Monument record 305/2 - Site of manor house and gardens, Thorpe Mandeville

Site of the old manor house which was probably replaced by the present one to the east in the early 18th century. The earthworks are primarily of the 16th or 17th century gardens.

{1} "The present Lord of the Manor hath here a good mansion house .... Oliver Cromwell kept garrison here - the mounds, which were thrown up on this occasions, are still visible behind the Manor-house".

{2} "The mounds continue traceable, but the house here alluded to (in Bridges, above), which stood W of the church, has since been taken down".

{3} The old manor house of Thorpe Mandeville, which was prehaps replaced by the present one in the early 18th century, stood to the west of the present site. The earthworks were first mentioned by Bridges in about 1720; he suggested that the mounds 'still visible behind the Manor-House' were thrown up by Oliver Cromwell who traditionally kept a garrison here. The manor house to which Bridges was referring was probably the earlier one which still stood at that time. There is no doubt that the greater part of the earthworks are the remains of a formal garden, but if Bridges did not recognise them and associated them with Cromwell they must presumably have been abandoned long before the early 18th century. This suggests that the gardens were of 16th or early 17th century date. If this is so then the gardens were perhaps laid out by the Kirton family who held the manor of Thorpe Mandeville at that time. In the centre of the site a disturbed area of ground represents the actual site of the manor house. A rectangular earthwork enclosed area to the south is presumably a garden court with three sunken areas on its east side. North of the manor house site further earthworks may be former paddocks or yards. [RCHM plan].

{5} William Peareth, Esq. Small enclosed park.

{9} At the published site stands an amorphous irregular mound with a max height of 1.3m - no masonry or foundations are evident. The published, slope detail, now much reduced, is possibly the line of original formal gardens; to the north of the published site is surface evidence of early quarrying.

There are no identifiable Civil War works in the immediate proximity.

<1> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.207 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<2> Baker G., 1830, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.720 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77327.

<3> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.146 Site 3 (checked) (Series). SNN77382.

<4> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP54SW13 (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<5> Eyre T. (Revised by Jefferys T.), 1779, Map of the County of Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Map). SNN1852.

<6> Unknown, 1896, A History of The Parish of Thorpe Mandeville, (checked) (Chapter). SNN55175.

<7> 1938, Country Life (1938), 180-4 (Journal). SNN107416.

<8> Soden, I., 2016, An archaeological evaluation for the extension of the churchyard of St John the Baptist Church, Thorpe Mandeville, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN110274.

<9> Baird, J., 1970, Field investigators comments, F1 JB 14-APR-70 (Notes). SNN110341.

<10> Tittensor, A J, 1976, Field Investigator's Comments, F2 AJT 26-OCT-76 (Notes). SNN113157.

<11> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, A/P (RAF VAP CPE/UK/1994 1025-7) (Photographs). SNN104890.

Record last edited

Feb 10 2025 7:54PM