WILLYBROOK HUNDRED 



NASSINGTON 



branch off north-west and south-west which converge 

 at Woodnewton. The Northampton and Peter- 

 borough branch of the London and North Western 

 Railway runs through the east of the parish. The 

 Seaton and Wansford branch of the same railway 

 passes between Nassington and Yarwell, and there is a 

 station at the north-east end of Nassington on that 

 line. 



The village of Nassington is built on a gentle slope, 

 and consists of a long street running east and west, turn- 

 ing at right angles northward at its east and west ends, 

 and bordered with picturesque grey stone houses, several 

 of which are of ancient date. The fine church stands 

 in the angle made by the street, and dominates the 

 village, having the two manor houses side by side to 

 the west, the southernmost, to which is attached a 



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North Gable of the Manor House, Nassington. 



large stone dovecote, belonging to the prebcndal 

 manor, the other to the chief manor now in possession 

 of Mr. Leonard Brassey, of Apethorpe Hall.' At 

 the back of the cottages on the north side of the 

 street was an occupation way, now obliterated, and 

 a similar way exists behind the cott.iges on the Wans- 

 ford road, and behind those on the Apethorpe road. 



Three sides of a rectangular enclosure are thus 

 formed, but there is no evidence for the fourth or 

 north side. At the north-west angle pieces of 

 Roman pottery and black earth have been found. The 

 vicarage, a modern building on an old site, stands to 

 the east of the church. Near it are the Council schools, 

 opened in 1894. On the road leading towards the 

 station is a stone cottage dated 1 648. There are in 

 the village Wcsleyan and Congregational chapels built 

 respectively in 1875 and 1839. There was in the 

 early 19th century a small iron foundry here ; ' and 

 several old clay and gravel pits and quarries north of 

 the village indicate former industries ; now the people, 

 except for a few stone-masons and some railway men, 

 are entirely engaged in agriculture. There are 

 1,428 acres of arable land and 810J of pasture. The 

 chief crops grown are wheat, barley, beans, clover and 

 roots. The population in 1901 was 505. 



The parish was enclosed in 17/8 in spite of the 

 strenuous opposition of the Rev. J. Ibbetson, owner of 

 the prebendal manor at that date. The award is in 

 the custody of the vicar. 



Among the place-names found in the parish are 

 Hangman's Stile, Farthinggreen Piece, Long Shovels. 

 Spires Copse, Froghall, Big and Little Framples, 

 Wilgay, Brachnams and Scortwong. 



Old Sulehay Lodge was added to this parish in 

 1869,' it was formerly part of an extra-parochi.il dis- 

 trict in Rockingham Forest. The lodge is in the 

 extreme north-east corner of the parish. 



The men of Nassington were granted in 1463 

 exemption from the imposition called ' Wodeshalf- 

 marc,' and free common in Sulehay and elsewhere in 

 the forest as it was enjoyed by the king's tenants of 

 King's Cliffe.* They were also, as tenants of ancient 

 demesne of the crown, quit of toll through the realm.^ 

 The 'royal vill ' of NJSSINGTON is 

 MJNORS alluded to in the time of Canute, who in 

 one of his journeys through the kingdom 

 turned to Nassington for the purpose of lodging there, 

 but the smallness of the place compelled his suite to 

 seek dwellings in the neighbouring villages and towns.* 

 In 1086 Nassington was still a royal vill, and was 

 rated at six hides, in which Yarwell was probably 

 included, as that village is not mentioned in Domes- 

 d.ay, and it answered before the justices as one vill 

 with Nassington in the time of Edward L' Nassing- 

 ton continued in the hands of the crown till granted 

 to David, earl of Huntingdon, to make up a hundred 

 marks of land which the king had promised him.* 

 The rest of Nassington and Yarwell, except a small 

 amount of land in Yarwell held by serjeanty, and the 

 prebendal lands in both parishes, was granted by 

 King John to Earl David,' who was also lord of the 

 manor of Fotheringhay, and from this time until the 

 reign of Elizabeth Nassington and Yarwell followed 

 the descent of that manor, of which they were reputed 

 members. They were, however, held by a different 

 tenure ; Fotheringhay was held of the honour of 

 Huntingdon belonging to the king of Scotland, who 



1 The prebendal house has an ancient 

 porch over the entrance door and a round- 

 headed back doorway with 15th-century 

 masks to the label. Near this doorway 

 are two partly blocked round-headed win- 

 dows, and part of a 15th-century buttress. 

 (Note by Mr. R. P. Brcrcton). The 

 •econd manor house is a picturesque 15th- 

 century building, with a pretty oriel win- 

 dow in its north gable. There is another 



dovecote, of fine ashlar masonr)-, at the 

 back of the Three Mill Bills Inn. 



'^ In a field about a mile north-west of 

 the church, known as Waldens, are con- 

 siderable remains of iron-smelting opera- 

 tions. 



8 For history see Yarwell, where most 

 of the land which used to belong to 

 it lies. 



■• Pat. 2 Edw. IV, pt. ii, m. 14. Right 



of common extinguished by enclosure of 

 forest in 1805. 



' HunJ. R. (Rec. Com.), ii, 14. 



« Cbron. Rjm. (Rolls Ser.), 135. 



" P'.C.H, Nortbanrs, i, 307.3 ; Chan. 

 Inq. p.m. iS Edw. I, No. 28. 



» Pipe R. 3 Ric. I, m. 1 ; Cott. Nero, 

 C 1 1 1, fol. 191. 



' Pipe R. 1 John, m. 2. 



587 



