More information : There is a Castle site at Wadenhoe, (Castle close, near the church" is mentioned in Bridges, Hist Northants, II 388). (1)
APs show a likely site on a hill just to the E of the church, at
TL 0090 8335. (2)
The flat topped hill to the E of the Church is "evidently natural" - there are traditions of a Roman encampment here, but Oundle School AS has been here many times and found "nothing" (Roman).
Mr Hunt knew nothing of the Castle. (3)
There are no surface traces of Castle site at Wadenhoe nor could authoritive literary evidence be found to support the traditional claim. The suggested area is occupied by extensive former quarrying with contemporary spoil heaps and roads. (4)
It is considered that the small spur, centred TL 00928333, between the church and the village is in fact fortified by a once continuous limestone rampart, within which are later remains of building platforms etc much disturbed by quarrying. The date of the rampart is unknown but could be pre-Norman Conquest - the place-name Wadenhoe has been interpreted as 'Wada's spur of land', the platforms etc are presumably post-Conquest medieval. See plan. (5)
Scheduled as a "Fortified Medieval Settlement" (which is erroneously taken as RCHM's conclusion). (6) |