Monument record 816 - Boughton deserted medieval village

Medieval deserted settlement in Boughton Park. The settlement was documented in Domesday, and thought to be depopulated by 1473 when the park was created. The settlement is visible as earthworks comprising building platforms and a hollow way.

{1} Lies immediately north-east of Boughton House. In 1086 had population of 11 divided between two manors. In the 1334 Lay Subsidy Rolls Boughton has one of the smallest assessments in the county. The village is mentioned by name in 1316. In 1377 12 tax payers over age of 14 are recorded as paying Poll Tax, again one of smallest in county. Emparkment started in 1473 and it is presumed that village had disappeared by then or was removed at this time.
The earthworks represent only part of the original village, the rest possibly lay on the site of the present house, stables and gardens to the south. The main feature of the existing earthworks is a deeply cut hollow way running north-south; to the west are at least two well-marked platforms bounded by scarps, to the east is a series of low banks and scarps forming no coherent pattern; plan;

{13} Geophysical survey undertaken over area of deserted medieval village of Boughton. Possible ditch alignment and rectangular enclosure detected to the east of the hollow way. Weak anomolies suggest possible boundary ditch. A series of high positive and negative readings to the south of the hollow way denotes modern disturbance.

{14} The site of the DMV of Boughton, at SP900815, was in poor condition in 1964. The population at the Domesday Survey in 1086 was 11, and by 1377 there were 12 taxpayers. The village had twomanors, both
eventually purchased by Montagu who maintained 600 sheep there. In 1720 foundation stones of building were said to have been dug up when the bowling green was made. (Nothing visible on AP's).

{15} "Boughton was a commondery of the Knights of St Thomas (as I conjecture) erected by Henry II. The house and church stood above the present house, by the reservoir. In digging it (reservoir?) they took
up foundations, bones and armour."

{16} Boughton House is the seat of the Duke of Buccleuch. The estate agent Mr Royston stated that there are no records of the bowling green mentioned by authy {14}. In 1968 remains of an unidentified earlier building were found within the present structure. There are no extant remains of desertion in the proximity of the
house.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.154-6 site 8 (checked) (Series). SNN77380.

<2> Thorn F.; Thorn C., 1979, Domesday Book: A Survey of The Counties of England, (unchecked) (Series). SNN1170.

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

<4> 1334, Lay Subsidy Rolls, (unchecked) (Document). SNN105161.

<5> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.344-349 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77326.

<6> CAMDEN, 1802, Britannia, 281 (unchecked) (Series). SNN42332.

<7> Ryland, W, Adkins, D, and Serjeantson, R M, 1902, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.317-18+347 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100368.

<8> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP98SW1 (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<9> Allison K.J.; Beresford M.W.; Hurst J.G. et al, 1966, The Deserted Villages of Northamptonshire, p.35-36 (unchecked) (Report). SNN39628.

<10> Cadman G., 2014, 20th Century Military Archaeology in Northamptonshire: Logs 1, 2 & 3, p.11 (unchecked) (Report). SNN104868.

<11> PRO series E179, E179/155/3 (Document). SNN115882.

<12> PRO series E179, PRO E179/155/27 (Document). SNN115882.

<13> MASTERS P., 1993, Geophysical Survey at The Deserted Medieval Village of Boughton, Weekley, Northamptonshire, (part checked) (Report). SNN28533.

<14> Allison K.J.; Beresford M.W.; Hurst J.G. et al, 1966, The Deserted Villages of Northamptonshire, p. 35-6 (Report). SNN39628.

<15> The Surtees Society, 1887, The Family Memoirs of the Rev W Stukeley 3, p. 71 (Series). SNN6128.

<16> Baird, J, 1969, Field Investigators Comments (Note). SNN111452.

<17> Historic England, Boughton House: photographs and plans (Archive). SNN115141.

Record last edited

Jan 31 2025 2:58PM