Norton, Northamptonshire
Encyclopedia
Norton is a village in the district of Daventry
in the English County of Northamptonshire
. The village is about 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Daventry, 11 miles (18 km) west of Northampton
. Junction 16 of the M1 motorway
is about 7 miles (11 km) south-east and the nearest railway station is at Long Buckby
3 miles (4.8 km) to the east. Near the village, on Watling Street
, is the Roman settlement of Bannaventa
.
, a Romano-British fortified town on the eastern outskirts of the village located on the Roman road of Watling Street
(A5 London
to Holyhead
road). Material representing the remains of the Roman
settlement of Bannaventa has been recovered from a strip around 200 metres wide on either side of a two kilometre length of Watling Street, in agricultural land north-west of the village, at Whilton
Lodge. The settlement's defences were in the form of a trapezium
, not aligned with Watling Street, and the enclosure was deeper on the east side of the street than it was on the west.
The four sides of the enclosure were 190 m, 200 m, 250 m and 250 m, measured clockwise from north, and enclosed an area of about 55,000 square metres. The defences were built in two - possibly three - phases. First: a large ditch 7.6 m wide and 3.1 m deep backed by a clay and turf rampart was constructed after the end of the first century; second: the primary ditch was filled in with gravel early in the fourth century to provide a firm base for a stone wall with foundations 3.7 m wide and fronted by two newly-cut, parallel ditches; the inner 5.2 m wide and 2.4 m deep and the outer 4.3 m wide and 1.8 m deep; and thirdly: The inner ditch was filled with gravel shortly after the second phase was completed, perhaps intended as the firm base for external towers, though none have been discovered. The outer ditch was allowed to silt up by the end of the fourth century. Occupation of the site, which may have begun before the Roman conquest, continued into the fourth century.
There is a Roman
villa site at the nearby village of Nether Heyford
to the south east.
, the patron saint of Ireland
. In his Confessio, Patrick writes:
This could possibly be an alternative name for Bannaventa. In around 405 AD when he was aged 16 he was kidnapped by "pirates" who were raiding the imperial highways, and taken to Ireland as a slave. This view is backed by the fact that the Watling Street ran indirectly to north Wales
and thus offered easy passage to Ireland.
and some of the people mentioned in its entry are as follows: Aghmund; Alric; Alvred; Azur; Bisceop; Count Alan
; Durand; Edwin; Fredegis; Fulcher; Gilbert; Godwine; Ingelrann; King William as landholder; Leofnoth; Leofric; Leofwine; Lokki; Martin; Nigel; Ordmaer; Osmund; Ralph; Ralph the steward; Robert; Robert, Count of Meulan; Robert, Count of Mortain; Sawata; Scotel; Segrim; Siward; Stenkil; Thorbiorn; Thorir; Walter; William; Wulfmaer.
Daventry
Daventry is a market town in Northamptonshire, England, with a population of 22,367 .-Geography:The town is also the administrative centre of the larger Daventry district, which has a population of 71,838. The town is 77 miles north-northwest of London, 13.9 miles west of Northampton and 10.2...
in the English County 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,...
. The village is about 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Daventry, 11 miles (18 km) west 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...
. Junction 16 of the M1 motorway
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...
is about 7 miles (11 km) south-east and the nearest railway station is at Long Buckby
Long Buckby
Long Buckby is a village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England, midway between Northampton and Rugby. In the 2001 census the parish of Long Buckby had a population of exactly 4,000....
3 miles (4.8 km) to the east. Near the village, on Watling Street
Watling Street
Watling Street is the name given to an ancient trackway in England and Wales that was first used by the Britons mainly between the modern cities of Canterbury and St Albans. The Romans later paved the route, part of which is identified on the Antonine Itinerary as Iter III: "Item a Londinio ad...
, is the Roman settlement of Bannaventa
Bannaventa
Bannaventa was a Romano British Fortified Town which was situated on the Roman road of Watling Street, which today is known as the A5 trunk road. Bannaventa is northeast of the village of Norton in the English county of Northamptonshire...
.
History
Some of the earliest residents of the village were the Romans, who built the Roman settlement of BannaventaBannaventa
Bannaventa was a Romano British Fortified Town which was situated on the Roman road of Watling Street, which today is known as the A5 trunk road. Bannaventa is northeast of the village of Norton in the English county of Northamptonshire...
, a Romano-British fortified town on the eastern outskirts of the village located on the Roman road of Watling Street
Watling Street
Watling Street is the name given to an ancient trackway in England and Wales that was first used by the Britons mainly between the modern cities of Canterbury and St Albans. The Romans later paved the route, part of which is identified on the Antonine Itinerary as Iter III: "Item a Londinio ad...
(A5 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...
to Holyhead
Holyhead
Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
road). Material representing the remains of the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
settlement of Bannaventa has been recovered from a strip around 200 metres wide on either side of a two kilometre length of Watling Street, in agricultural land north-west of the village, at Whilton
Whilton
Whilton is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Northamptonshire. The village is in the Daventry district.Whilton is north west of London, 9.7 miles west of Northampton and 15.6miles south-east of Rugby...
Lodge. The settlement's defences were in the form of a trapezium
Trapezium
The word trapezium has several meanings:* - a quadrilateral with one pair of parallel sides ....
, not aligned with Watling Street, and the enclosure was deeper on the east side of the street than it was on the west.
The four sides of the enclosure were 190 m, 200 m, 250 m and 250 m, measured clockwise from north, and enclosed an area of about 55,000 square metres. The defences were built in two - possibly three - phases. First: a large ditch 7.6 m wide and 3.1 m deep backed by a clay and turf rampart was constructed after the end of the first century; second: the primary ditch was filled in with gravel early in the fourth century to provide a firm base for a stone wall with foundations 3.7 m wide and fronted by two newly-cut, parallel ditches; the inner 5.2 m wide and 2.4 m deep and the outer 4.3 m wide and 1.8 m deep; and thirdly: The inner ditch was filled with gravel shortly after the second phase was completed, perhaps intended as the firm base for external towers, though none have been discovered. The outer ditch was allowed to silt up by the end of the fourth century. Occupation of the site, which may have begun before the Roman conquest, continued into the fourth century.
There is a Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
villa site at the nearby village of Nether Heyford
Nether Heyford
Nether Heyford is an English village west of Northampton off the A45 road, in the shire county of Northamptonshire, known as "Northants". It is by road to the M1 London to Yorkshire motorway junction 16, north of London and southeast of Birmingham...
to the south east.
Possible association with Saint Patrick
It is possible, but unsubstantiated, that Bannaventa was the birthplace of St PatrickSaint Patrick
Saint Patrick was a Romano-Briton and Christian missionary, who is the most generally recognized patron saint of Ireland or the Apostle of Ireland, although Brigid of Kildare and Colmcille are also formally patron saints....
, the patron saint of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. In his Confessio, Patrick writes:
This could possibly be an alternative name for Bannaventa. In around 405 AD when he was aged 16 he was kidnapped by "pirates" who were raiding the imperial highways, and taken to Ireland as a slave. This view is backed by the fact that the Watling Street ran indirectly to north Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
and thus offered easy passage to Ireland.
The Domesday Book
Norton appears in the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
and some of the people mentioned in its entry are as follows: Aghmund; Alric; Alvred; Azur; Bisceop; Count Alan
Alan IV, Duke of Brittany
Alan IV was Duke of Brittany, from 1084 until his abdication in 1112. He was also Count of Nantes and Count of Rennes. He was son of Hawise, Duchess of Brittany and Duke Hoel II. He was known as Alan Fergant, which in Breton means "Alan the Strong"...
; Durand; Edwin; Fredegis; Fulcher; Gilbert; Godwine; Ingelrann; King William as landholder; Leofnoth; Leofric; Leofwine; Lokki; Martin; Nigel; Ordmaer; Osmund; Ralph; Ralph the steward; Robert; Robert, Count of Meulan; Robert, Count of Mortain; Sawata; Scotel; Segrim; Siward; Stenkil; Thorbiorn; Thorir; Walter; William; Wulfmaer.