Monument record 3647 - Wythemail

A deserted village recorded at Domesday. The remains have been completely destroyed by modern ploughing. A single toft was excavated at Wythmail deserted village in 1954 [HER 3647/0/3].

{1} SP 840719. The deserted medieval village of Wythemail is now much ploughed. One croft was excavated before bulldozing for agriculture in 1954. One house survives. Rated at 6 ploughs in 1220; a chapel is mentioned in 1357. Manor acquired in 1565 by Lord Vaux of Harrowden; the park was created from the common fields of Orlingbury in 1614. Deserted 1350-1450.

{2} Cropmarks of the deserted village of Wythemail visible on aerial photographs. The remains have now been totally destroyed by ploughing, but included a hollow way, closes and house platforms;

{3} Deserted Village of Wythmail, lies in the W. of the parish, on limestone, sands and Boulder Clay at around 122 m. above OD.

The village was first recorded in Domesday Book, when it was assessed for 2½ hides, with a recorded population of 17 and a priest. However, part of this manor certainly lay in Orlingbury and the priest may have been associated with that village. In addition the now deserted settlement of Badsaddle was probably also included in the Domesday record. In 1220 the village was rated at six ploughs, and it was mentioned in the Nomina Villarum of 1316. A manorial chapel was referred to in 1357. The village was assessed jointly with Orlingbury in the 1334 Subsidy Returns and in the 1377 Poll Tax. In 1614 the site of the village was made into a park which existed until 1657. By 1720 there was nothing but a 'lone house'. In 1754 (Map of Wythmail, NRO) the site of the village lay in a field called Park Close.

The remains of Wythmail have been completely destroyed by modern ploughing and only air photographs taken in 1947 show the former appearance of the earthworks (Plate 15). At that time the area of the village was clearly defined by existing hedges or low banks and ditches separating it from the adjacent ridgeand-furrow. A deeply cut hollow-way entered the site from the N. and passed through the E. part in a broad curve towards the existing farm. Near its centre another hollow-way running E.—W. crossed it at right-angles. Further W. there were other more indeterminate hollowways, forming no coherent pattern. Alongside all these hollow-ways traces of embanked closes and house platforms, as well as large depressions, were visible.

The boundaries of the land which seems to have been associated with Wythmail are recoverable from the 1754 maps

Fieldwalking apparently undertaken at the deserted village of Wythemail recovered 'stone rubble and medieval pot sherds'. [Source unknown]

{15} (SP 840719) Moat (GT)

{16} Visible at SP 842721.

{17} There are no surveyable remains of this former village. The site is now arable with a fair amount of surface stone scatter. The chapel site was not found. The remains of the moat have been further reduced by recent filling, published survey (25") revised. The farm house has been demolished.

{21} (SP 842721). Two parallel ditches. A rectangular and a sub-rectangular and an irregular enclosure and one ring ditch in AP in 1979. The DMV was also visible at this location.

<1> Allison K.J.; Beresford M.W.; Hurst J.G. et al, 1966, The Deserted Villages of Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Report). SNN39628.

<2> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, NCCAP:SP8472/16+18-22(+); (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN104822.

<3> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p. 118 (Series). SNN77380.

<4> Hurst, D.G. And Hurst, J.G., 1969, Excavations at the medieval village of Wythemail, Northamptonshire, p. 167-203 (Article). SNN76292.

<5> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP87SW1 (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<6> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire (Book). SNN77326.

<7> 1316, Nomina Villarum (Document). SNN8783.

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

<10> 1954, NORTHAMPTON INDEPENDENT, 29/1/1954 (Journal). SNN32731.

<11> 1954, CHRONICLE & ECHO, 11/10/1954 (Journal). SNN32732.

<12> 1954, CHRONICLE & ECHO, 12/10/1954 (Journal). SNN32733.

<13> 1954, CHRONICLE & ECHO, 23/7/1954 (Journal). SNN32734.

<14> 1954, Deserted Medieval Village Research Group (Vol.2), (unchecked) (Annual Report). SNN32735.

<15> Ordnance Survey Map (Scale/date), OS 6" 1958 (Map). SNN112944.

<16> Aerial Photograph, AP CPE/UK/1925 2233-4 (Photographs). SNN112974.

<17> Seaman, BH, 1968, Field investigators comments, F1 BHS 29-MAR-1968 (Notes). SNN115823.

<18> Historic England, Medieval Village Research Group Archive - measured drawings, 620494 (Archive). SNN114857.

<19> Historic England, Medieval Village Research Group Archive, MVG01 (Archive). SNN116370.

<20> Historic England, Wythemail excavation photographs, MVG01 (Archive). SNN116371.

<21> Brown A.E. (ed.), 1980, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1979, p. 178 (Article). SNN56490.

Record last edited

Feb 7 2025 2:51PM