Evenley Old Town

Has been described as a Possible Fortified Manor House

There are earthwork remains

NameEvenley Old Town
Alternative NamesEvenly; Astwick
Historic CountryNorthamptonshire and the Soke of Peterborough
Modern AuthorityNorthamptonshire
1974 AuthorityNorthamptonshire
Civil ParishEvenley

At EVENLY are some remains of a castellated work, probably Norman. (Mackenzie)

Gatehouse Comments

Presumably Mackenzie was referring to the moated enclosure Evenley Old Town although describing this a 'castellated' is both confusing and misleading. This is a moated manor house associated with the DMV of Astwick. Downman includes this in a section 'encloures ramparted and fossed' in which he included fortified manor houses such as Barton Seagrave Castle although is description of this site, and subsequent descriptions in the archaeological databases suggests a rather modest timber manor house with a wet moat adapted, with fairly minimal effort, from a stream flowing through the site. Although there probably was a Norman manor house on this site there is nothing to suggest that was fortified and the moat probably represents an crude adaptation of the site to mimic the fashionable square moats of the late C13-C14. Classified as a 'possible' fortified manor house in Gatehouse but must be considered the minimal level of defended house to enter such a category.

- Philip Davis

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSP572344
Latitude52.0050392150879
Longitude-1.16696000099182
Eastings457264
Northings234405
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • RCHME, 1982, An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in the County of Northampton Vol. 4: South-west Northamptonshire (HMSO) p. 52 fig. 53 online transcription
  • Downman, E.A., 1906, 'Ancient Earthworks' in Serjeantson, R.M., Ryland, W. and Adkins, D. (eds), VCH Northamptonshire Vol. 2 p. 415-6 online copy
  • Mackenzie, J.D., 1896, Castles of England; their story and structure (New York: Macmillan) Vol. 1 p. 167 (in Oxfordshire) online copy