Earls Barton
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Earls Barton | |
|
  |
|
| Population | 5,353 (2001) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| District | Wellingborough |
| Shire county | Northamptonshire |
| Region | East Midlands |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | NORTHAMPTON |
| Postcode district | NN6 |
| Dial code | 01604 |
| Police | Northamptonshire |
| Fire | Northamptonshire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament | Wellingborough |
| European Parliament | East Midlands |
| List of places: UK • England • Northamptonshire | |
Earls Barton is a large village in Eastern Northamptonshire - it has a population of about 5,353.
The village is famous for:
- its Saxon church - which is one of the most famous remaining examples of its type in the country - another example being at nearby Brixworth.
- its shoe-making heritage.
- its pig farming which is recognised all over England for its bacon.
The village was the inspiration for the film Kinky Boots and part of the film was shot here. It is based on the true story of a local boot maker who turns from traditional boots to producing fetish footwear in order to save the ailing family business and the jobs of his workers.
In The King's England: Northamptonshire, edited by Arthur Mee, we learn that "It was here when The Conqueror gave these lands to his niece the Countess Judith, and except for the clock and the battlements it looks today as it looked then... It is called Earls Barton because it was the Earl of Huntingdon's barley farm; his house stood where the church stands and the remains of its moat can be seen."
Pevsner however, seems to disagree with this assessment and describes it as "...a conspicuous and quite unmistakable Norman castle-motte. It is so close to the church that it stands partly in the church-yard; on this this side it appears to have been cut back to make more room. To the N it is protected by a particularly fine ditch."
He goes on to argue that the castle was founded at the time of the Norman conquest and its builder ignored the then existing church, leaving it in its bailey, for a later demolition that never happened. Ironically the church outlived the castle!
In the villages small market square is a pharmacy run by a member of the Jeyes the chemists family, who invented and manufactured Jeyes Fluid and the Philadelphus Jeyes chemist chain.
Contents |
[edit] History
The first Saxon settlement at Earls Barton was one of various settlements built on a spring-line on the Northern bank of the River Nene. The site is to be found on a spur above the flood plain. Originally (i.e. before 600 AD) the Saxon village was known as Bere-tun - which means "a place for growing barley" and so it survived by the growing of grain, barley, wheat and rye.
Following the Norman invasion, the Doomsday Book records the village as beiong called Buarton(e), with Countess Judith, the King's niece is listed as both the land and mill owner. She married Waltheof, Son of Siward, Earl of Northumbria who in 1065 AD became Earl of Northampton - it was from these links and with another Earl - the Earl of Huntingdon, that gave the village its prefix "Erles" from 1261 AD.
Later, in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries a major change took place in the local economy, when sheep rearing gave prominence to the manufacture of woollen cloth, which remained a major cottage industry until the shift to the newly industrialised north several centuries later. With the wool industry , we would also have found:
- Rush mat weaving,
- Basket making,
- Chair bodging and
- Lacemaking.
Another change took place in the thirteenth century when shoes began to be made from leather bought in nearby Northampton. At this time the village had its own tanyard, which remained in operation until 1984. The census of 1801 shows that the population had by then grown to 729. By 1850 the population had trebled.
Between 1913 and 1921 opencast ironstone mining was undertaken locally with the ore being transferred either by locomotive or by an aerial ropeway.
[edit] The church
The famous church of All Saints has been a feature of the town for many centuries; its famous Saxon tower dates to 970 AD; Pevsner says that the church tower as built was not originally followed by a nave, but a chancel. He also describes the tower's bell openings as being very unusual - having five narrow arches each on turned balastrades.
The church was enlarged by the Normans in two phases - one at either end of the twelfth century.
Other notable features include:
- A Norman or Saxon door and arcading on the western end of the building - this was the original entrance to the church,
- Medieval rood screen,
- Victorian font and pews,
- A modern 20th century inner porch and windows
Apart from the Saxon tower, the church is principally built from Northamptonshire ironstone and limestone, whilst the tower was constructed from barnack rag stone and infilled with local limestone.
Another interesting feature is that every century from the tenth century onwards, is represented in either the fabric or the fittings of the church building.
[edit] Local sport
The village has a cricket team. The exact date that this club was established is unknown however there has been cricket in Earls Barton since the late 1800s. The club at present has three teams that play in the Northamptonshire Cricket League on Saturdays and a friendly team that plays on Sundays. It also boasts Kwik Cricket, U11's, U13's, U15 & U17's teams.
The local football team, Earls Barton FC was formed in the late 1800s - with the exact date now lost in the mists of time. When Northampton Town FC (The Cobblers) was first formed in 1897, their first game was against Earls Barton United (EBU) on 18th September 1897. The final score Cobblers 4 - EBU 1.
[edit] Community projects & facilities etc.
- Earls Barton Parish Council
- Earls Barton Junior School
- Earls Barton Youth Club
- Earls Barton Library
- Earls Barton Historical Society
- Earls Barton Music
- Badminton Club
- Under The Tower - Drama Group
- Earls Barton Museum of Village Life
Sporting link: Earls Barton was the home to one of Britain's greatest stock-car racers and builders, Aubrey Leighton, who won the World Championship in 1957. "Earls Barton Motors" still stands on the Wellingborough Road. Aubrey was a master designer and builder, and even after his retirement at the end of 1964, his car saw success in others' hands.
Aubrey's son Keith went on to international motor sport via Cosworth Racing Engines, and was mechanic for Grand Prix World Champion Ronnie Petersen, as well as in the Indy series in the USA.
A website devoted to the history of this rough-and-tumble sport is www.oldstox.com The people who built and raced stock-cars were a special breed back then: no-nonsense do-it-yourselfers, hard rivals on the track and generous comrades in between times.
Barely 8 miles from Earls Barton is the great race track of Brafield Stadium ("Northampton International Raceway"), a fast 1/4 mile oval.
[edit] References
- Pevsner - The Buildings of England - Northamptonshire. ISBN 0-300-09632-1
