Monument record 4268 - Braybrooke

The remains of a medieval settlement believed to have either been abandoned as a result of shrinkage or deliderately cleared prior to the construction of a neighbouring moated site (4268/1). The earthworks include hollow ways, one of which connects with an existing village lane at its west end, a number of linear crofts and several building platforms. Ridge and furrow is visible within some of the crofts and also to the north and east of the settlement earthworks. Scheduled.

{3} The major monument of the parish is Braybrooke Castle. Adjacent earthworks of a former settlement suggest that the castle may have been constructed over part of this settlement.
The earthworks may represent an early part of the village later abandoned as a result of shrinkage, or possibly removed deliberately to make way for the castle and its associated earthworks. It is perhaps the place called West Hall, and as such could originally have been a settlement separate from the present village. In the available population statistics of the medieval and later periods there is no evidence of massive shrinkage at any time. Domesday Book gives a recorded population of 21. In 1323 the vill paid 72s. in tax, and 77s. in 1348-9. In 1377 163 people over the age of 14 paid Poll Tax and 49 people paid the Subsidy in 1524. In 1674 84 people paid the Hearth Tax and there was a total of 378 people in the parish in 1801. Earthwork remains exist in three areas. Immediately NE of the castle
is a series of rectangular paddocks. To the NW are two E-W hollow-ways and adjoining crofts. S of the castle are slight traces of further long rectangular closes. RCHM plan, air photographs in NMR.

{13} (SP 7684) Braybrooke, contracted village. Good example of typical earthworks centred SP 767847. See OS air cover.

{14} Scheduled; scheduled area extended.

<1> Williams A.; Pitcher G., 2007, Land Adjacent to Top Farm, 52 Griffin Road, Braybrooke, (unchecked) (Report). SNN105987.

<3> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.11-12 sites 1 and 2 (checked) (Series). SNN77380.

<4> PRO series E179, E179/155/3 (Document). SNN115882.

<5> PRO series E179, PRO E179/155/28 (Document). SNN115882.

<6> PRO series E179, PRO E179/155/133 (Document). SNN115882.

<7> PRO series E179, PRO E179/254/14 (Document). SNN115882.

<8> Thorn F.; Thorn C., 1979, Domesday Book: A Survey of The Counties of England, (unchecked) (Series). SNN1170.

<9> Ryland, W, Adkins, D, and Serjeantson, R M, 1902, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, pp. 318, 321, 334-5, 350, 352 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100368.

<10> FOARD G.R., 1994, Braybrooke Medieval Village, (unchecked) (Notes). SNN1419.

<11> Bird H., 2005, Seaborne Re-Visited: Cob Cottages in Northamptonshire 2004, p.54-69 (unchecked) (Article). SNN109351.

<12> Taylor, CC, 1978, Aspects of village mobility in medieval and later times, p. 132 (Report). SNN110876.

<13> Seaman, BH, 1969, Field investigators comments, F1 BHS 21-JUL-1969 (Notes). SNN111907.

<14> Scheduled Monument Notification, 24-Oct-97 (Note). SNN113001.

Record last edited

Feb 7 2025 2:57PM