Newnham, Northamptonshire
| Newnham | |
| Northamptonshire | |
|---|---|
| |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SP581597 |
| Location: | 52°13’48"N, 1°7’48"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 580 (2011) |
| Post town: | Daventry |
| Postcode: | NN11 |
| Dialling code: | 01327 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | West Northamptonshire |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Daventry |
Newnham is a small and delightful village in Northamptonshire. It is to be found in the west of the county, 2 miles south of Daventry and 3 miles west of Weedon Bec, on a little local B-road leading down from the A45 Northampton – Daventry road towards Badby. The A45 road bypasses the village fully a mile northwest of the village.
The village nestles below a large hill in the valley of the River Nene and its name is thought to derive from that river. The hill, called Newnham Hill, is topped by an ancient disused windmill, and has commanding views over the nearby town of Daventry. Less picturesque on the hill is a large radio aerial which is part of the British Isles air traffic control system.
Parish Church
The parish church, St Michael and all Angels stands at the top of the road, resplendent in dark stone, in the perpendicular Gothic style. As it is perched high on a bank, the churchyard descends steeply east and south.
The chancel, the north aisle and the present nave were built in the early 14th century, on the site of a 12th-century chapel. The western tower was built in the late 14th or early 15th century abutting the west wall and standing on three open arches. The tower has contained six bells since 1660. They were rehung on a new iron frame by John Taylor & Co in 1940.
The church was formerly a chapel of a parent church at Badby. The benefice has always been Badby-cum-Newnham, with the vicarage of Badby.
About the village
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The village is centred around the village green. It has a general store, and a pub, the Romer Arms (originally called the Bakers Arms, until bought by Romer Williams, a hunting man and a prosperous lawyer who renamed it with a sign depicting his family coat of arms.
The village had another public house called the New Inn which is now a private residence. This former pub, café and hand-petrol station, was on School Hill. A former proprietor, a Mr Howard, displayed a notice that read
- You can have tea at teatime
- — you can have beer at beer time
- — you can have petrol at any time.
Other buildings
Newnham Hall dates from 1820 and is set in 120 acres of parkland. This was the home of the Chandos-Poles
The Grove is another grand house, home of the Marriott family. In the grounds of The Grove is the Nuttery; a hazel]] orchard planted by the Marriotts of Newnham House. Hazel nuts are still picked, sorted in the house and then sent to Covent Garden. Daffodils and snowdrops grow underneath the trees and are picked in the spring for market. The orchard is open to the public.
Newnham Windmill stabds at the summit of Newnham Hill near the edge of Beggars Bank. It is believed that a windmill has stood at this location as far back as 1661, when it was first recorded in an inventory of the then miller, John Bignell. The current building dates back to the early 19th century.
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Newnham, Northamptonshire) |