Wakefield Hunting Lodge

Has been described as a Certain Palace (Royal)

There are no visible remains

NameWakefield Hunting Lodge
Alternative NamesWachefeld; Wakefeld'
Historic CountryNorthamptonshire and the Soke of Peterborough
Modern AuthorityNorthamptonshire
1974 AuthorityNorthamptonshire
Civil ParishPotterspury

Wakefield was the site of a royal hunting lodge in the Forest of Whittlebury. It was built or rebuilt early in the reign of Henry II, who in 1158-9 spent £16 13s. 4d. on the 'work' of his houses here, and in the following year £5 6s. 8d. on their repair. Further work costing some £10 was carried out under Hugh de Neville, the chief forester, in 1206-7, and again in 1209-11. The house is included in a list of royal hunting lodges drawn up in 1217, but Henry III did not keep it up and nothing further is known of its history. (HKW)

In 1086 Count Alan of Britanny held four-fifths of half a hide of the king in Wakefield, which Ralph Dapifer held of him. (VCH 1906 p. 329) Alan died without issue and the undertenancy may have ended with his death, for the early 12th-century Northamptonshire Survey merely notes that at Wakefield there were four small virgates of the king's fee, (VCH 1906 p. 374) and the estate has no later manorial history. It was part of the royal demesne in the mid 12th century (Pipe R.) and in 1170-1 the sheriff accounted for repairs carried out to the hall there. (Pipe R.) Wakefield seems then to have been abandoned as a royal residence in favour of Silverstone, (Baker) and in the 13th century the name refers merely to the eastern part of Whittlewood, from which oaks were cut down from time to time for various building projects or as royal gifts. (VCH 2002)

Gatehouse Comments

Site under C18 house, Wakefield Lodge.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

This is a Grade 2* listed building protected by law

Historic England Scheduled Monument Number
Historic England Listed Building number(s)
Images Of England
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSP737425
Latitude52.0764083862305
Longitude-0.925300002098084
Eastings473750
Northings242550
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Riden, Philip and Insley, Charles (eds), 2002, 'Potterspury' VCH Northamptonshire Vol. 5 p. 289-345 online transcription
  • Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol. 2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p. 1006
  • Serjeantson, R.M., Ryland, W. and Adkins, D. (eds), 1906, VCH Northamptonshire Vol. 1 p. 329, 374 online copy
  • Baker, G., 1836-41, History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire Vol. 2 p. 88-90 online copy

Primary Sources

  • 1885, The Great Roll of the Pipe for the eighth year of the reign of King Henry the Second, A.D. 1161-1162 (Pipe Roll Society Publications 5) p. 8 online copy
  • 1893, The Great Roll of the Pipe for the seventeenth year of the reign of King Henry the Second, A.D. 1170-1 (Pipe Roll Society Publications 16) p. 45 online copy
  • Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1901, Calendar of Patent Rolls Henry III (1216-25) Vol. 1 p. 124-5 online copy