Hinton-in-the-Hedges Manor House (The Gatehouse Record)

In the civil parish of Hinton-in-the-Hedges.
In the historic county of Northamptonshire and the Soke of Peterborough.
Modern Authority of Northamptonshire.
1974 county of Northamptonshire.
Medieval County of Northamptonshire.

OS Map Grid Reference: SP562370
Latitude 52.02821° Longitude -1.18205°

Hinton-in-the-Hedges Manor House has been described as a probable Fortified Manor House.

There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains.

Description

Moated manor house, in "a spot .....situated in a triangle formed by two streams, one from the north west, the other from the west, which unite and flow south-east" (Downman 1906).
This site has recently been levelled, there are no surveyable remains.
The moated site consisted of a small rectangular island, 30 m. by 40 m. apparently raised slightly above the adjacent ground and surrounded by a deep ditch 12 m. wide. The ditch on the NE side and part of the island had already been damaged before destruction, by the realignment and deepening of the original stream. On the SW side was a larger rectangular island 60 m. by 45 m., surrounded by a ditch 10 m. wide with a causewayed entrance in the centre of the short NW side. There was a large external bank to the SE of both islands. In the surrounding area was a number of shallow ditches and low banks, some defining former paddocks or closes, others apparently for water. To the NW of the site (SP 561371) was a small rectangular embanked pond, probably contemporary with the moated site and perhaps for fish. During the destruction of the site in 1970 short lengths of foundations and what appeared to be a central courtyard were discovered as well as traces of a large timber building lying over an earlier structure. Pottery of the C14th was found. Much more pottery of the same date had been found previously (local inf) (F1 JB 09-APR-70). (PastScape)

After the bulldozing of this moated manor site Mrs. G. Brown for the Brackley R.D.C. and M.P.B.W. uncovered short lengths of foundations and what appeared to be a large central courtyard. A large timber building with a floor of pitched stone was superimposed on an earlier kitchen with a round oven and adjacent hearths. Much orange-glazed tile was found near the hearths and the pottery was 14th-century. (Med. Arch. 1971)

Comments

Downman includes this site in the section entitled 'enclosures ramparted and fossed' rather than Homestead moats. This includes houses normally regarded as fortified manor houses although other authors and the archaeological databases seem to consider this as a none-fortified manorial site. There appear to be some slight soil marks on the cricket pitch which covers the site of this previously scheduled monument (the schedule was revoked in 1991) which was bulldozed in the 1970s.

Sources of information, references and further reading

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s) 338982.
Further information may be available from the holder of the county Historic Environment Record.

Books
- RCHME, 1982, An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in the County of Northampton Vol. 4: South-west Northamptonshire (HMSO) p. 91 online transcription
  DoE, 1971, Archaeological Excavations 1970 (HMSO) p. 34
  Downman, E.A., 1906, 'Ancient Earthworks' in Serjeantson, R.M., Ryland, W. and Adkins, D. (eds), VCH Northamptonshire Vol. 2 p. 416 online copy
Periodical Articles
- 1971, Medieval Archaeology Vol. 15 p. 163-4 online copy

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