Monument record 1027/2 - Monastic Grange East of Manor Farm

The earthwork and buried remains of a monastic grange and part of a hollow way situated to the north of Main Street on the northern outskirts of the village of Cold Ashby. Throughout much of the medieval period the grange at Cold Ashby is thought to have belonged to either Pipewell abbey, a monastery of the Cistercian order, or Sulby abbey. The central, southern part of the site forms the core of the monastic grange and includes small paddocks within which are a number of building platforms. These platforms are considered to represent the sites of buildings associated with the grange, including the monk's domestic accommodation, probably a chapel, and several agricultural buildings. To the west, north and east of the building platforms are five large rectangular closes which are bounded by low scarp and 0.25 metre high banks. These fields provide evidence for the agricultural activities of the grange. To the north of the grange's northern boundary are the earthwork remains of a hollow way 10 metres wide and 0.5 metres deep. Immediately to the north of the hollow way are the remains of further earthworks which are believed to define several paddocks. Scheduled.

{2} Hollow-way and site of monastic grange, lie in a large pasture field immediately north of Main Street, on the north side of the village. The main feature is a broad hollow-way, 10 m wide and 0.5 m deep. It runs from the existing track which leads south to the village (at SP 65537660), and curves around the marshy source of a north-flowing brook to meet the road from Naseby (at SP 65757654). Here a north branch continues as the modern road but the main hollow-way also continues in a mutilated form further east across the next field until it is lost in the modern arable land. On the north side of the hollow-way, near its junction with Naseby Road, a small subsidiary hollow-way only 5 m across runs north-east for a few metres before it reaches arable land. In the area to the south of the hollow-way, between it and the present village, are five large rectangular closes bounded by low scarps and banks only 0.25 m. high. At the south ends, and extending as far as the back gardens of the modern council houses which line Main Street, there is a group of small rectangular paddocks edged by low stone walls within which are several building platforms. Throughout much of the medieval period the main manor of Cold Ashby was held by Pipewell Abbey and the monastic farm was apparently of considerable size and importance. Bridges, writing in the early 18th century, said that at that time the building still stood 'in the fields'

{3} The earthworks probably represent the site of this grange; the field is still known as Grange Field

<1> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, (unchecked) (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN104822.

<2> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1981, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p. 51-3/Site 2 (Series). SNN77381.

<3> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p. 550-1 (Book). SNN77325.

<4> Royal Air Force, 1940s, RAF Vertical Aerial Photographs, RAF VAP CPE/UK/1994 4175-6 (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN105266.

<5> ENGLISH HERITAGE, 1986, DOE Scheduled Ancient Monuments: Northamptonshire (Parts 5-8), No. 17133 (Schedule). SNN104787.

<6> RCHME, Undated, RCHME Inventory: Northamptonshire II (Central), AF0615738/889814 (Archive). SNN112900.

Record last edited

Feb 10 2025 7:58PM