Report

ROYAL COMMISSION ON THE ANCIENT AND HISTORICAL MONUMENTS AND CONSTRUCTIONS OF ENGLAND

Report to the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty

May it Please Your Majesty

We, the undersigned Commissioners, appointed to make an Inventory of the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions connected with or illustrative of the contemporary culture, civilisation and conditions of the people of England from the earliest times to the year 1714, and such further Monuments and Constructions subsequent to that year as may seem in our discretion to be worthy of mention therein, and to specify those which seem most worthy of preservation, do humbly submit to your Majesty the following Report, being the thirty-eighth Report on the work of the Commission since its first appointment.

2. With regret we have to record the retirement from the Commission upon expiry of term of office of Professor William Francis Grimes, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, Doctor Arnold Joseph Taylor, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Fellow of the British Academy, Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and Doctor Harold McCarter Taylor, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries.

3. We thank Your Majesty for the appointment to the Commission of Professor Maurice Warwick Beresford, Doctor Robert Angus Buchanan, and Professor Albert Lionel Frederick Rivet, Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and for the reappointment of Professor George Zarnecki, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Fellow of the British Academy, Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries.

4. We have pleasure in reporting the completion of our recording of archaeological sites in the north-west part of the County of Northampton, an area comprising sixty-nine parishes containing 588 monuments.

5. Following our usual practice we have prepared an illustrated Inventory of the earthworks in north-west Northamptonshire, which will be issued as a non-Parliamentary publication entitled Northamptonshire III. As in recent Inventories, the Commissioners have adopted the terminal date of 1850 for the monuments included in the Inventory.

6. The method of presentation of material has in general followed that adopted in the previous Inventories.

7. The descriptions of the more important monuments have been submitted to specialist authorities. We are satisfied that no significant monument which survived until 1976 has been omitted.

8. Our special thanks are due to owners and occupiers who have allowed access by our staff to the monuments in their charge. We are indebted to the Directors and Curators of many Institutions for their ready assistance to us, and particularly to Mr. P. I. King, the Northamptonshire County Archivist. We have to record our indebtedness to the Director-General of the Ordnance Survey for access to his archaeological records, and for valuable work carried out by the field surveyors of his Department. We wish to record our gratitude to Professor J. K. S. St Joseph, Director in Aerial Photography in the University of Cambridge, for permission to use a large number of air photographs, and to Mr. J. Pickering for supplying other air photographs. We further wish to express our thanks to those persons who have given help to our executive staff during the field investigation; their co-operation is greatly appreciated. They include Mr. W. N. Terry and Mr. W. G. Moore (respectively Curator and Keeper of Archaeology, Northampton Central Museum and Art Gallery). Particular thanks are due to Mr. A. E. Brown (Department of Adult Education, Leicester University) and to Mr. D. N. Hall, who have generously made available much of their unpublished material on this part of Northamptonshire.

9. As a result of the limitations imposed on us by the continuing need for economy, only two members of our staff have been available to carry out work in the field.

10. We humbly recommend to Your Majesty's notice the following monuments in north-west Northamptonshire as being specially worthy of preservation:

Roman, prehistoric and undated monuments:

Brampton, Chapel

(1)–(10) Brampton Complex

Brampton, Church

(1)–(10) Brampton Complex

Daventry

(1)–(21) Borough Hill Complex

(35) Burnt Walls Enclosure

Farthingstone

(3) Enclosure

Harlestone

(1) East Harlestone Complex

Norton

(4) Roman Town of Bannaventa

Stowe-nine-churches

(13) Linear Banks and Ditches

Medieval and later earthworks

Barby

(1) Deserted Village of Onley

(2) Manor House Site

Braunston

(1) Deserted Village of Braunstonbury

Canons Ashby

(1) Deserted Village of Canons Ashby

(2) Site of Augustinian Priory and of 16th-century House and Gardens

(3) Mound

(4) Fishponds

(5) Garden Remains

Catesby

(4) Site of Priory, House and Garden Remains

Charwelton

(1) Deserted Village of Church Charwelton

(2) Ponds

Clipston

(6) Deserted Village of Nobold

(7) Settlement Remains

Cottesbrooke

(4) Site of Monastic Grange

Everdon

(3) Deserted Village of Snorscomb

Farthingstone

(4) Motte and Baileys

Flore

(4) Deserted Village of Glassthorpe

Holdenby

(4) Garden Remains

Sibbertoft

(8) Motte and Bailey

Stanford

(4) Deserted Village of Stanford

Sulby

(2) Site of Sulby Abbey

(3) Deserted Village of Sulby

Watford

(4) Settlement Remains

Winwick

(1) Settlement Remains

11. In compiling the foregoing list, our criteria have been the archaeological or historical importance and rarity, not only in the national but in the local field, and the degree of loss to the nation that would result from destruction. The list is based on academic considerations and does not take into account the problems of preservation.

However, destruction of field monuments continues to be rapid and widespread, and the increasing rarity of these monuments makes it desirable that as many as possible of those listed in the Inventory should be preserved. Also, the extent and impressiveness of surface remains are not the only indications of archaeological importance; their significance can often only be appreciated after excavation. Destruction should therefore not be permitted before archaeological investigation has taken place.

12. We desire to express our acknowledgement of the good work accomplished by our executive staff in the production of this volume. The fieldwork and preparation of the Inventory has been carried out by Mr. C. C. Taylor and Mrs. F. M. Brown. It has been edited by Mr. S. D. T. Spittle.

The illustrations have been drawn by Mr. R. E. Beeton and Mr. P. N. Hammond; Messrs. W. C. Light and R. Parsons have been responsible for the ground photography, Mr. J. Hampton for much of the aerial photography. Mr. H. Marsden has carried out specialized photographic work.

13. We desire to add that our Secretary and General Editor, Mr. R. W. McDowall, has afforded us constant assistance.

14. The next Inventory in the Northamptonshire series will record earthworks in the south-western part of that county.

Signed:

Adeane (Chairman)

John Chandos-Pole

H. C. Darby

S. S. Frere

R. J. C. Atkinson

G. Zarnecki

J. K. S. St Joseph

Paul Ashbee

A. R. Dufty

Mark Girouard

C. N. L. Brooke

Colin Renfrew

Joan Thirsk

M. W. Beresford

R. A. Buchanan

A. L. F. Rivet

R. W. McDowall (Secretary)