Monument record 1884/1 - Medieval manor to West of Titchmarsh "Castle"

Site of medieval manor house that was called The Lodge which possibly replaced the earlier fortified manor which was in ruins by 1363. The house was documented by Bridges as being in ruins by 1720.

{1} Manor house site (around TL 021795) almost due S of the church, on level ground at 130 ft above OD. Little is known of its construction date but it probably replaced the earlier fortified site to the E [TL 07 NW 1], which was already ruinous in 1363. The date of demolition is also unknown although Bridges writing about 1720 said that 'upon the warren, stood the old manor house, the ruins of which were lately taken down. It was called The Lodge.... John, son to Gilbert Pickering removed to the present manor house about the beghinning of Queen Elizabeth's reign'. After its removal the area was made into a park for the later manor house [TL07NW36], and an avenue and a long rectangular pond then occupied part of the site.
The site was levelled for playing-fields in 1967 when trial excavations by Oundle School uncovered 'glazed bricks' in large quantities and a length of walling of unspecified material

{2} In c.1720 "the ruins were lately taken down." It was called The Lodge at this time.

{3} Earthworks of the medieval manor house at TL021795.

{6} Customer comment received December 2016: The manor house referred to by Bridges in 1719 (not 1720) was not sited here but out towards the eastern boundary of Titchmarsh Parish (Titchmarsh Warren or Grove). My sources for this include various historic references to Titchmarsh Grove, maps, tax and land ownership records and a reappraisal of the correspondence of Gwen Brown who headed up the Oundle School excavation.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1975, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.99/Site 24 (checked) (Series). SNN77379.

<2> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Book). SNN77326.

<3> Page W. (ed), 1930, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Series). SNN100370.

<4> 1779, Titchmarsh Enclosure Map, (unchecked) (Map). SNN8357.

<5> Manuscript Notes, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN47153.

<6> ORAL REPORT, Unknown [derived from NRHE database] (Oral Report). SNN53287.

<7> Brown , G, 1967, Titchmarsh Playing Fields, (unchecked) (Notes). SNN47154.

Record last edited

Feb 10 2025 8:03PM