More information : (SP 579626) Fish Ponds (NR).
(SP 577622) Fish Ponds (NR) (Remains of).
Resurveyed at 1:2500. See notes on plan. A string of at least four large fish ponds, divided by the railway, and in very poor condition generally. See annotated 25" survey.
Probably associated with Daventry Priory. (1-3)
b(30) FISHPONDS (centred SP 578623; Fig. 56), now entirely destroyed by building developments and playing fields, lay in the valley of a small N.E.-flowing stream immediately S.E. of the old town centre of Daventry on Middle Lias Clay at about 135 m. above OD. The only indication of their form comes from OS records and air photographs (RAF VAP CPE/UK/1994, 2269-70) on which Fig. 56 is based. Nothing is known of their history, but they are probably to be associated with the Cluniac Priory of Daventry. The priory was founded around 1090 at Preston Capes and moved to Daventry in 1107-8. It was situated immediately to the W. of Daventry church, at the E. end of the High Street (VCH Northants., II (1906), (09-13).
The fishponds consisted of four roughly rectangular ponds cut down into the valley bottom and separated by dams. No dimensions are known except that one of the dams ('a' on plan) was 1.6 m. high and that the scarp along the S.W. side of the upper pond ('b' on plan) was 1 m. high. The original stream through the valley was diverted to pass along the S. and S.E. sides of the ponds. (4)
As described by authority 4. All that survives of these four large fish ponds is a frgmentary scarp along the S side of the
natural valley. In broad terms this feature represents the diversion of the water supply along the S side of the pond complex to act as a by-pass channel. The feature has been variously disturbed by modern dumping, hege banks and by later earthmoving associated with the levelling of playing fields along the valley.
The scarp (0.6m high) probably represents a recutting of the natural valley scarp, although fine assessment is impossible due to the condition of the feature.
To the N a shallow disk 9.3m deep represents the continuation of the by-pass channel, although it has been extremely disturbed and re-cut in modern times. Further N still, the feature attains a depth of some 2.0m, but here, too, its original form must remain somewhat suspect. (5) |