Courteenhall
Encyclopedia
Courteenhall is a village
5 miles (8 km) south of the county town of Northampton
, in the shire county
of Northamptonshire
, England, and about 66 miles (106 km) north of London
. The village is located in a cul-de-sac
.
, and is part of Blisworth
and Roade
ward
. It is within the Northamptonshire County Council area. From the 2010 General Election
it is in the new Parliamentary Constituency of South Northamptonshire
(previously Northampton South
).
between junctions 14 and 15 passes to the northeast of the village, and junction 15 is just 1 mile distant. The main part of the village is on a no-through route. Roade Parish Council covers the area of the village as well as Roade itself, though the village still has its own annual Parish Meeting
for electors of Courteenhall parish only
for shops, schools and other services. The post office in Courteenhall, which opened in 1883, closed in February 1996. The church is in the Five Parishes Group together with Collingtree
, Roade
, Ashton
and Hartwell
.
In 1851 a Church Attendance Census revealed that in Courteenhall, one of the three villages in the 'Three Parishes' church grouping (see links), out of a total population of 127, 100 people attended Courteenhall Church on census
day, held in England on years ending in the digit '1'. Of course, particular 'circumstances' prevailed in the Victorian
estate villages affecting individual behaviour.
The Rectory next to the church dates from 1805.
sic
for Sir William Wake, 9th Bart. The Wake family is reputedly descended from Hereward the Wake
, a Saxon hero of resistance to the Norman conquest of England
. Samuel's estates were inherited by his great nephew Samuel Wake, a younger son of Sir William Wake, 3rd Baronet of Piddington. Courteenhall (the Hall) is still occupied by the Wake family. The Hall, like the park, dates from 1791 and is by a little known architect Samuel Saxon. It is private property but may be viewed in the distance from Courteenhall village church. Although sheep graze over the grounds of the main park, they are kept out of the Hall's garden by a ha-ha.
Built around 1750 in the Palladian style and contrast with the house. There is also in the grounds the former Free Grammar School House of about 1680, under the will of Sir Samuel Jones containing its original school furnishings including a raised seat for the school master.
road and has very limited parking. It is better to park outside the village and use one of the many public footpaths for access. Parking during the fête is via the main drive from the A508
Northampton
to Milton Keynes
road only.
is held during June in even-numbered years, which is an opportunity to see the house (exterior only), and grounds including an extensive arboretum
. The event raises several thousand pounds for the upkeep of the church, parts of which are over 800 years old.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
5 miles (8 km) south of the county town of Northampton
Northampton
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...
, in the shire county
Shire county
A non-metropolitan county, or shire county, is a county-level entity in England that is not a metropolitan county. The counties typically have populations of 300,000 to 1.4 million. The term shire county is, however, an unofficial usage. Many of the non-metropolitan counties bear historic names...
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, and about 66 miles (106 km) north of 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 village is located in a cul-de-sac
Cul-de-sac
A cul-de-sac is a word of French origin referring to a dead end, close, no through road or court meaning dead-end street with only one inlet/outlet...
.
Governance
The village is in South NorthamptonshireSouth Northamptonshire
South Northamptonshire is a local government district in Northamptonshire, England. Its council is based in Towcester.The district is rural and sparsely populated with just over 79,293 people in 2000 and 91,000 in 2008, a 14.8% increase. The largest town in the district is Brackley, which has a...
, and is part of Blisworth
Blisworth
Blisworth is a village and civil parish in the South Northamptonshire district of Northamptonshire, England. The West Coast Main Line, from London Euston to Manchester and Scotland, runs alongside the village partly hidden and partly on an embankment...
and Roade
Roade
Roade is a village in Northamptonshire, England and in the area of the South Northamptonshire District Council where it is in the two-member Blisworth and Roade ward.-Location:...
ward
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
. It is within the Northamptonshire County Council area. From the 2010 General Election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
it is in the new Parliamentary Constituency of South Northamptonshire
South Northamptonshire (UK Parliament constituency)
South Northamptonshire is a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The current Member of Parliament is Andrea Leadsom of the Conservative Party.-History:...
(previously Northampton South
Northampton South (UK Parliament constituency)
Northampton South is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was created for February 1974 general election when the old constituency of Northampton was split into Northampton North and Northampton South.-Boundary...
).
Location
The M1 motorwayM1 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...
between junctions 14 and 15 passes to the northeast of the village, and junction 15 is just 1 mile distant. The main part of the village is on a no-through route. Roade Parish Council covers the area of the village as well as Roade itself, though the village still has its own annual Parish Meeting
Parish meeting
A parish meeting, in England, is a meeting to which all the electors in a civil parish are entitled to attend. In some cases, where a parish or group of parishes has fewer than 200 electors, the parish meeting can take on the role of the parish council itself, with statutory powers, and electing a...
for electors of Courteenhall parish only
Facilities
The parish had a population of less than 100 in 2003, has no facilities other than a church and relies on the nearby village of RoadeRoade
Roade is a village in Northamptonshire, England and in the area of the South Northamptonshire District Council where it is in the two-member Blisworth and Roade ward.-Location:...
for shops, schools and other services. The post office in Courteenhall, which opened in 1883, closed in February 1996. The church is in the Five Parishes Group together with Collingtree
Collingtree
Collingtree is a village within the Borough of Northampton and a civil parish in Northamptonshire, England.- Location and context :The village is about from Northampton town centre, close to the A45 trunk road which heads east to Wellingborough and Peterborough...
, Roade
Roade
Roade is a village in Northamptonshire, England and in the area of the South Northamptonshire District Council where it is in the two-member Blisworth and Roade ward.-Location:...
, Ashton
Ashton
-Surname:* Alan Ashton , co-founder of WordPerfect Corporation* Alan Ashton * Brian Ashton , English rugby player* Brian Ashton , Canadian politician* Chris Ashton, English rugby player...
and Hartwell
Hartwell
Hartwell is a village in central Buckinghamshire, England. It is to the south of Aylesbury, by the village of Stone.The village name is Anglo Saxon in origin, and means "spring frequented by deer". In the Domesday Book of 1086 it was recorded as Herdeuuelle and Herdewelle.The ruined Hartwell...
.
Church of St Peter and St Paul
The church dates from the 12th century. It is now part of the "The Five Parishes" group of local churches. The former Rectory is next to the south side of the church. The church has some memorable tombs.In 1851 a Church Attendance Census revealed that in Courteenhall, one of the three villages in the 'Three Parishes' church grouping (see links), out of a total population of 127, 100 people attended Courteenhall Church on census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
day, held in England on years ending in the digit '1'. Of course, particular 'circumstances' prevailed in the Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
estate villages affecting individual behaviour.
The Rectory next to the church dates from 1805.
The Hall
The village has grown up on the estate around the house or hall known as the Courteenhall Estate, which was purchased from Richard Ouseley by Sir Samuel Jones in 1647. The landscaped park covers about 370 acres (149.7 ha), with formal gardens close to the house. The park was designed in 1791 by Humphry ReptonHumphry Repton
Humphry Repton was the last great English landscape designer of the eighteenth century, often regarded as the successor to Capability Brown; he also sowed the seeds of the more intricate and eclectic styles of the 19th century...
sic
Sic
Sic—generally inside square brackets, [sic], and occasionally parentheses, —when added just after a quote or reprinted text, indicates the passage appears exactly as in the original source...
for Sir William Wake, 9th Bart. The Wake family is reputedly descended from Hereward the Wake
Hereward the Wake
Hereward the Wake , known in his own times as Hereward the Outlaw or Hereward the Exile, was an 11th-century leader of local resistance to the Norman conquest of England....
, a Saxon hero of resistance to the Norman conquest of England
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
. Samuel's estates were inherited by his great nephew Samuel Wake, a younger son of Sir William Wake, 3rd Baronet of Piddington. Courteenhall (the Hall) is still occupied by the Wake family. The Hall, like the park, dates from 1791 and is by a little known architect Samuel Saxon. It is private property but may be viewed in the distance from Courteenhall village church. Although sheep graze over the grounds of the main park, they are kept out of the Hall's garden by a ha-ha.
The Stables and School House
Visitors
The venue is rarely open to the public but available for private hire. If visiting the village, please note that it is at the end of a narrow cul-de-sacCul-de-sac
A cul-de-sac is a word of French origin referring to a dead end, close, no through road or court meaning dead-end street with only one inlet/outlet...
road and has very limited parking. It is better to park outside the village and use one of the many public footpaths for access. Parking during the fête is via the main drive from the A508
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....
Northampton
Northampton
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...
to Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
road only.
Biennial Fête
A large biennial fêteFête
Fête is a French word meaning festival, celebration or party, which has passed into English as a label that may be given to certain events.-Description:It is widely used in England and Australia in the context of a village fête,...
is held during June in even-numbered years, which is an opportunity to see the house (exterior only), and grounds including an extensive arboretum
Arboretum
An arboretum in a narrow sense is a collection of trees only. Related collections include a fruticetum , and a viticetum, a collection of vines. More commonly, today, an arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study...
. The event raises several thousand pounds for the upkeep of the church, parts of which are over 800 years old.
Notable people
- Sir Richard LaneRichard Lane (barrister)Sir Richard Lane was an English barrister who practised mostly in the Court of Exchequer. He acted as defence counsel to the Earl of Strafford when he was impeached and attainted, and also represented Archbishop Williams and eleven other bishops who were imprisoned in the Tower of London in...
(1584–1650) Chief Baron of the Exchequer and Lord Keeper of the Great SealLord Keeper of the Great SealThe Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England, and later of Great Britain, was formerly an officer of the English Crown charged with physical custody of the Great Seal of England. This evolved into one of the Great Officers of State....
to Charles ICharles I of EnglandCharles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...