  • <4> Report: Allison K.J.; Beresford M.W.; Hurst J.G. et al. 1966. The Deserted Villages of Northamptonshire. Dept. of English Local History Occasional Papers. 18. Leicester University. p.44 (unchecked).
  • <5> Document: 1301. Lay Subsidy Rolls. PRO E179/155/131. (unchecked).
  • <6> Map: 1632. The Manor of Papley. (unchecked).
  • <7> Book: Bridges J.. 1791. The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire. 2. p.483 (unchecked).
  • <8> Series: Ryland, W, Adkins, D, and Serjeantson, R M. 1902. The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire. 1. University of london. p.316 (unchecked).
  • <9> Series: Serjeantson R.M.; Ryland W. (Editors). 1906. The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire. 2. University of London. p.117-19+412 (unchecked).
  • <10> Index: Ordnance Survey. 1950s/1960s. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. Ordnance Survey. TL18NW11 (checked).
  • <11> Series: Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England. 1975. An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton. 1. HMSO. p.108+Plate15/Site 21.
  • <12> Map: 1802. Papley Farm. (unchecked).
  • <13> Journal: 1973. Medieval Archaeology (17). MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY. 17. Society for Medieval Arch. p.183 (unchecked).
  • <14> Series: Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England. 1982. An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton. 4. HMSO. p.194 Site 21 (unchecked).
  • <15> Report: Harcourt, J. 1980-1. Papley, Warmington, Northants. AA 304114/2.
  • <16> Map: 1685. Map of Papley. (unchecked).
  • <17> Series: Taylor C.. 1983. The Archaeology of Gardens. Shire Archaeology. 30. Shire Publications Ltd.. p.8 (checked).
  • <18> Map: Ordnance Survey. 1824. First Edition Ordnance Survey 1 Inch Map Series (Sheet 44). 1 Inch to 1 Mile. Sheet 44 (Oakham). Ordnance Survey. (unchecked).
  • <19> Notes: Seaman, BH. 1969. Field investigators comments. English Heritage. F1 BHS 10-SEP-69.
  • <20> Photographs: Aerial Photograph. AP's 106G/UK 928 16 Oct 45. 4154 - 5. U C 18 (St Joseph 4.4.57)..
  • <21> Photographs: Aerial Photograph. A/P (CUAP PK61-64, UC16-18).
  • <22> Photographs: Royal Air Force. Vertical Aerial Photography. A/P (RAF VAP CPE/UK 2109 3399).

Finds (12)

Related Monuments/Buildings (16)

Related Events/Activities (2)

Location

Grid reference Centred TL 1071 8886 (394m by 558m)
Civil Parish WARMINGTON, North Northamptonshire (formerly East Northants District)

Protected Status/Designation

Other Statuses/References

  • NRHE HOB UID: 363901

Record last edited

Feb 7 2025 2:25PM

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