Harbury
Encyclopedia
Harbury is a village and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district
of Warwickshire
, England
. In the 2001 census
it had a population of 2,485.
The village is located around 4 miles (6 km) south-west of Southam
, and around 7 miles (11 km) south-east of Leamington Spa
, just south of the A425 road
. The Chiltern Main Line
runs just to the north of Harbury. The cutting in which the line runs was said to be the deepest hand-dug cutting in the world, at the time of its construction in 1852. The village used to have a station called Southam Road & Harbury
but this closed long ago.
cooking pots have been found in the area, and the name of the village is said to be derived from Edgar an early tribal leader. The Romans
built the Fosse Way
nearby. The Domesday Book
recorded the name as Edburberie where it is listed amongst the lands given to Henry de Ferrers
by William I
. The land provided work for over five ploughs and was valued at £
4. The village appears as Harberbury on the 1637 Christopher Saxton
map of Warwickshire. The first mention of a post office
in the village was in September 1847, when a type of postmark
known as an undated circle was issued.
of All Saints has a 13th century chancel
and later 13th century bell tower. The south aisle and arcade
were added in about 1300. The font
and the embattled
top of the tower are Georgian
additions. The church building was extensively restored in 1873.
that still stands but has no sails.
Within the parish of Harbury lies the hamlet
of Deppers Bridge. The civil parish borders the parishes of Ladbroke
, Bishop's Itchington
, Bishop's Tachbrook
, Chesterton
and Southam.
The parish has recently seen proposals for development of the land known as the Harbury Estate by the owners, Follett Property Holdings Ltd, who envisage a development of houses and a business estate. There have also been proposals put forward for a new Harbury Station; however it is believed that the current infrastructure of the railway is incapable of facilitating this. The Parish Council and Stratford District Council
are reviewing the proposals.
. The village has five pubs: The Shakespeare, The Crown, The Dog Inn, The Old New Inn and The Gamecock. There is also a working men's club.
There is a large park and playground, known as "The Rec", which houses 3 tennis courts, a netball court, the 60 Seconds Arena and a strategically placed skate park right at the end near the football pitches.
The village has a small independent garage named the Bull Ring Garage, a small 'Butlers' petrol station and also a doctors' surgery.
There is a well established rugby club on the western edge of the village off Middle Road
, the Chief Executive of Sainsbury's, and to Philip Bushill-Matthews
, former Conservative MEP for the West Midlands region, and former Managing Director of Red Mill Snack Foods and author of two books. Also John Stringer, writer of a number of resources for primary science education and producer of educational TV-programs.
Well respected DOP and Steadicam Operator Doug Walshe lived in the village from 1986 until 2009.
Stratford-on-Avon (district)
Stratford-on-Avon is a local government district of southern Warwickshire in England.The district is named "Stratford-on-Avon" to distinguish it from its main town of Stratford-upon-Avon where the district council is based, although this name often causes confusion .The district is mostly rural and...
of Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, 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...
. In 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....
it had a population of 2,485.
The village is located around 4 miles (6 km) south-west of Southam
Southam
Southam is a small market town in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England. The 2001 census recorded a population of 6,509 in the town.The nearest sizeable town to Southam is Leamington Spa, located roughly 7 miles to the west...
, and around 7 miles (11 km) south-east of Leamington Spa
Leamington Spa
Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or Leamington or Leam to locals, is a spa town in central Warwickshire, England. Formerly known as Leamington Priors, its expansion began following the popularisation of the medicinal qualities of its water by Dr Kerr in 1784, and by Dr Lambe...
, just south of the A425 road
A425 road
The A425 road is an A road in England, which runs between Daventry in Northamptonshire and Warwick in Warwickshire via Staverton, Lower Shuckburgh and Southam.At Southam it links with the A426 as well as the A423....
. The Chiltern Main Line
Chiltern Main Line
The Chiltern Main Line is an inter-urban, regional and commuter railway, part of the British railway system. It links London and Birmingham on a 112-mile route via the towns of High Wycombe, Banbury, and Leamington Spa...
runs just to the north of Harbury. The cutting in which the line runs was said to be the deepest hand-dug cutting in the world, at the time of its construction in 1852. The village used to have a station called Southam Road & Harbury
Southam Road and Harbury railway station
Southam Road and Harbury railway station was a railway station a mile east of Harbury, Warwickshire.-History:The station was on the Birmingham and Oxford Junction Railway, which was taken over by the Great Western Railway prior to opening from to Birmingham on 1 October 1852; Southam Road and...
but this closed long ago.
History
Harbury has ancient origins. Bronze AgeBronze Age Britain
Bronze Age Britain refers to the period of British history that spanned from c. 2,500 until c. 800 BC. Lasting for approximately 1700 years, it was preceded by the era of Neolithic Britain and was in turn followed by the era of Iron Age Britain...
cooking pots have been found in the area, and the name of the village is said to be derived from Edgar an early tribal leader. The Romans
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...
built the Fosse Way
Fosse Way
The Fosse Way was a Roman road in England that linked Exeter in South West England to Lincoln in Lincolnshire, via Ilchester , Bath , Cirencester and Leicester .It joined Akeman Street and Ermin Way at Cirencester, crossed Watling Street at Venonis south...
nearby. The Domesday Book
Domesday 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...
recorded the name as Edburberie where it is listed amongst the lands given to Henry de Ferrers
Henry de Ferrers
Henry de Ferrers was a Norman soldier from a noble family who took part in the conquest of England and is believed to have fought at the Battle of Hastings of 1066 and, in consequence, was rewarded with much land in the subdued nation.His elder brother William fell in the battle. William and Henri...
by William I
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
. The land provided work for over five ploughs and was valued at £
Pound sign
The pound sign is the symbol for the pound sterling—the currency of the United Kingdom . The same symbol is used for similarly named currencies in some other countries and territories, such as the Irish pound, Gibraltar pound, Australian pound and the Italian lira...
4. The village appears as Harberbury on the 1637 Christopher Saxton
Christopher Saxton
Christopher Saxton was an English cartographer, probably born in the parish of Dewsbury, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England around 1540....
map of Warwickshire. The first mention of a post office
Post 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...
in the village was in September 1847, when a type of postmark
Postmark
thumb|USS TexasA postmark is a postal marking made on a letter, package, postcard or the like indicating the date and time that the item was delivered into the care of the postal service...
known as an undated circle was issued.
Parish church
The Church of England parish churchChurch of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of All Saints has a 13th century chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
and later 13th century bell tower. The south aisle and arcade
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
were added in about 1300. The font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
and the embattled
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
top of the tower are Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
additions. The church building was extensively restored in 1873.
Harbury today
Harbury has a former tower millTower mill
A tower mill is a type of windmill which consists of a brick or stone tower, on top of which sits a roof or cap which can be turned to bring the sails into the wind....
that still stands but has no sails.
Within the parish of Harbury lies the hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of Deppers Bridge. The civil parish borders the parishes of Ladbroke
Ladbroke, Warwickshire
Ladbroke is a village and civil parish about south of Southam in Warwickshire.-Manor:The earliest known record of Ladbroke is from AD 998, when King Æthelred II granted lands at Southam, Ladbroke and Radbourne to Leofwine, Ealdorman of the Hwicce....
, Bishop's Itchington
Bishop's Itchington
Bishop's Itchington is a village and civil parish about southeast of Royal Leamington Spa in Warwickshire, England.The village is on the B4451 road about southwest of Southam, and about northeast of Junction 12 on the M40 motorway...
, Bishop's Tachbrook
Bishop's Tachbrook
Bishop's Tachbrook is a village and civil parish in the Warwick district of Warwickshire, England, about three miles south of Warwick and Leamington Spa. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,514. Many of the buildings in the village are of traditional half-timbered design.The...
, Chesterton
Chesterton, Warwickshire
Chesterton is a small village in Warwickshire, England. It is about five miles south of Leamington Spa, near the villages of Harbury and Lighthorne.-Parish:...
and Southam.
The parish has recently seen proposals for development of the land known as the Harbury Estate by the owners, Follett Property Holdings Ltd, who envisage a development of houses and a business estate. There have also been proposals put forward for a new Harbury Station; however it is believed that the current infrastructure of the railway is incapable of facilitating this. The Parish Council and Stratford District Council
Stratford-on-Avon (district)
Stratford-on-Avon is a local government district of southern Warwickshire in England.The district is named "Stratford-on-Avon" to distinguish it from its main town of Stratford-upon-Avon where the district council is based, although this name often causes confusion .The district is mostly rural and...
are reviewing the proposals.
Amenities
Harbury has a primary school, with around 200 pupils, Windmills Nursery school providing childcare for children aged 2 to 5 years and Harbury Pre-school, which provides sessional early years education for children aged 2 yrs 9 months to school entry. It also has a number of shops, including the 'Harbury supermarket' and The Co-op (once managed, fittingly, by the late Mrs Coop), a chemist, a grocery shop (Mugleston's Country Fayre), a library, and a post office (confined to the corner of the Harbury supermarket) and a village hallVillage hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
. The village has five pubs: The Shakespeare, The Crown, The Dog Inn, The Old New Inn and The Gamecock. There is also a working men's club.
There is a large park and playground, known as "The Rec", which houses 3 tennis courts, a netball court, the 60 Seconds Arena and a strategically placed skate park right at the end near the football pitches.
The village has a small independent garage named the Bull Ring Garage, a small 'Butlers' petrol station and also a doctors' surgery.
There is a well established rugby club on the western edge of the village off Middle Road
Notable residents
Harbury is home to Justin KingJustin King (businessman)
Justin Matthew King, CBE is a British businessman, who is the CEO of J Sainsbury plc, parent company of the supermarket chain Sainsbury's.King was previously Director of Food at Marks and Spencer and has held senior positions at Asda...
, the Chief Executive of Sainsbury's, and to Philip Bushill-Matthews
Philip Bushill-Matthews
Philip Bushill-Matthews was a British politician and was a Conservative Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands.-Biography:...
, former Conservative MEP for the West Midlands region, and former Managing Director of Red Mill Snack Foods and author of two books. Also John Stringer, writer of a number of resources for primary science education and producer of educational TV-programs.
Well respected DOP and Steadicam Operator Doug Walshe lived in the village from 1986 until 2009.