Reasons for Designation
Inhabited villages are an important class of monument which tell us much about
the economy and society of rural England in the Early Medieval and medieval
periods. North Raunds is a particularly fine example of its class. As a result
of extensive excavations it is the best understood example in Britain of a
developing village from its origins in the Early Saxon period to its decline
in the Post-Medieval period. Those areas of Saxon and Medieval remains which
are still preserved are enhanced in importance as a result. There is a wide
diversity of remains from the different periods of the village's development,
as revealed by major archaeological excavations to the West and North. It is
rare for continuously occupied villages to have the remains of their evolution
preserved. The settlement is further enhanced by its association with nearby
Medieval villages which include Ringstead and West Cotton as well as earlier
sites which are also subject to analysis as part of the Raunds Area Project.
Details
The monument includes the remains of a Medieval manor first mentioned in the
13th century. It is also likely to include the remains of part of an earlier
Early and Late Saxon settlement (6th-10th century) as well as another Medieval
manor belonging to the Duchy of Lancaster. Other parts of the settlement have
been excavated on a large scale to the West and to the North of the scheduled
area and have produced evidence of a wide range of buildings and features. In
the late Saxon and Medieval periods the settlement formed a village with two
separate foci consisting of two churches, three manors and associated
enclosures, tenements, work areas and quarries.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
11507
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Other
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
