Monument record 2402 - Churchfield

Earthwork remains of a deserted medieval settlement. Named in a 10th century charter, two manors recorded. It was deserted between 1250 and 1350. There are surface finds of pottery and building debris. Only one house was listed in the 17th century

{1}Soilmark of Churchfield deserted Medieval village, aerial photography 1981.

{2} Gives location as TL013876. Comprised two manors, one of which came in 15th century to Tresam of Sywell. The other, owned by freeholder of Stoke Doyly, consisted in 1465 of one messuage and 60 acres land. C.1720 "mansion house" with "Chapel Close" adjacent. This perhaps present Wakerley Lodge, where moat visible in 19th century. Name preserved in modern Churchfield Farm. One farm remains.

{3} By 1674 only one house was listed in hearth tax returns. In 18th century there was only 1 house.

{4} In 1301 nine tax payers are listed under Churchfield {7} and the village is named in the Nomina Villarum of 1316 {8}. By 1674 only one occupied house is listed in the Hearth Tax Returns and this is almost certainly the present farm. In the early 18th century the county historian recorded only a single farm {3}. The village apparently had a chapel, in existence by 1189, but the name suggests that one had been there much earlier.

The greater part of the site is now under the plough, but the whole area is covered with limestone rubble and pottery dating from the 12th to the early 13th century, much of it being the local Lyveden ware. Other finds from the site include tile, oyster shells, bone, iron slag and a silver groat of Edward III (London mint, 1360-69). Metalwork, a green-glazed zoomorphic finial, possibly a hound or ox, and fragments of a glass flask with applied rib pattern probably of the 13th to 15th century, are also recorded. Air photographs (RAF VAP 58/RAF/2119, 0035) show faint soil marks in two places. Immediately east of the farm buildings a small paddock contains a number of irregular earthworks up to 2m high. Some limestone walls, part of a rectangular building, were excavated by Oundle School in 1960-64 ('a' on plan). These were later surveyed but proved difficult to interpret. These appeared to be several rooms of a substantial domestic building. A window head has also been found.

{6} Medieval deserted village. Named in charter of c.964 and in the 12th century.

{7} {8} In 1301 nine tax payers are listed under Churchfield and the village is named in the Nomina Villarum of 1316.

{9} Excavation by Oundle School in 1960. The excavated remains were surveyed in 1966 and found to comprise several rooms of a substantial domestic building. Lying about were significant quantities of roof tile. Fieldwork showed that the arable field to the east of Churchfield Farm contained a very dense scatter of medieval pottery, with oyster shells, bones and iron slag. A silver groat of Edward III (period 1360-69, London mint), slightly clipped but otherwise in good condition, was also found.

{10}A green glazed zoomorphic finial was found in ploughsoil. It was "possibly a hound, or more likely a bovine", standing on a ridge tile 15in long. It is likely to have come from the Lyveden kilns producing glazed and crested ridge tiles in c.1400.

{11} There was a chapel of ease to Oundle church that is mentioned in every record up to Somerset's Commission in 1549. There was an earlier Saxon church most likely, as the original name was Circefeld.

{12} Much metalwork and medieval pottery, predominantly Lyveden ware.

{14} Geophysical survey was undertaken over much of the known area of the Churchfield DMV. It appears to be represented by a possible scatter of masonry within the north-west of the field, adjacent to Harley Way

{15} Trial trench excavation identified evidence of medieval settlement in the area of the DMV. Evidence of stone foundations and possible internal surfaces indicated the presence of buildings with pottery dating to the 13th century were found in Trench 6. Evidence of a possible house was identified in another trench. Evidence of quarrying was found in trenches 14 and 16. The quarry fills contained 13th-century pottery and a copper mount dating to the 14th /15th century.

{16, 17} Excavation of a small part of the hamlet took place in 2012. The area excavated comprised four house plots, edged with ditched boundaries, and containing stone-built rectangular house structures dating from the 13th century. At least one process of reorganisation of the plot boundaries took place, and at a later period some of the ditched boundaries were moved or replaced with stone walls before the site was abandoned at the end of the 14th century. The plots were constructed adjacent to, or leading off from, the route of the road (now Harley Way), and are situated around 350m to the north-east of the main area of earthworks representing the remains of Churchfield village and probably represent a short-lived expansion or relocation of the original settlement prior to its abandonment.

The finds assemblage comprises a small range of finds and is by no means representative of the full range that would have been in use during the lifetime of the settlement. There is a dearth of items for domestic use, structural equipment, nails and tools and this suggests that much of the metal work had been removed, presumably for recycling, prior to abandonment. Most of these finds were found in demolition/disuse deposits.

{20} Sited from AP to Area TL 005876.

{21} There is a slight disturbance in the areas indicated by Auth 9 but there are no surveyable remains.

<1> 1982, Aerial Photography in Northamptonshire 1981, p110 Benefield (unchecked) (Journal). SNN104561.

<2> Allison K.J.; Beresford M.W.; Hurst J.G. et al, 1966, The Deserted Villages of Northamptonshire, p.37 (checked) (Report). SNN39628.

<3> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.405 (unchecked) (Book). SNN100366.

<4> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1975, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.18 site 5 (checked) (Series). SNN77379.

<5> 1847, Map of Benefield/Oundle, (unchecked) (Map). SNN47520.

<6> Serjeantson R.M.; Ryland W. (Editors), 1906, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.92-93 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100369.

<7> PRO series E179, PRO E179/155/31 (Document). SNN115882.

<8> 1316, Nomina Villarum, (unchecked) (Document). SNN8783.

<9> Brown A.E. (Ed.), 1967, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1966/67 (Medieval), p.22-3 (checked) (Article). SNN26725.

<10> Brown, A E (ed), 1971, Bulletin of the Northamptonshire Federation of Archaeological Societies, p.29 (checked) (Journal). SNN13960.

<11> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, TL08NW22 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<12> 1971, Medieval Archaeology (15), 15/169 (checked) (Journal). SNN4977.

<13> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, TL08NW28 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<14> Butler, A. & Walford, J., 2011, Archaeological geophysical survey: Land east of Harley Way, Benefield, Northamptonshire, p.3 (checked) (Report). SNN108160.

<15> Walker, C., 2011, Archaeological evaluation of land at Harley Way, Benefield, Northamptonshire, p.18 (checked) (Report). SNN108163.

<16> Finn, C., 2016, Archaeological excavation of land at Harley Way, Benefield, Northamptonshire September – November 2012 (Report). SNN110929.

<17> Finn, C., 2017, Late Iron Age to early Roman settlement and medieval settlement at Harley Way, Benefield (Article). SNN110930.

<18> Hall D.N., 1960-1999, Rockingham Forest Project: Archaeological Sites Recorded by David Hall, (unchecked) (Database). SNN102279.

<19> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, NCCAP:TL0087/6-13 (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN104822.

<20> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, 58/RAF/2119 0035 (Photographs). SNN104890.

<21> Baird, J, 1969, Field Investigators Comments, F1 JB 01-OCT-69 (Note). SNN111452.

<22> RCHME, Undated, RCHME Inventory: Northamptonshire I (North-East), 890188 (Archive). SNN113295.

Record last edited

Feb 7 2025 2:29PM