ODSEY HUNDRED 



Caldecote, Roman remains were discovered about 

 1720 by some workmen who were digging there for 

 gravel with which to repair the road. These included 

 several human bodies, urns and paterae and other 

 objects, and a Danish or Dutch coin. 2 In 1810 a 

 further find of great interest was made in the parish of 

 two rare Greek coins or medals, one of Mithridates 

 King of Pontus, and the other of Perseus King of 

 Macedonia, both very well preserved. 23 Near the 

 River Rhee in the north of the parish and not far 

 from the camp at Arbury Banks or Harboro, and 

 near the Ridgeway, a hoard of more than JOO 

 Roman coins was discovered. Near them were 

 found other Roman remains. ib 



The village of Hinxworth lies a little more than a 

 mile to the east of the Roman road, with which it is 

 connected by roads leading north-west and south- 

 west, the former being continued on to Ash well. 

 The church 3 and rectory stand on the south-east of 

 the angle formed by the road to Ashwell and that 

 leading south-west to the Roman road, and the small 

 village lies a little to the north-west of the church. 

 At the beginning of the 18th century it had only 

 thirty-five houses, of which three were alms- 

 houses. 4 



Hinxworth Place, the manor-house, the resi- 

 dence of Mrs. Sale, stands about half a mile 

 south of the village. 5 It consists of a rectangular 

 block, measuring externally about 55 ft. by 38 ft., 

 at the south end of which is a portion of a wing. 

 The main block Is faced externally with soft 

 limestone, or clunch, and, judging from the 

 characteristic features of the doorways and win- 

 dows, a great part of the main walls must have 

 been erected towards the close of the 15 th 

 century. The south wing appears to belong to 

 the 1 6th century. 



Beside the principal doorway is a small two- 

 light window with arched and cusped heads, 

 and square hood moulding over. This window 

 is recessed from the face of the wall, and the sill 

 is carried down so as to form a seat outside. 

 The details of this window are almost identical 

 with those of the low-side window in the south nave 

 wall of the parish church. The principal entrance 

 opens directly into the old hall, a room measuring 

 about 21 ft. by zoft., now used as a kitchen. To 

 the south of this is a smaller apartment used as a 

 dining room, off which a passage has been cut to give 

 access to the south wing from the kitchen. Between 

 the kitchen and the dining room are two wide fire- 

 places placed back to back. Sixty years ago there 

 were no partitions between the kitchen and the 

 dining room, so that they formed practically one 

 large room with the fireplaces in the centre. Each 

 room is lighted by a large four-light early 17th- 

 century window, with moulded stone transoms and 

 mullions and a small cornice over. In the kitchen is 

 a long narrow Jacobean oak table with heavy moulded 

 legs. Extending the whole length of the main build- 

 ing on the west side is a low one-story building, the 



HINXWORTH 



north end of which is a later addition built of old 

 material. It is covered by the roof of the main 

 building, which is continued down so as to form a 

 lean-to roof. There are three doorways in the 

 separating wall, all having splayed jambs and four- 

 centred arches. There is a similar external doorway 

 on the west side, and a 

 north end. There a 

 one four-light and on 

 stone-moulded mullion 

 heads, similar to the 



other now built up 1 



; two three-light windows, 



single-light window, with 



and cusped- pointed areh- 



on the east front, 



and all late 15th-century work. This part of the 

 house has been divided into scullery, larder and 

 stores. The modern passage by the dining room 

 leads to the south wing, the lower part of which 

 is of brick, the upper story being of timber, over- 

 hanging 18 in. on the south and west fronts. It was 

 originally one large room, with a four-centred stone 

 doorway at the east end, similar to that from the 

 dining room, but now there is a small lobby between 

 the outer door and the old parlour. There is a 

 built-up external doorway in the south wall, and a 

 large five-light window, with moulded stone mullions 



Hinxworth Pukce 



1 $2? Century. |b§ l6SCEHTUKV«.lATER.I2]>\on 



the west wall. In this window are 

 shields with the arms of former 

 owners, one bearing the date 1570. The colour is 

 on the surface of the glass only, or as it is called 

 ' flashed,' such as was usual at that period, the older 

 glass being stained right through. There is a good 

 stone fireplace in the parlour, the details of which 

 have a more classic feeling than the 1 7th-century work 

 in the main building. The fireplace has moulded 

 jambs and straight lintel, the mouldings being late 

 Gothic in character. On either side is a short three- 

 quarter-round column with rude Ionic volutes, above 

 which is a long rectangular fluted and panelled pilaster, 

 supporting a moulded stone cornice or mantel shelf. 

 Over the fireplace and under the cornice is a frieze 

 with four plain sunk panels. There is a large 

 room over the parlour, open to the roof, which is 

 plastered internally, the only timber showing being 



