constructed to form part of the defence William's new kingdom. Twenty years later, the Domesday Book entry for Alderton shows the name as "Aldrintone" and the Earl of Ferrers as the local lord and lists land for 8 ploughs. Recent archaeological research points to the castle being abandoned in the latter half of the 14th century. This was at the time of the Black Death when there appears to have been a sharp reduction in the local population as elsewhere in Britain. Alderton came under the control of the Manor of Stoke Bruerne. Alderton was a very small community throughout the 14th and 15th centuries. By 1541 King Henry VIII had included the village within the Honour of Grafton. The village population grew in the latter half of the 16th century with the arrival of William Gorges, a nobleman from a distinguished aristocratic line. Gorges built a very large mansion house with landscaped gardens. Through the marriage of Gorges' daughter Frances to Thomas Hesilrige, the Manor House passed to the Heselrige family. In 1605, the Queen, Anne of Denmark stayed at Alderton Manor, and she came again in August 1608, when she wore a white satin gown with silver buttons. She rewarded musicians who played for her on 18 August. At this time King James I knighted Thomas Hesilrige at Grafton. He later became a baronet. Hesilrige's son Sir Arthur Hesilrige, 2nd Baronet, a close ally of John Pym and Oliver Cromwell and one of the Five Members, was Lord of the Manor in 1655. By the early 18th century the village was a thriving agricultural community. The Manor House was demolished and its site was occupied by a substantial farm, known as Manor Farm. The village population remained small and largely involved in agriculture. Recently, it has changed character and is now a dormitory settlement for professional people; it is also a conservation area. Historic buildings and structures The Mount This is the remains of a ringwork castle which is now overgrown with trees. The earthworks are still in a good state of preservation and comprise an area of about . The ditch is 5 metres deep in parts and still fully accessible. The internal area of the castle has some slightly raised areas interpreted as building platforms. The castle and Manor of Alderton were sold by Thomas le Sauvage to Pagan de Chaworth during the reign of Edward