Naseby
Encyclopedia
Naseby is a small village in the District of Daventry
in Northamptonshire
, England
.
The village is 14 mi (22.5 km) north of Northampton
, 13.3 mi (21.4 km) northeast of Daventry
, and 7 mi (11 km) south of Market Harborough
. It is 2.4 mi (3.9 km) from Junction 2 of the A14 road, giving it access to the national road system. For rail travel, the Midland Main line can be accessed at the railway station in Market Harborough
. There is a bus service between Market Harborough and Northampton that stops in Naseby, but it is very infrequent.
.
named Hnaef established the settlement with the name of Hnaefes-Burh ("fortified place of Hnaef"). Evidence for these origins came in the form of a 19th-century discovery of an Anglo-Saxon
trefoil
-headed brooch
which is now in the collection of the British Museum
.
, by which time Hnaefes-Burgh had evolved into Navesberie. In later records the village had been known as Navesby and Nathesby, eventually becoming Naseby. It is interesting to note that it was believed that the name derived from the Old English naefela, meaning navel, because it was thought to be the navel of England. In 1203, King John
granted Naseby its market charter and the village became a flourishing market town
for many years.
During this period the village grew. In 1349, the Black Death
, which wiped out a third of the population of England
, attacked the village and the population greatly reduced, with parts becoming abandoned altogether. Extensive earthworks
in the fields adjacent to parts of the village show the outlines of lost lanes and the outlines of buildings and enclosures which existed before the Black Death.
. In the area called Broad Moor a small distance north of the village the Royalist
forces, commanded by King Charles I
, battled the Roundhead
army commanded by Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron
. The battle resulted in a decisive Royalist defeat.
Surprisingly, the village records omit any mention this event, and the parish register
of 1645 makes absolutely no mention to the battle, with the vicar
only recording one birth in the parish on the day of the battle.
A naval warship during the Commonwealth
period was named the Naseby in honor of the battle; after the Restoration the ship was renamed .
buildings were constructed in the parish, including Manor Farm (built 1720), Shuckburgh House (1773), and the old Vicarage (1785). One of the most significant buildings is Naseby House, built in 1818 for the Fitzgeralds, Lords of the Manor
. In the 20th century the hall hosted the Duke of York
, later King George V
, with the Duchess of York
, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
(the Queen Mother
) and a very young future Queen Elizabeth
. Naseby Hall was badly damaged by fire in 1948, and was rebuilt from the ground up. In 1822 the Enclosure
commissioners allocated the open land around the village to two landowners, who duly fenced off their newly-acquired fields. This action deprived many of the villagers of their traditional plots of land that surrounded the village, that had for years allowed them to grow crops and graze their cattle and sheep.
This action did not adversely affect the community as much as it did in other villages; one reason may have been that the village had other trades. A survey of the time lists 26 different occupations and trades in the village.
Until around 1870, most buildings (except for the church, chapel, school, and the three houses from the Georgian period) were made of mud walls and cob with thatched
roofs. During the 1870s Lord Clifden had most of the cottages demolished and replaced with new red-brick cottages, some of which were semi-detached
, to house his estate workers. This gave Naseby its well-known Victorian
appearance. All these Victorian houses still survive to this day, along with two remaining 17th-century cob and thatched cottages.
was added to the Saxon church in 1232, and the present nave
and north aisle added over the next 75 years. In the 15th century the walls of the church were raised and a clerestory
, low tower, and spire added. A new spire was built in 1860, from which it is said that The Wash
and the towers of 40 churches can be seen on a clear day.
A curious remnant of Naseby's history can be found leaning against the outer wall of the North Aisle. It is "Cromwell's Table", which originally graced Shuckborough House, just opposite the church. The story goes that on the eve of the Battle of Naseby some of the king's lifeguards were sitting down to supper at the table when they were surprised by Cromwell's troops. Several of the royal soldiers were killed, and the rest captured. Their duty done, Cromwell's men sat down at the table and finished the meal!
.jpg)
Naseby and the plateau of land towards Sibbertoft form a watershed and source for four rivers flowing west, south and east.
Manor Farm at the junction of Church Street, Newlands and Welford Road, is a Grade II listed building built in 1720. In the front garden of Manor Farm is a cone-shaped monument which sits in a depression
. This is the source of the River Avon, Warwickshire
, associated with William Shakespeare
.
The northern tributary
of the River Nene
(Brampton Arm) arises by the Thornby road to the west of the village (the main Source being at Arbury Hill (SP 542 581) near Staverton, Northamptonshire
).
The source of the River Ise
can be found close to Sibbertoft Road to the north of Naseby.
The source of the River Welland
can be found in fields close to Welland Rise, Sibbertoft
village, three miles to the north.
.jpg)
At the junction of the village at the junction of Church Street and Gynwell, close to the Methodist Chapel (1825) there is the shaft of the old whipping post dating to 1203. In the Middle Ages
this stood opposite the church in what was the marketplace and is now the village street called Newlands.
also to be found in Newlands are examples of the Victorian cottages from around 1870, which continue down the right-hand side of High Street; further down the street to the right is one of the two surviving cob-thatched cottages. It was built around 1630 and is now called Cromwell Cottage. Next door to the cottage in School Lane is the village school, built in 1843.
Further down School Lane are more Victorian cottages. At the end of School Lane with its intersection with Church Lane, is the village War Memorial. This memorial
, built in 1918 to commemorate World War I
, is a smaller copy of one of Edwin Henry Landseer's
four lions at Nelson's Column
in London's
Trafalgar Square
. On the opposite side of Church Street from the memorial is the Old Vicarage, built around 1785. The two beech
trees at the entrance were planted in 1792. Next to the Vicarage is Shuckburgh House which dates from around 1773. The other surviving cob thatched cottage can be found at the southern end of the High Street.
Daventry (district)
The Daventry district is the largest local government district of western Northamptonshire, England. The district is named after the town of Daventry which is the administrative headquarters and largest town...
in 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
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...
.
The village is 14 mi (22.5 km) north 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...
, 13.3 mi (21.4 km) northeast of Daventry
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...
, and 7 mi (11 km) south of Market Harborough
Market Harborough
Market Harborough is a market town within the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England.It has a population of 20,785 and is the administrative headquarters of Harborough District Council. It sits on the Northamptonshire-Leicestershire border...
. It is 2.4 mi (3.9 km) from Junction 2 of the A14 road, giving it access to the national road system. For rail travel, the Midland Main line can be accessed at the railway station in Market Harborough
Market Harborough
Market Harborough is a market town within the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England.It has a population of 20,785 and is the administrative headquarters of Harborough District Council. It sits on the Northamptonshire-Leicestershire border...
. There is a bus service between Market Harborough and Northampton that stops in Naseby, but it is very infrequent.
Geography
The village sits in a commanding position on one of the highest parts of the Northamptonshire Uplands, close to the county border with LeicestershireLeicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
.
Early history
The original settlement probably owes its existence to its geography; the village lay in what was known as a 'string defensive' position. In the 6th century an SaxonAnglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
named Hnaef established the settlement with the name of Hnaefes-Burh ("fortified place of Hnaef"). Evidence for these origins came in the form of a 19th-century discovery of an Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
trefoil
Trefoil
Trefoil is a graphic form composed of the outline of three overlapping rings used in architecture and Christian symbolism...
-headed brooch
Brooch
A brooch ; also known in ancient times as a fibula; is a decorative jewelry item designed to be attached to garments. It is usually made of metal, often silver or gold but sometimes bronze or some other material...
which is now in the collection of the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
.
Domesday Book to the Black Death
In 1086 Naseby appeared 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...
, by which time Hnaefes-Burgh had evolved into Navesberie. In later records the village had been known as Navesby and Nathesby, eventually becoming Naseby. It is interesting to note that it was believed that the name derived from the Old English naefela, meaning navel, because it was thought to be the navel of England. In 1203, King John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
granted Naseby its market charter and the village became a flourishing market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
for many years.
During this period the village grew. In 1349, the Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
, which wiped out a third of the population of 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...
, attacked the village and the population greatly reduced, with parts becoming abandoned altogether. Extensive earthworks
Earthworks (engineering)
Earthworks are engineering works created through the moving or processing of quantities of soil or unformed rock.- Civil engineering use :Typical earthworks include roads, railway beds, causeways, dams, levees, canals, and berms...
in the fields adjacent to parts of the village show the outlines of lost lanes and the outlines of buildings and enclosures which existed before the Black Death.
Battle of Naseby
The Battle of Naseby took place on June 14, 1645, during the English Civil WarEnglish Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. In the area called Broad Moor a small distance north of the village the Royalist
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
forces, commanded by King Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
, battled the Roundhead
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
army commanded by Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron
Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron
Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron was a general and parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War...
. The battle resulted in a decisive Royalist defeat.
Surprisingly, the village records omit any mention this event, and the parish register
Parish register
A parish register is a handwritten volume, normally kept in a parish church or deposited within a county record office or alternative archive repository, in which details of baptisms, marriages and burials are recorded.-History:...
of 1645 makes absolutely no mention to the battle, with the vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
only recording one birth in the parish on the day of the battle.
A naval warship during the Commonwealth
Commonwealth of England
The Commonwealth of England was the republic which ruled first England, and then Ireland and Scotland from 1649 to 1660. Between 1653–1659 it was known as the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland...
period was named the Naseby in honor of the battle; after the Restoration the ship was renamed .
18th century
During the 18th century, Naseby continued as an agricultural community and during this time several fine GeorgianGeorgian 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...
buildings were constructed in the parish, including Manor Farm (built 1720), Shuckburgh House (1773), and the old Vicarage (1785). One of the most significant buildings is Naseby House, built in 1818 for the Fitzgeralds, Lords of the Manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
. In the 20th century the hall hosted the Duke of York
Duke of York
The Duke of York is a title of nobility in the British peerage. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of the British monarch. The title has been created a remarkable eleven times, eight as "Duke of York" and three as the double-barreled "Duke of York and...
, later King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
, with the Duchess of York
Duchess of York
Duchess of York is the principal courtesy title held by the wife of the Duke of York. The title is gained with marriage alone and is forfeited upon divorce. Four of the twelve Dukes of York did not marry or had already assumed the throne prior to marriage, therefore there have only ever been eleven...
, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
(the Queen Mother
Queen mother
Queen Mother is a title or position reserved for a widowed queen consort whose son or daughter from that marriage is the reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since at least 1577...
) and a very young future Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
. Naseby Hall was badly damaged by fire in 1948, and was rebuilt from the ground up. In 1822 the Enclosure
Enclosure
Enclosure or inclosure is the process which ends traditional rights such as mowing meadows for hay, or grazing livestock on common land. Once enclosed, these uses of the land become restricted to the owner, and it ceases to be common land. In England and Wales the term is also used for the...
commissioners allocated the open land around the village to two landowners, who duly fenced off their newly-acquired fields. This action deprived many of the villagers of their traditional plots of land that surrounded the village, that had for years allowed them to grow crops and graze their cattle and sheep.
This action did not adversely affect the community as much as it did in other villages; one reason may have been that the village had other trades. A survey of the time lists 26 different occupations and trades in the village.
Victorian building boom
Thatching
Thatching is the craft of building a roof with dry vegetation such as straw, water reed, sedge , rushes, or heather, layering the vegetation so as to shed water away from the inner roof. It is a very old roofing method and has been used in both tropical and temperate climates...
roofs. During the 1870s Lord Clifden had most of the cottages demolished and replaced with new red-brick cottages, some of which were semi-detached
Semi-detached
Semi-detached housing consists of pairs of houses built side by side as units sharing a party wall and usually in such a way that each house's layout is a mirror image of its twin...
, to house his estate workers. This gave Naseby its well-known Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
appearance. All these Victorian houses still survive to this day, along with two remaining 17th-century cob and thatched cottages.
Parish church of All Saints
All Saints Church at Naseby has roots dating all the way back to the Saxon period, and there may have been a Christian settlement here as early as 620. The present church dates from the early 13th century. The south aisleAisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
was added to the Saxon church in 1232, and the present nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and north aisle added over the next 75 years. In the 15th century the walls of the church were raised and a clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
, low tower, and spire added. A new spire was built in 1860, from which it is said that The Wash
The Wash
The Wash is the square-mouthed bay and estuary on the northwest margin of East Anglia on the east coast of England, where Norfolk meets Lincolnshire. It is among the largest estuaries in the United Kingdom...
and the towers of 40 churches can be seen on a clear day.
A curious remnant of Naseby's history can be found leaning against the outer wall of the North Aisle. It is "Cromwell's Table", which originally graced Shuckborough House, just opposite the church. The story goes that on the eve of the Battle of Naseby some of the king's lifeguards were sitting down to supper at the table when they were surprised by Cromwell's troops. Several of the royal soldiers were killed, and the rest captured. Their duty done, Cromwell's men sat down at the table and finished the meal!
River sources
Manor Farm at the junction of Church Street, Newlands and Welford Road, is a Grade II listed building built in 1720. In the front garden of Manor Farm is a cone-shaped monument which sits in a depression
Depression (geology)
A depression in geology is a landform sunken or depressed below the surrounding area. Depressions may be formed by various mechanisms.Structural or tectonic related:...
. This is the source of the River Avon, Warwickshire
River Avon, Warwickshire
The River Avon or Avon is a river in or adjoining the counties of Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire in the Midlands of England...
, associated with William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
.
The northern tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the River Nene
River Nene
The River Nene is a river in the east of England that rises from three sources in the county of Northamptonshire. The tidal river forms the border between Cambridgeshire and Norfolk for about . It is the tenth longest river in the United Kingdom, and is navigable for from Northampton to The...
(Brampton Arm) arises by the Thornby road to the west of the village (the main Source being at Arbury Hill (SP 542 581) near Staverton, Northamptonshire
Staverton, Northamptonshire
Staverton is a village and civil parish in the south-west of Northamptonshire, England. It is 2.3 miles west of Daventry, 7.9 miles east of Southam and 15.3 miles east of Leamington Spa...
).
The source of the River Ise
River Ise
The River Ise is a river in Northamptonshire, England and a tributary of the River Nene.The river rises in the very field that hosted the Battle of Naseby at the north-western tip of Northamptonshire...
can be found close to Sibbertoft Road to the north of Naseby.
The source of the River Welland
River Welland
The River Welland is a river in the east of England, some long. It rises in the Hothorpe Hills, at Sibbertoft in Northamptonshire, then flows generally northeast to Market Harborough, Stamford and Spalding, to reach The Wash near Fosdyke. For much of its length it forms the county boundary between...
can be found in fields close to Welland Rise, Sibbertoft
Sibbertoft
Sibbertoft is a village and civil parish in the Daventry district of Northamptonshire in England. At the time of the 2001 census, the parish's population was 343 people....
village, three miles to the north.
Village sites
Britain in the Middle Ages
England in the Middle Ages concerns the history of England during the Medieval period — from the end of Roman rule in Britain through to the Early Modern period...
this stood opposite the church in what was the marketplace and is now the village street called Newlands.
also to be found in Newlands are examples of the Victorian cottages from around 1870, which continue down the right-hand side of High Street; further down the street to the right is one of the two surviving cob-thatched cottages. It was built around 1630 and is now called Cromwell Cottage. Next door to the cottage in School Lane is the village school, built in 1843.
Further down School Lane are more Victorian cottages. At the end of School Lane with its intersection with Church Lane, is the village War Memorial. This memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
, built in 1918 to commemorate World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, is a smaller copy of one of Edwin Henry Landseer's
Edwin Henry Landseer
Sir Edwin Henry Landseer, RA was an English painter, well known for his paintings of animals—particularly horses, dogs and stags...
four lions at Nelson's Column
Nelson's Column
Nelson's Column is a monument in Trafalgar Square in central London built to commemorate Admiral Horatio Nelson, who died at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The monument was constructed between 1840 and 1843 to a design by William Railton at a cost of £47,000. It is a column of the Corinthian...
in London's
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...
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, England, United Kingdom. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of...
. On the opposite side of Church Street from the memorial is the Old Vicarage, built around 1785. The two beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
trees at the entrance were planted in 1792. Next to the Vicarage is Shuckburgh House which dates from around 1773. The other surviving cob thatched cottage can be found at the southern end of the High Street.