Little Houghton Ringwork

Has been described as a Possible Timber Castle (Ringwork)

There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains

NameLittle Houghton Ringwork
Alternative Names
Historic CountryNorthamptonshire and the Soke of Peterborough
Modern AuthorityNorthamptonshire
1974 AuthorityNorthamptonshire
Civil ParishLittle Houghton

Section across ditch excavated by E.D. Bailey (1957) Finds including 13th c pottery and tile in Northampton Museum (Northampton Museum 6" AW 1957).

The earthwork shows as a raised platform max 1.4m high, the ditch having been filled in. Possibly the site for a medieval manor (F1 BHS 13-MAY-1970).

Site of Manor House (SP 80265961) immediately W of the church, on sand at 84 m. above OD. The site consists of a rectangular raised platform with a level top, so that it is almost 3 m. high on the NW and only 1 m. high in the S. The SE part has been destroyed by the chruchyard and the NW corner has been damaged. Therre are slight traces of former buildings on the platform, but these may be modern. The site has been described as a motte, but it is more probably the site of a medieval manor house. The area in which it lies was known as South Hall Piece in 1835 (RCHME).

Listed by Cathcart King as a badly worn rigwork with a possible bailey (King 1983). (PastScape)

The ringwork is probably the site of a later medieval manor house, perhaps from the thirteenth century, rather than an earlier castle ringwork. (Lowerre 2004)

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSP802596
Latitude52.2289695739746
Longitude-0.826340019702911
Eastings480260
Northings259610
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Lowerre, A.G., 2005, Placing Castles in the Conquest. Landscape, Lordship and Local Politics in the South-Eastern Midlands, 1066-1100 (Oxford: John and Erica Hedges Ltd: BAR British Series 385) p. 248
  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of the East Midlands (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 77
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 316
  • Salzman, L.F. (ed), 1937, VCH Northamptonshire Vol. 4 p. 266-7 (tenurial history) online transcription
  • RCHME, 1979, An inventory of the historical monuments in the County of Northampton Vol. 2: Central Northamptonshire (HMSO) p. 88-9 (plan) [online transcription > http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=126350]

Journals

  • 1974, South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter Vol. 4 p. 27 online copy
  • 1974, 'Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1973' Northamptonshire Archaeology Vol. 9 p. 106 (a bare mention; as a motte) download from ArchLib
  • 1853, Archaeologia Vol. 35 Map opposite p. 394

Other

  • Lowerre, A.G., 2004, Placing Castles in the Conquest. Landscape, Lordship and Local Politics in the South-Eastern Midlands, 1066-1100 (PhD thesis: Boston College) p. 545