Monument record 1174 - Passenham

Settlement remains, formerly part of the village, lie on either of the single street, immediately south and east of the church. Passenham is first mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in c925.

{1} Map of Whittlewood Forest and constituent parishes; cartographic style of 18th century, but a copy of earlier map probably dated 1608. Map shows field boundaries, house sites, coppices in the woods and public roads, important buildings are shown larger and in greater detail. Map refers to parish of Old Stratford as "Old Stow" (name Stow usually means "hermitage" or "holy place").

{2} The Anglo Saxon chronicle relates that Edward the Elder over-wintered his troops at Passenham in AD921, the actual location of the military encampment is unknown.

{3} Buildings are shown both sides of the road in 1600.

{4} Passenham enters the record as the location of Edward the Elder’s encampment in 921-2. This encampment has never been found and it is more likely to have been located nearer Watling Street or what is now Old Stratford.

{5} Six houses were recorded in 1720.

{6} Passenham was first documented c.925.

{7} In 1086 it was recorded as having two manors and a population of 20.

{8} Included Deanshanger and Puxley; all were taxed together until 1523 when only 10 paid Lay Subsidy.

{10} Despite its history as an early administrative centre and sometime use as a camp by Edward The Elder in his campaigns against the Danes, Passenham is today absorbed within the new civil parish of Old Stratford and its former lands have been split with those of adjacent Deanshanger. The village itself lies on the terrace-gravel of the River Great Ouse at a height of approximately 65m OD. Its present size is probably little different from that recorded in the C18th but the remains of former houses in places either side of the single street indicate that it was once larger. A map of around 1725, which is thought to copy older information, shows buildings on these abandoned sites and demonstrates that the boundaries of some of the fields immediately to the north-east of the village are also of an historical date.

{12} Article discussing the parish boundary between Wicken and Passenham.

<1> Brown O.F.; Roberts G.J., 1973, Passenham, The History of a Forest Village, (checked) (Book). SNN4109.

<2> Parry S., 1996, An Archaeological Evaluation at Manor Nurseries, Passenham, (checked) (Report). SNN4098.

<3> 1600, Passenham Map, (checked) (Map). SNN27573.

<4> Woodfield P., 2005, The Whittlewood Project: Historic Buildings Survey, Passenham with Old Stratford, (checked) (Report). SNN105033.

<5> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.305 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<6> Dorothy Whitelock, 1961, Anglo Saxon Chronicle (A revised translation), (checked) (Mention). SNN27410.

<7> Ryland, W, Adkins, D, and Serjeantson, R M, 1902, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.307+321 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100368.

<8> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.110/Site 7 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77382.

<9> Collier; Baker;, c1600, Map of Whittlewood Forest (NRO Map 4210), (unchecked) (Map). SNN105610.

<10> Dix B.N., 1991, Archaeological Evaluation at Passenham in Northamptonshire, (checked) (Full Report). SNN1381.

<11> Northamptonshire Industrial Archaeology Group, 1996-2013, Northamptonshire Industrial Archaeology Group Newsletter, Issue 117 p.8 (unchecked) (Newsletter). SNN55360.

<12> Brown, O.F., 1968, A Question of Boundaries, 1/43-45 (checked) (Article). SNN109147.

<13> Hall D., 2001, The Woodland Landscapes of Southern Northamptonshire, p.33-46 (unchecked) (Article). SNN102520.

Record last edited

Oct 23 2024 4:00PM