| Summary : During the C12th, chapels were set in the secondary settlements of Southorpe, Elsthorpe, Grimsthorpe and Scottlethorpe. Of these only Scottlethorpe survived into later centuries as a manorial chapel. The chapel is mentioned in 1758. Scottlethorpe is still a hamlet, although much reduced since Mediaeval times. There are cropmark traces of ridge and furrow, and minor earthworks represent field banks. There is a strong local tradition of this being a monastic site, and amorphous disturbances around the stackyard at Manor Farm, which now occupies the site, suggest extensive buildings, possibly associated with a monastic complex.The C12th St Martin's Chapel was converted to a barn. This was demolished in the 1960's and the doorway and tympanum relocated in the North aisle of Edenham Church. There is some debate as to whether this really was the Chapel of St Martin or whether it was material reused from Vaudey Abbey. |
More information : [Area TF 053210] Scottlethorpe, Scachetorp, is
mentioned in the Domesday Survey. Air photographs show some
traces of desertion.
The scheduled remains of the (?) 12th century St. Martin's
Chapel,(2)(4) with blocked Norman doorway and plain tympanum
apparently in situ with the surrounding masonry, is now used as
a barn on Manor Farm, TF 0535 2099.
There is mention of the chapel at Scotelthorpe in 1758, but
Pevsner says the 12th century doorway in the decaying barn on
Manor Farm is said to have come from Vaudey Abbey. (1-7)
The doorway and tympanum, see locally acquired photograph (1964)
from NW, were set in a plain stone stackyard (cited above) now
undergoing demolition.
They have recently been removed by M.O.W. to Corby, Northants,
with the, locally believed, intention of re-erecting them at
Edenham Church.
There is a strong local tradition of a monastery here and
amorphous disturbances around the stackyard suggest more
extensive buildings.
Minor earthworks in pasture to the east are generally mediaeval
field banks. Scottlethorpe is still a hamlet, but probably much
reduced from medieval times.
The remaining pasture fields, located on hilly terrain at 46.0 m
above sea level, contain no surveyable traces of the Medieval
village. RAF air photographs (7) reveal traces of extensive rig
and furrow all around the indicated area. Local farmers report
no finds when ploughing. (8)
During the twelfth century, four manorial chapels were set up in
the secondary settlements of Southorpe, Elsthorpe, Grimsthorpe,and
Scottlethorpe. Of these, only Scottlethorpe survived into
later centuries as a parochial chapel. (9)
The site of Manor Farm is now marked only by grown-over heaps of
building spoil and farm rubbish. Any former evidence of
earthworks (see Auth 8) has been bulldozed away.
The Norman archway, previously part of a building with "internal
traces of Norman work" (a), has been re-erected in the north
aisle of the nave of Edenham church. (10)
Some of the ridge and furrow describe by authority 8 was mapped from
poor quality air photographs. Two blocks of ridge and furrow were
seen as earthworks, they were approximately 170m in length.
Centred at:-TF 0525 2112
Additional NGR's:
TF 0559 2137
(Morph No. LI.750.1.1)
The minor earthworks described by authority 7 were not recorded.
There were some faint traces of earthworks around the village, field
boundaries, headlands and some amorphous lumps and bumps but nothing
substantial enough to record.
This description is based on data from the RCHME MORPH2 database.
(11) |