Woodnewton

56 WOODNEWTON

(OS 1:10000 ^a TL 09 NW, ^b TL 09 SW, ^c TL 09 NE, ^d TL 09 SE)

The parish, once a chapelry of Nassington, covers some 420 hectares lying across Willow Brook, between 80 ft. and 210 ft. above OD. Most of it is on bands of clays, limestones and sands which outcrop along the valley of the brook.

Prehistoric and Roman

For crop-marks in the parish, see Fotheringhay (21–25) and Fig. 53.

Medieval and Later

^b(1) Settlement remains (TL 037941), formerly part of Woodnewton village, at its S.E. end, E. of the road to Southwick. The site consists of three long narrow closes, orientated N.-S. and bounded by low banks, with the much damaged remains of building-platforms at their N. ends. The buildings had already been abandoned by 1778 (map in NRO; RAF VAP CPE/UK 1925, 1116–7).

^b(2) Kiln (?) (TL 034945) found within an existing house during reconstruction in 1973. Part of what appeared to be a straight flue channel, 2 m. long, with evidence of firing from both ends, was discovered. Quantities of glazed pottery, probably of the 15th century, and wasters, were associated with it (inf. J. A. Hadman).

(3) Cultivation remains. The common fields were enclosed by Act of Parliament of 1777 (NRO, map of 1778). Nothing is known of the field arrangements immediately before that date. Ridge-and-furrow of these fields can be traced only in a few places, N.E., E. and S.E. of the village (TL 045951, 042945, 038936). It takes the form of end-on and interlocked furlongs. Further ridge-and-furrow N. of Newton Spinney (TL 044955) lay in an area of 'old enclosures' in 1778. (RAF VAP CPE/UK 1891, 2210–16; 1925, 1114–22; 2109, 4089–97, 4231–4)