More information : (SP 78318537) The Hermitage. (1)
The Hermitage House is a moated and buttressed house between Desborough and Dingley. A chapel stood at its E end but was pulled down about 15 years ago, and a possible cemetery stands to the E of the chapel site, outside the moated area. (2)
This is probably the building mentioned elsewhere (p10) by Bridges (2) as the grange built by the monks of Pipewell at Braybrooke (adjoining parish), and by Cox (3) as the grange at Braybrooke rebuilt by the cellarer of Pipewell, Andrew de Roywell, who became abbot in 1298. (3)
Hermitage-House is now a farmhouse, it was a very ancient building, rebuilt in 1863 (The name 'Hermitage Wood' remains. Nothing visible on APs). (4)
The house appears to have a 17th c main block built of stone, refronted later; and a brick rear extension which is probably the 19th c rebuilding. No early architectural remains were seen. In the grounds immediately to the west are the remains of the moat, see annotated 25".
The site of the cemetery was not determined. (5) |