Croughton, Northamptonshire
Encyclopedia
Croughton is a small village in the South Northamptonshire
district of Northamptonshire
, England. It is close to the border with Oxfordshire
and Buckinghamshire
and is six kilometres southwest of the town of Brackley
. Along with Aynho
it is one of the county's two southernmost villages.
The village has a cooperative which is available for all daily essentials, only closing on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day, as well as being the home of Croughton All
Saints Primary School.
, and is close to the Ockley Brook, a minor tributary of the River Cherwell
, which it meets southwest of Aynho.
The village is dwarfed by RAF Croughton
, a base on long-term lease to the United States Air Force
, 2 miles (3.2 km) south-east.
, which is of historical significance for its mural
s, now sadly damaged. An historic elm
reputedly stood in the church grounds for 800 years, and although it is believed to have died of Dutch elm disease
in the 1970s, its demise dates back to the early 1900s. The remains of an Iron Age
fort, Rainsborough Camp
, lie to the north-west of the village, and the site of the long-abandoned mediaeval village of Astwick lies to the north-east.
South 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...
district 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. It is close to the border with Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
and Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
and is six kilometres southwest of the town of Brackley
Brackley
Brackley is a town in south Northamptonshire, England. It is about from Oxford and miles form Northampton. Historically a market town based on the wool and lace trade, it was built on the intersecting trade routes between London, Birmingham and the English Midlands and between Cambridge and Oxford...
. Along with Aynho
Aynho
Aynho is a village and civil parish in South Northamptonshire, England, on the edge of the Cherwell valley about southeast of the north Oxfordshire town of Banbury and southwest of Brackley...
it is one of the county's two southernmost villages.
The village has a cooperative which is available for all daily essentials, only closing on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day, as well as being the home of Croughton All
Saints Primary School.
Name
There is no one predominant pronunciation of the village's name, with residents pronouncing it with its first syllable rhyming with "thou" or with the first syllable rhyming with "crow". The "thou" pronunciation was adopted by the Americans nearby at RAF Croughton when the airbase was in use by the USAF. The origin of the name is thought to mean "town in the fork of a river".Location
Croughton is situated upon the B4031 road running west from BuckinghamBuckingham
Buckingham is a town situated in north Buckinghamshire, England, close to the borders of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire. The town has a population of 11,572 ,...
, and is close to the Ockley Brook, a minor tributary of the River Cherwell
River Cherwell
The River Cherwell is a river which flows through the Midlands of England. It is a major tributary of the River Thames.The general course of the River Cherwell is north to south and the 'straight-line' distance from its source to the Thames is about...
, which it meets southwest of Aynho.
The village is dwarfed by RAF Croughton
RAF Croughton
RAF Croughton is a United States Air Force communications base in Northamptonshire, England, to the southeast of the village of Croughton. The station is home to the 422nd Air Base Group and operates one of Europe's largest military switchboards and processes approximately a third of all U.S...
, a base on long-term lease to the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, 2 miles (3.2 km) south-east.
History
The village is best known for its Parish ChurchParish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
, which is of historical significance for its mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
s, now sadly damaged. An historic elm
Elm
Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. The dozens of species are found in temperate and tropical-montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ranging southward into Indonesia. Elms are components of many kinds of natural forests...
reputedly stood in the church grounds for 800 years, and although it is believed to have died of Dutch elm disease
Dutch elm disease
Dutch elm disease is a disease caused by a member of the sac fungi category, affecting elm trees which is spread by the elm bark beetle. Although believed to be originally native to Asia, the disease has been accidentally introduced into America and Europe, where it has devastated native...
in the 1970s, its demise dates back to the early 1900s. The remains of an Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
fort, Rainsborough Camp
Rainsborough Camp
Rainsborough Camp is an Iron Age fort located in South Northamptonshire, England, between the villages of Croughton, Aynho, and Charlton....
, lie to the north-west of the village, and the site of the long-abandoned mediaeval village of Astwick lies to the north-east.