Cotterstock

14 COTTERSTOCK

(OS 1:10000 ^a TL 09 SW, ^b TL 09 SE)

The small parish, covering only some 280 hectares, is of roughly rectangular shape extending W. from the R. Nene between 55 ft. and 220 ft. above OD. The higher N.W. part, still largely covered by woodland, is on Boulder Clay. To the S. and E. of this is a broad zone of Oxford and Oolite Clays, but closer to the river the land is underlain by lighter limestones and marls.

The interlocking boundaries of this parish and its neighbour Glapthorn to the W. and S. (Fig. 11), suggest that the two parishes were once a single economic unit with Glapthorn perhaps as a daughter-village of Cotterstock. In addition, both villages appear to have had the same field system until their enclosure in 1814. Remains of a major villa (2) are now known to exist in the parish.

Roman

^a(1) Settlement (?) (TL 04909055). A Roman 'amphora' and a brass coin of Domitian (81–96 A.D.) are said to have been found under the chancel of Cotterstock church and Stukeley described a building which he attributed to the Roman period (Surtees Soc., 80 (1885), 51–2).

^a(2) Villa (TL 03269107; Frontispiece), N.W. of the village on the N. side of a small stream on Oxford Clay at 140 ft. above OD. This is probably the villa marked on OS maps as in Glapthorn parish and incorrectly sited at TL 03349053. It was discovered in 1736 when at least one mosaic pavement and perhaps others, together with pottery, coins, bones and buildingmaterial, were turned up by ploughing. In 1737 various metal objects including a pendant, a fibula and bronze stilus were found, and in 1798 another mosaic and some other 'pavements' were discovered as well as two 'cisterns or cesspools', 4th-century coins and other objects. Pottery and building material have been found in a nearby ditch and various indeterminate earthworks in the area suggest the existence of buildings. (Gent's Mag., 82 (1812), 219–22; Surtees Soc., 80 (1885), 33–40; VCH Northants., I (1902), 192–3; E. T. Artis, The Durobrivae of Antoninus, (1828), pls. 59 and 60; Minutes of the Soc. Ants., 9th Feb., 1737, 97; Topographical drawings in Soc. Ants.; OS Record Cards)

Medieval and Later

(3) Cultivation Remains. The common fields of Cotterstock and Glapthorn were enclosed by Act of Parliament of 1813 (NRO, Enclosure Map, 1814). Before that date there were no less than 12 separate common fields of various sizes. In 1635 (NRO, map of the Manor of Glapthorn) the arrangement of these fields and some of their names were slightly different, and although 12 separate common fields were shown then, the part of Cotterstock parish occupied by Cotterstock Field in 1814 was not included. Ridge-and-furrow exists or is traceable on air photographs within the area of most of these fields, but none covers a sufficient area to give the layout clearly. Other more extensive ridge-and-furrow in end-on furlongs is visible immediately N. of Glapthorn village (TL 022909) in a rectangular area of old enclosures called The Frith in 1635 and 1814. Similar remains can also be seen on air photographs with in other existing fields E. of Cotterstock Wood (TL 035915) which was also an area of old enclosures in both 1635 and 1814 (RAF VAP CPE/UK 2109, 3095–3103, 4232–9, 4372–8, 4410–5).