Horton, Northamptonshire
Encyclopedia
Horton is named from the Old English meaning "muddy farmstead" and lies in the English county of Northamptonshire
. It was originally an estate village, serving the now demolished Horton House and it is close to its neighbouring village Hackleton
. It was home to the first Governor of the Bank of England
.
and about 8 miles (13 km) north of Newport Pagnell
on the road between those two towns in the southern part of the county. The current designation of this road as the B526 belies its former importance as the A50
the former stagecoach
route connecting Leicester
and London. The road was declassified when the M1 motorway
was built. It was to service the original road that what is now a restaurant and hotel was built originally as a seventeenth-century country manor and coaching inn
now known as "The New French Partridge".
church is dedicated to St Mary Magdalene
and still in use. It has a 13th century western tower and a "splendid curly weathervane". Much of it was rebuilt between 1862-3 by a local architect E F Law. It has various monuments: a brass
relating to Roger Salisbury (1491) and his two wives; Lord and Lady Parr, Catherine Parr
's uncle and aunt; a free standing tomb-chest; two recumbent effigies of Sir William Lane and his family, and Edward and Henrietta Montagu, members of the family of the Earl of Halifax
.
and most were derived from the place-names of their family estates, whether in France or England. One such recorded is that of Richard de Horton from Northamptonshire, in 1255.
The first house and estate were owned by William, Lord Parr of Horton
- the same family that Catherine Parr
came from. She was the last of the six wives
of Henry VIII of England
. Parr's daughter, Maud, married Sir Ralph Lane and they had five sons including: Sir Ralph, Sir Robert, Sir Parr and Sir William, the latter commemorated in the church.
for two generations). Charles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax
KG, PC, FRS (16 April 1661 – 19 May 1715) was an English poet and statesman, one of the Commissioners of the Treasury, a member of the Privy Council
and Chancellor of the Exchequer
. At the accession of George I
, he was made Viscount
Sunbury and Earl of Halifax, with remainder to heirs male, a Knight of the Garter, and First Lord of the Treasury
. The Gunnings purchased the estate in 1782 and the family stayed at Horton until 1888 when the 5th Baronet sold it to Pickering Phipps of the brewing family. Later it was sold to George Winterbottom but it was demolished in 1936 However, some of its out-buildings remain, many Grade II listed: the Green Bridge; The Ice House and the New Temple, which has an Ionic
portico with a pulvinated frieze - and is thought be early Georgian in date.
Near the Menagerie is an old fish pond dating back several centuries and what are thought to be the remains of a Norman motte-and-bailey
can be found in the fields behind the Menagerie. There are rumoured to be a series of tunnels from the Menagerie towards the Ice House and elsewhere.
, the current Governor of the Bank of England
, Mervyn King
, and pop singer Leo Sayer
. Horton Park Conservation Group have also launched a website and petition to improve knowledge of the park. They are also planning events for 2011 to mark the 300th anniversary of Thomas Wright's birth.
club, Horton House CC, which celebrates its centenary in 2008 andoffers both Senior and Junior Cricket. There is a well known restaurant "The New French Partridge", next to the church.
ed balcony and cedar roof shingles. The house is under the ownership of Roy Clarke
the writer of Last of the Summer Wine
. Pevsner says:
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,...
. It was originally an estate village, serving the now demolished Horton House and it is close to its neighbouring village Hackleton
Hackleton
Hackleton is a village located in the south of the English shire county of Northamptonshire in the district of South Northamptonshire, just north of Buckinghamshire. It is south of Northampton town centre, and by road to the M1 London to Yorkshire motorway junction 15 and north of junction 14....
. It was home to the first Governor of the Bank of England
Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world...
.
Location
It is 5 miles (8 km) south of NorthamptonNorthampton
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...
and about 8 miles (13 km) north of Newport Pagnell
Newport Pagnell
Newport Pagnell is a town in the Borough of Milton Keynes , England. It is separated by the M1 motorway from Milton Keynes itself, though part of the same urban area...
on the road between those two towns in the southern part of the county. The current designation of this road as the B526 belies its former importance as the A50
A50 road
The A50 is a major trunk road in England. It runs from Warrington to Leicester; however, it was once a much longer route.-Current route:...
the former stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
route connecting Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
and London. The road was declassified when 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...
was built. It was to service the original road that what is now a restaurant and hotel was built originally as a seventeenth-century country manor and coaching inn
Coaching inn
In Europe, from approximately the mid-17th century for a period of about 200 years, the coaching inn, sometimes called a coaching house or staging inn, was a vital part of the inland transport infrastructure, as an inn serving coach travelers...
now known as "The New French Partridge".
The church
The NormanNorman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
church is dedicated to St Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
and still in use. It has a 13th century western tower and a "splendid curly weathervane". Much of it was rebuilt between 1862-3 by a local architect E F Law. It has various monuments: a brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
relating to Roger Salisbury (1491) and his two wives; Lord and Lady Parr, Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr ; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen consort of England and Ireland and the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII of England. She married Henry VIII on 12 July 1543. She was the fourth commoner Henry had taken as his consort, and outlived him...
's uncle and aunt; a free standing tomb-chest; two recumbent effigies of Sir William Lane and his family, and Edward and Henrietta Montagu, members of the family of the Earl of Halifax
Earl of Halifax
Earl of Halifax is a title that has been created four times in British history, once in the Peerage of England, twice in the Peerage of Great Britain and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The name of the peerage refers to Halifax, West Yorkshire....
.
Horton: the surname
Hereditary surnames were popular in England after the Norman conquestNorman 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...
and most were derived from the place-names of their family estates, whether in France or England. One such recorded is that of Richard de Horton from Northamptonshire, in 1255.
The earlier estate
The original medieval village and house were demolished to make way for the rebuilding of the house in the 17th century - all that remains are a number of mounds in the fields to the south of the house remains.The first house and estate were owned by William, Lord Parr of Horton
Baron Parr of Horton
William Parr, 1st Baron Parr of Horton was the son of William Parr, 1st Baron Parr of Kendal and his wife Elizabeth Fitzhugh, Baroness Vaux of Harrowden.-Life:...
- the same family that Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr ; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen consort of England and Ireland and the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII of England. She married Henry VIII on 12 July 1543. She was the fourth commoner Henry had taken as his consort, and outlived him...
came from. She was the last of the six wives
Wives of Henry VIII
The wives of Henry VIII were the six queens consort married to Henry VIII of England between 1509 and 1547. The six women to hold the title 'queens consort' of King Henry VIII were, in order:* Catherine of Aragon ,* Anne Boleyn ,...
of Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
. Parr's daughter, Maud, married Sir Ralph Lane and they had five sons including: Sir Ralph, Sir Robert, Sir Parr and Sir William, the latter commemorated in the church.
The last house
The last house had originally belonged to a branch of the Montagus (who held the Earldom of HalifaxEarl of Halifax
Earl of Halifax is a title that has been created four times in British history, once in the Peerage of England, twice in the Peerage of Great Britain and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The name of the peerage refers to Halifax, West Yorkshire....
for two generations). Charles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax
Charles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax
Charles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax, KG, PC, FRS was an English poet and statesman.-Early life:Charles Montagu was born in Horton, Northamptonshire, the son of George Montagu, fifth son of 1st Earl of Manchester...
KG, PC, FRS (16 April 1661 – 19 May 1715) was an English poet and statesman, one of the Commissioners of the Treasury, a member of the Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
and Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
. At the accession of George I
George I of Great Britain
George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
, he was made Viscount
Viscount
A viscount or viscountess is a member of the European nobility whose comital title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl or a count .-Etymology:...
Sunbury and Earl of Halifax, with remainder to heirs male, a Knight of the Garter, and First Lord of the Treasury
First Lord of the Treasury
The First Lord of the Treasury is the head of the commission exercising the ancient office of Lord High Treasurer in the United Kingdom, and is now always also the Prime Minister...
. The Gunnings purchased the estate in 1782 and the family stayed at Horton until 1888 when the 5th Baronet sold it to Pickering Phipps of the brewing family. Later it was sold to George Winterbottom but it was demolished in 1936 However, some of its out-buildings remain, many Grade II listed: the Green Bridge; The Ice House and the New Temple, which has an Ionic
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
portico with a pulvinated frieze - and is thought be early Georgian in date.
- The MenagerieMenagerieA menagerie is/was a form of keeping common and exotic animals in captivity that preceded the modern zoological garden. The term was first used in seventeenth century France in reference to the management of household or domestic stock. Later, it came to be used primarily in reference to...
, turned into a house by Gervase Jackson-StopsGervase Jackson-StopsGervase Frank Ashworth Jackson-Stops OBE was an architectural historian and journalist. He died of an AIDS-related illness.-Education:...
is Grade II* listed. This is a one storey building with corner pavilions and a raised central area. The surrounding windows are in the style of the architect James GibbsJames GibbsJames Gibbs was one of Britain's most influential architects. Born in Scotland, he trained as an architect in Rome, and practised mainly in England...
. The work has most recently been attributed to Thomas WrightThomas Wright (astronomer)Thomas Wright was an English astronomer, mathematician, instrument maker, architect and garden designer. He was the first to describe the shape of the Milky Way and speculate that faint nebulae were distant galaxies....
, the astronomer, who undertook work for Lord Halifax after 1739. - The Arches, also Grade II. These are made up of a tri-partite triumphal archway with IonicIonic orderThe Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
pilasterPilasterA pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s. - Two VictorianVictorian eraThe Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
gate lodgeGate LodgeGate Lodge is a small house located at Mount Austin Road on Victoria Peak. Located on the Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong, it was built between 1900 and 1902. Gate Lodge is in Renaissance style....
s, see image in infobox top right - Red brick stable block, c18th century'
Near the Menagerie is an old fish pond dating back several centuries and what are thought to be the remains of a Norman motte-and-bailey
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
can be found in the fields behind the Menagerie. There are rumoured to be a series of tunnels from the Menagerie towards the Ice House and elsewhere.
2009 Campaign to save the estate
A campaign has begun to highlight the plight of the estate which has been almost forgotten. Among people pledging support are Northampton South MP Brian BinleyBrian Binley
Brian Arthur Roland Binley is a British Conservative politician, and the Member of Parliament for Northampton South.-Early life:...
, the current Governor of the Bank of England
Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world...
, Mervyn King
Mervyn King (economist)
An ex-officio member of the Bank's interest-rate setting Monetary Policy Committee since its inception in 1997, Sir Mervyn is the only person to have taken part in every one of its monthly meetings to date. His voting style is often seen as "hawkish", a perspective that emphasises the dangers of...
, and pop singer Leo Sayer
Leo Sayer
Leo Sayer is a British singer-songwriter, musician, and entertainer whose singing career has spanned four decades. Sayer became a naturalised Australian citizen in 2009. Sayer was a top singles and album act on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1970s...
. Horton Park Conservation Group have also launched a website and petition to improve knowledge of the park. They are also planning events for 2011 to mark the 300th anniversary of Thomas Wright's birth.
The village today
The village is a dormitory serving Northampton and Milton Keynes. There are no shops or pubs but there is a cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
club, Horton House CC, which celebrates its centenary in 2008 andoffers both Senior and Junior Cricket. There is a well known restaurant "The New French Partridge", next to the church.
Horton Rounds: The famous house on a circle
The village is well known for the modern design of "Horton Rounds", an unusual curved house on stilts incorporating the shapes of a comma and a full stop. The house was built in 1966 by local architect Arthur A J Marshman as a family home on the site of the old tennis courts for Horton House. It has an unusual cantileverCantilever
A cantilever is a beam anchored at only one end. The beam carries the load to the support where it is resisted by moment and shear stress. Cantilever construction allows for overhanging structures without external bracing. Cantilevers can also be constructed with trusses or slabs.This is in...
ed balcony and cedar roof shingles. The house is under the ownership of Roy Clarke
Roy Clarke
Roy Clarke OBE is an English comedy writer.-Career:Clarke is best known for creating BBC Sitcoms; Last of the Summer Wine, Open All Hours and Keeping Up Appearances...
the writer of Last of the Summer Wine
Last of the Summer Wine
Last of the Summer Wine is a British sitcom written by Roy Clarke that was broadcast on BBC One. Last of the Summer Wine premiered as an episode of Comedy Playhouse on 4 January 1973 and the first series of episodes followed on 12 November 1973. From 1983 to 2010, Alan J. W. Bell produced and...
. Pevsner says:
"A striking house. The dominant features are the broad curving eaves of the shingledRoof shingleRoof shingles are a roof covering consisting of individual overlapping elements. These elements are typically flat rectangular shapes laid in rows from the bottom edge of the roof up, with each successive higher row overlapping the joints in the row below...
roofs and the taller circular service cores and chimney of local yellow stone. In plan the house is a comma, with a full stop linked by a bridge. The tail of the comma, open on the ground floor with bedrooms above, shelters a paved garden. The broad end has service rooms and entrances below and a circular living area above which has views in all directions".
Famous residents of the village
- Roy ClarkeRoy ClarkeRoy Clarke OBE is an English comedy writer.-Career:Clarke is best known for creating BBC Sitcoms; Last of the Summer Wine, Open All Hours and Keeping Up Appearances...
, TV writer of Last of the Summer Wine owns Horton Rounds - Sir Robert GunningSir Robert GunningSir Robert Gunning, 1st Baronet GCB was a British diplomat. He served as the British minister in Denmark 1765–1771, in Prussia in 1771 and in Russia 1772–1776. Gunning was made a Baronet on the 17 October 1778 and a Knight Companion of the Bath on the 19 May 1779.-Family:The Gunnings were an Irish...
- diplomat, died at Horton House, 22 September 1816 - Allan LambAllan LambAllan Joseph Lamb is a former England cricketer and captain who played for the first class teams of Western Province and Northamptonshire, the latter as an Overseas player...
, England cricketer lived in the village in the 1970s. - Arthur Marshman - architect and designer of Horton Rounds house
- Charles Montagu, Earl of HalifaxCharles Montagu, 1st Earl of HalifaxCharles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax, KG, PC, FRS was an English poet and statesman.-Early life:Charles Montagu was born in Horton, Northamptonshire, the son of George Montagu, fifth son of 1st Earl of Manchester...
- founder of the Bank of EnglandBank of EnglandThe Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world... - Sir William ParrBaron Parr of HortonWilliam Parr, 1st Baron Parr of Horton was the son of William Parr, 1st Baron Parr of Kendal and his wife Elizabeth Fitzhugh, Baroness Vaux of Harrowden.-Life:...
- uncle of Catherine ParrCatherine ParrCatherine Parr ; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen consort of England and Ireland and the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII of England. She married Henry VIII on 12 July 1543. She was the fourth commoner Henry had taken as his consort, and outlived him...
- 1st Baron Parr of Horton - Thomas WrightThomas Wright (astronomer)Thomas Wright was an English astronomer, mathematician, instrument maker, architect and garden designer. He was the first to describe the shape of the Milky Way and speculate that faint nebulae were distant galaxies....
(b.1711) Astronomer and architect and the first person to describe the shape of the Milky Way. He laid out the house's parklands and designed some of the buildings.