Monument record 2423/1 - Possible medieval/post-medieval garden features, Empty Spinney

Earthworks of possible garden features with a fish pond and duck decoy pond are situated west of Barnwell Castle. The earthworks are 16th-18th century in date in their present form but may have originated as a medieval moat.

{1} Earthworks of unknown purpose but of the medieval period or later. They consist of a number of ditches up to 2m deep surrounding an island and may have originated as a moat. The name Empty Spinney, given to the adjacent copse, has been tentatively identified with 'Le Hympehaye' of 1285 meaning 'an enclosure made of saplings or shoots' {3}. Plan.

{2} Attributed to 16th-18th-century.

{4} A curious earthwork near Barnwell Brook, apparently the site of an early castle. The entrenchments form two enclosures, and consist of two ditches and one rampart, the water of the brook being caused to wash round the inner ditch and perhaps also at one time the outer.

{6} These earthworks are situated at the bottom of a valley through which runs a fast flowing stream; they are non-defensive in character and appear to be a constructed landscape feature complete with fish pond and duck decoy pond. Similar works are not uncommon in the Midland counties, they are, in the main, attributable to the 16c - 18th c., and this feature would doubtless be utilised during one of the earlier phases of the adjacent Barnwell Castle.

{7} No change.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1975, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.16 site 10 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77379.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, TL08NW3 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<3> Gover J.E.B.; Mawer A.; Stenton F.M. (Eds.), 1933, The Place-names of Northamptonshire, p.210 (unchecked) (Series). SNN5881.

<4> Serjeantson R.M.; Ryland W. (Editors), 1906, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.413 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100369.

<5> 1958, OS 6 INCH MAP, (unchecked) (Map). SNN45349.

<6> Colquhoun, FD, Field Investigators Comments, F1 FDC 02-MAY-62 (Notes). SNN111446.

<7> Colquhoun, FD, Field Investigators Comments, F2 FDC 04-NOV-69 (Notes). SNN111446.

<8> Historic England, PLAN OF BARNWELL BROOK ?16/18TH CENT. LANDSCAPE FEATURE ADJACENT TO BARNWELL CASTLE/HOUSE (TL08NW1,2), P10572 (Archive). SNN114877.

Record last edited

Feb 7 2025 2:29PM