Whittlebury
Encyclopedia
Whittlebury is a village and civil parish
in the south of the English
county of Northamptonshire
close to its border with Buckinghamshire
. It is due south of the town of Towcester
to which it is connected by main roads. At the time of the 2001 census
, the parish's population was 586 people.
Little is known of Whittlebury's pre-historic past. However, in May 2000, an Iron Age
hillfort was discovered in the vicinity of St Mary's church and churchyard. Archaeology also reveals evidence of Roman, Anglo-Saxon and medieval occupation of Whittlebury; the latter period documented in historical records.
Throughout the Middle Ages and up until the early 19th Century Whittlebury's development was interlinked with the Whittlewood Forest
of which it was a part and the Honour of Grafton
. Whittlebury was part of the FitzRoy estate and the 3rd Baron Southampton
developed Whittlebury Lodge. Whittlebury was very much a 'gentry village' and hunting was a significant activity. The village was associated with the Grafton Hunt, the Duke of Grafton
having a seat at nearby Wakefield Lodge. In the 18th Century John Wesley
was a regular visitor to Whittlebury, describing the village in 1781 as, "This is still the loveliest congregation as well as the liveliest society in the circuit."
Today Whittlebury has a large hotel, 'Whittlebury Hall', a golf course and country park, called Whittlebury Park
, adjacent to Silverstone Circuit
.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the south of the English
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...
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,...
close to its border with 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....
. It is due south of the town of Towcester
Towcester
Towcester , the Roman town of Lactodorum, is a small town in south Northamptonshire, England.-Etymology:Towcester comes from the Old English Tófe-ceaster. Tófe refers to the River Tove; Bosworth and Toller compare it to the "Scandinavian proper names" Tófi and Tófa...
to which it is connected by main roads. At the time of 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....
, the parish's population was 586 people.
Little is known of Whittlebury's pre-historic past. However, in May 2000, 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...
hillfort was discovered in the vicinity of St Mary's church and churchyard. Archaeology also reveals evidence of Roman, Anglo-Saxon and medieval occupation of Whittlebury; the latter period documented in historical records.
Throughout the Middle Ages and up until the early 19th Century Whittlebury's development was interlinked with the Whittlewood Forest
Whittlewood Forest
Whittlewood Forest is a former medieval hunting forest in the south of the county of Northamptonshire in England. There are tracts of ancient woodland within the forest, and old ditch boundaries can be found at the edges of several of the individual woods...
of which it was a part and the Honour of Grafton
Honour of Grafton
The Honour of Grafton is a collection of manors in the south east of Northamptonshire, England. The Honour is historic, dating back at least as far as 1542 when a bill for its management was before parliament....
. Whittlebury was part of the FitzRoy estate and the 3rd Baron Southampton
Charles FitzRoy, 3rd Baron Southampton
Charles FitzRoy, 3rd Baron Southampton was a British peer.The son of George FitzRoy, 2nd Baron Southampton, he succeeded his father in 1810. On 23 February 1826, he married Harriet Stanhope, granddaughter of William Stanhope, 2nd Earl of Harrington; they had no children...
developed Whittlebury Lodge. Whittlebury was very much a 'gentry village' and hunting was a significant activity. The village was associated with the Grafton Hunt, the Duke of Grafton
Duke of Grafton
Duke of Grafton is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1675 by Charles II of England for his 2nd illegitimate son by the Duchess of Cleveland, Henry FitzRoy...
having a seat at nearby Wakefield Lodge. In the 18th Century John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
was a regular visitor to Whittlebury, describing the village in 1781 as, "This is still the loveliest congregation as well as the liveliest society in the circuit."
Today Whittlebury has a large hotel, 'Whittlebury Hall', a golf course and country park, called Whittlebury Park
Whittlebury Park
Whittlebury Park is a golf, hotel and camping resort located in Whittlebury, South Northamptonshire, England, near Silverstone circuit.The camping resort is home to 15,000 to 20 000 campers during the British Grand Prix, which is held every year on Silverstone circuit....
, adjacent to Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...
.