Monument record 1069 - Elkington

Fragmentary earthworks of a deserted village, features include a hollow way, closes, dams and a water mill.

{1} Detailed discussion of history of settlement. Deserted at the time of plague 1412. All the arable land in the parish had been converted to grass before Dissolution, at which time eight large pastures and a grange were bought by various lay landwoners. The grange was held by Pipewell Abbey (Mon 1071/1). The grange was presumably on the site of the present Elkington Farm. There was a church at Elkington, which belonged to Pipewell Abbey, but institutions to it ceased before 1420 and its site is unknown.

{3} In 1720s there were 10 houses dispersed throughout the parish

{4} Several additional buildings has appeared in the village area by 1731

{5} The site of the DMV of Elkington (SP 6276) was in poor condition in 1964. In 1086 the Domesday Survey recorded Elkington with a population of 17. In 1377 the number of taxpayers was 30, but Pipwell Abbey, to whom the village belonged, recorded only 3 or 4 people after a pestilence in 1412. Arable all converted before Dissolution, at which time 8 large pastures and grange bought by various county gentlemen. In 1547 sheet totalled 4000. Only one house survived at Dissolution; most of later farms were 'lodges' built on pasture, and only 3 of houses of 1729 were at the site of the village. The population increased to 46 people in 1841, but now only a farm cottage and hall remain.

(Nothing is visible on AP's of 1947).

{6} Medieval earthworks of deserted village. Part plough pre 1945 and levelled 1970

Aerial photos NCCAP:SP6276/1-26

{8} The plough-damaged remains of the village were fieldwalked. The remains comprise the denuded boundaries of a compact, regularly set-out village lying between a set of north-south streets. The fieldwalking produced evidence of a large Roman site producing pottery covering the entire period to the 4th century, including Samian and imbrex tiles. A single sherd of early-middle Saxon pottery, a thin scatter of Stamford ware and other pottery of the 11th and 12th centuries. A large quantity of medieval pottery up to the 15th century, mostly Lyveden type shelly wares, Potters Marston and Nuneaton sandy types. Elkington was virtually deserted by 1412.

The village plan is odd in the tracks do not lead anywhere particular- the principal track bypasses the village completely. This may be because the village passed largely into the hands of Pipewell Abbey in the mid-late 12th century. The abbey built a grange on (probably) the site of the lay manor house- a capital messuage with watermill, dam and fishpond are mentioned in the original grant.

{9} Enquiries at the farm revealed that earthworks and foundations of walls and houses were ploughed out and levelled in the area centred SP 626762 'a few years ago'. A hollow thought to be the village street was temporarily laid open then and appeared to have had a cobbled surface. The entire area is now arable and under crop.

{10} (SP 625766). Medieval field plan and tracks at Elkington.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1981, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.78 site 6 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77381.

<2> Serjeantson R.M.; Ryland W. (Editors), 1906, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.119 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100369.

<3> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.564 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<4> 1731, Map of Elkington, (unchecked) (Map). SNN13872.

<5> Allison K.J.; Beresford M.W.; Hurst J.G. et al, 1966, The Deserted Villages of Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Report). SNN39628.

<6> Rahtz P. (Editor), 1971, Deserted Medieval Village Research Group (Vol.18), p.71 (unchecked) (Annual Report). SNN14192.

<7> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP67NW1 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<8> MEDIEVAL SETTLEMENT RESEARCH GROUP, 1997, Annual Report, p. 35-6 (Annual Report). SNN105123.

<9> Seaman, BH, 1969, Field investigators comments, F1 BHS 30-JAN-1969 (Notes). SNN111907.

<10> TAYLOR C.C., 1979, Roads and tracks of Britain (Extract). SNN73763.

<11> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, A/P (RAF VAP CPE/UK/1994 4471-2; 106G/UK/636 469-70 (Photographs). SNN104890.

<12> Aerial Photograph, A/P (CUAP, AGU70-4, XT59, 60) (Photographs). SNN112974.

<13> RCHME, Undated, RCHME Inventory: Northamptonshire II (Central), 889148 (Archive). SNN112900.

Record last edited

Jan 31 2025 3:06PM