Brixworth
Encyclopedia
Brixworth is a village and civil parish in the Daventry district
of Northamptonshire
, England
. The 2001 census
recorded a parish population of 5,162. The village is particularly notable for All Saints' Church, Brixworth
, its historic Anglo-Saxon
church.
next to the A508 road
, now by-passed, and about 8 miles (13 km) south of Market Harborough
. About 3 miles (5 km) north of the village is a junction with the A14 road that runs between the M1
and M6 motorway
interchange at Catthorpe
east to Cambridge
and the east coast port of Felixstowe
.
The village is popular with commuters to Leicester
, Peterborough
, Birmingham
and London
. The nearest railway stations for London are at Northampton, for Euston
, and Kettering for St Pancras
.
is one of the oldest, largest and most complete Anglo-Saxon churches in the country. It was founded circa 680 AD and has been called as "The finest Saxon church north of the Alps
". There is another Anglo-Saxon church 8 miles (13 km) away at Earls Barton
, east of Northampton.
The Northampton and Market Harborough railway
through the parish was opened in 1859, passing 0.5 miles (804.7 m) west of the village. An ironstone
quarry, served by its own industrial railway
, was developed near the village. British Rail
ways closed Brixworth railway station
to passenger traffic in 1960 and closed the line to freight traffic in 1981. The trackbed of the former railway was reopened in 1993 as the Brampton Valley Way
.
Many Indianapolis
and Formula One
championships have been won with racing engines built within 800 yard of the Saxon church, and part of its tower masonry is secured by an advanced steel tension bar designed and given by Ilmor Engines
, who also sponsor many other clubs and associations in the village. The Ilmor factory filters the noise and heat of the engines under test through large water tanks, both to reduce the noise and to heat the factory.
A residents action group, 'BRANE' (Brixworth Residents against New Estates), has been formed to oppose this and any other such development which would stretch the existing infrastructure.Group to challenge Brixworth Housing Plans - Daventry Express 26 April 2010. Brixworth has expanded rapidly in the past and some members of BRANE reside in houses which were the products of past expansions.
, Brixworth Stores, K.F. Troop & Son, Fruiterers and Lake House Bed & Breakfast.
The Brampton Valley Way passes 0.5 miles (804.7 m) west of the village, Pitsford Reservoir is about 2 miles (3 km) to the east and the Northampton & Lamport Railway
is 3 miles (5 km) to the south at Pitsford and Brampton railway station
.
Brixworth Juniors Football Club is a football that encourages children of all ages throughout the community to be active and play sport. It has produced many successful footballers, including Kidderminster Harriers'
Liam Dolman
. The adults team, Brixworth All Saints, currently plays in the Premier Division of the Northamptonshire Football Combination
, which is at level 7 of the National League System
. It play its home games on the village's St. David's Recreation Ground.
There is also a Cricket Club which plays at a new ground, Haywards Barn opened in 2008 as well as St. Davids playing field for third team and junior games.
It also has a flourishing drama society, who stage 2-3 productions annually - including a highly popular pantomime.
There is a free village newspaper, the Brixworth Bulletin.
s - two-thirds the height of the London Post Office Tower. Lancaster
-based Wind Direct has submitted a planning application to Daventry District Council to install the two turbines and Mercedes-Benz HTP plans to use 92 per cent of the electricity generated, with the rest being exported to the National Grid. The plans are controversial with widespread opposition from some, but not all local residents. The size of the installations would affect the setting of Brixworth's historic church and nearby Cottesbrooke Hall
. The site of the proposed wind farm is shown in the Brixworth Bulletin issue 18, September 2008.
Daventry (district)
The Daventry district is the largest local government district of western Northamptonshire, England. The district is named after the town of Daventry which is the administrative headquarters and largest town...
of Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
recorded a parish population of 5,162. The village is particularly notable for All Saints' Church, Brixworth
All Saints' Church, Brixworth
All Saints' Church, Brixworth, in Northamptonshire is an outstanding example of early Anglo-Saxon architecture located in central England, and has been called "perhaps the most imposing architectural memorial of the 7th century yet surviving north of the Alps"...
, its historic Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon architecture
Anglo-Saxon architecture was a period in the history of architecture in England, and parts of Wales, from the mid-5th century until the Norman Conquest of 1066. Anglo-Saxon secular buildings in Britain were generally simple, constructed mainly using timber with thatch for roofing...
church.
Location
The village is about 5 miles (8 km) north of NorthamptonNorthampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
next to the A508 road
A508 road
The A508 is a short A-class road for north/south journeys in south central England, forming the route from Market Harborough in Leicestershire, via Northampton, to Old Stratford, north-west of Milton Keynes....
, now by-passed, and about 8 miles (13 km) south of Market Harborough
Market Harborough
Market Harborough is a market town within the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England.It has a population of 20,785 and is the administrative headquarters of Harborough District Council. It sits on the Northamptonshire-Leicestershire border...
. About 3 miles (5 km) north of the village is a junction with the A14 road that runs between the M1
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
and M6 motorway
M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
interchange at Catthorpe
Catthorpe
Catthorpe is a village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. It is close to the A5 road which forms the border with Warwickshire - the nearest town is Rugby, about four miles south-west. The parish had a population of 179 according to the 2001 census. The parish...
east to Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
and the east coast port of Felixstowe
Felixstowe
Felixstowe is a seaside town on the North Sea coast of Suffolk, England. The town gives its name to the nearby Port of Felixstowe, which is the largest container port in the United Kingdom and is owned by Hutchinson Ports UK...
.
The village is popular with commuters to Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, Peterborough
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The nearest railway stations for London are at Northampton, for Euston
Euston railway station
Euston railway station, also known as London Euston, is a central London railway terminus in the London Borough of Camden. It is the sixth busiest rail terminal in London . It is one of 18 railway stations managed by Network Rail, and is the southern terminus of the West Coast Main Line...
, and Kettering for St Pancras
St Pancras railway station
St Pancras railway station, also known as London St Pancras and since 2007 as St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus celebrated for its Victorian architecture. The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London Borough of Camden, between the...
.
History
All Saints' churchAll Saints' Church, Brixworth
All Saints' Church, Brixworth, in Northamptonshire is an outstanding example of early Anglo-Saxon architecture located in central England, and has been called "perhaps the most imposing architectural memorial of the 7th century yet surviving north of the Alps"...
is one of the oldest, largest and most complete Anglo-Saxon churches in the country. It was founded circa 680 AD and has been called as "The finest Saxon church north of the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
". There is another Anglo-Saxon church 8 miles (13 km) away at Earls Barton
Earls Barton
Earls Barton is a village and civil parish in eastern Northamptonshire, notable for its Saxon church and shoe-making heritage.The village was the inspiration for the film Kinky Boots and part of the film was shot here...
, east of Northampton.
The Northampton and Market Harborough railway
Northampton to Market Harborough line
The Northampton to Market Harborough line is a closed railway line in England. It opened on 16 February 1859 and finally closed on 16th August 1981. The former trackbed is used by the Brampton Valley Way and part of the route has been re-opened as the Northampton & Lamport Railway.-History:In 1851...
through the parish was opened in 1859, passing 0.5 miles (804.7 m) west of the village. An ironstone
Ironstone
Ironstone is a sedimentary rock, either deposited directly as a ferruginous sediment or created by chemical repacement, that contains a substantial proportion of an iron compound from which iron either can be or once was smelted commercially. This term is customarily restricted to hard coarsely...
quarry, served by its own industrial railway
Industrial railway
An industrial railway is a type of railway that is not available for public transportation and is used exclusively to serve a particular industrial, logistics or military site...
, was developed near the village. British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
ways closed Brixworth railway station
Brixworth railway station
Brixworth railway station on the Northampton and Market Harborough railway opened on 16 February 1859 serving the village of Brixworth, Northamptonshire, England. It ran half a mile west of the village towards the village of Creaton along what remains as Station Road. It was part of the London and...
to passenger traffic in 1960 and closed the line to freight traffic in 1981. The trackbed of the former railway was reopened in 1993 as the Brampton Valley Way
Brampton Valley Way
The Brampton Valley Way is a linear park based on the former railway line in England.The railway line was closed in 1981 and the Northamptonshire section was purchased by Northamptonshire County Council with grant aid from the Countryside Commission in 1987, when work began on developing it as a...
.
Many Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
and Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
championships have been won with racing engines built within 800 yard of the Saxon church, and part of its tower masonry is secured by an advanced steel tension bar designed and given by Ilmor Engines
Ilmor
Ilmor, founded by Mario Illien and Paul Morgan in November 1983, is a British independent high-performance autosport engineering company. With manufacturing based in Brixworth, Northamptonshire, and maintenance offices in Plymouth, Michigan, the company supplies engines and consultancy to the...
, who also sponsor many other clubs and associations in the village. The Ilmor factory filters the noise and heat of the engines under test through large water tanks, both to reduce the noise and to heat the factory.
Proposed Expansion
On 28 April 2011 residents learned that landowners south of the village had submitted proposals to build 150 houses on land which had previously been identified by the parish council and Daventry District Council as not suitable for development.A residents action group, 'BRANE' (Brixworth Residents against New Estates), has been formed to oppose this and any other such development which would stretch the existing infrastructure.Group to challenge Brixworth Housing Plans - Daventry Express 26 April 2010. Brixworth has expanded rapidly in the past and some members of BRANE reside in houses which were the products of past expansions.
Amenities
The village has a small parade of shops that includes The Brixworth Fish Bar, Lovells Hardware, Co-operative Store, Co-operative Pharmacy, Post OfficePost office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, Brixworth Stores, K.F. Troop & Son, Fruiterers and Lake House Bed & Breakfast.
The Brampton Valley Way passes 0.5 miles (804.7 m) west of the village, Pitsford Reservoir is about 2 miles (3 km) to the east and the Northampton & Lamport Railway
Northampton & Lamport Railway
The Northampton & Lamport Railway is a standard gauge heritage railway in Northamptonshire, England. It is based at Pitsford and Brampton station, near the villages of Pitsford and Chapel Brampton, roughly north of Northampton.-Overview:...
is 3 miles (5 km) to the south at Pitsford and Brampton railway station
Pitsford and Brampton railway station
Pitsford and Brampton railway station is a railway station serving the villages of Pitsford and Chapel Brampton in Northamptonshire, England.The station was once an intermediate stop on the Northampton-Market Harborough railway line, which closed in 1981...
.
Brixworth Juniors Football Club is a football that encourages children of all ages throughout the community to be active and play sport. It has produced many successful footballers, including Kidderminster Harriers'
Kidderminster Harriers F.C.
Kidderminster Harriers F.C. are an English football club based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire formed in 1886 They currently play in the Conference National and have played at Aggborough Stadium since they were formed...
Liam Dolman
Liam Dolman
Liam Dolman is an English footballer currently playing at Kidderminster Harriers. He can play at either centre-back or right-back...
. The adults team, Brixworth All Saints, currently plays in the Premier Division of the Northamptonshire Football Combination
Northamptonshire Football Combination
The Northamptonshire Football Combination is a football competition based in England. It has a total of eight divisions , the most senior of which is the Premier Division, which sits at step 7 of the National League System.- Recent divisional champions :-Current structure:Sitting at Step 7 of the...
, which is at level 7 of the National League System
National League System
The National League System comprises the seven levels of the English football league system immediately below the level of the Premier League and The Football League. It contains 91 league competitions and more than 1,600 clubs. It comes under the jurisdiction of The Football Association...
. It play its home games on the village's St. David's Recreation Ground.
There is also a Cricket Club which plays at a new ground, Haywards Barn opened in 2008 as well as St. Davids playing field for third team and junior games.
It also has a flourishing drama society, who stage 2-3 productions annually - including a highly popular pantomime.
There is a free village newspaper, the Brixworth Bulletin.
Wind Farm
In 2008 the Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines (HTP) premises in Brixworth planned to build two 127 m (416.7 ft) high wind turbineWind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
s - two-thirds the height of the London Post Office Tower. Lancaster
Lancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
-based Wind Direct has submitted a planning application to Daventry District Council to install the two turbines and Mercedes-Benz HTP plans to use 92 per cent of the electricity generated, with the rest being exported to the National Grid. The plans are controversial with widespread opposition from some, but not all local residents. The size of the installations would affect the setting of Brixworth's historic church and nearby Cottesbrooke Hall
Cottesbrooke Hall
Cottesbrooke Hall and the Cottesbrooke estate in Northamptonshire, England is reputed to be the inspiration for Jane Austen's Mansfield Park, published 1814.-Location:...
. The site of the proposed wind farm is shown in the Brixworth Bulletin issue 18, September 2008.