Wollaston, Northamptonshire
Encyclopedia
Wellingborough
Wellingborough is a market town and borough in Northamptonshire, England, situated some from the county town of Northampton. The town is situated on the north side of the River Nene, most of the older town is sited on the flanks of the hills above the river's current flood plain...
. in Eastern 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 name is derived from the Saxon "Wulfaf's Town" - named after a Saxon
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
chief of that name.
Wollaston Today
In common with the rest of Northamptonshire, Wollaston is noted for its shoe industry. Until 2003, the famous Dr. MartensDr. Martens
Dr. Martens is a traditional British footwear brand, which also makes a range of accessories – shoe care products, clothing, luggage, etc. In addition to Dr. Martens, they are known as Doctor Martens, Doc Martens, Docs or DMs...
boots were made in Wollaston. In 2007, manufacture of the "Vintage" line of Dr. Martens footwear was resumed in the Cobbs Lane Factory in Wollaston.
Wollaston also has the head office of an international chemical company, founded by the Quaker Ernest Bader (1890–1982), which is now a common ownership factory, the Scott Bader Commonwealth, making advanced resins and composite materials.
The recent zero-budget Zombie movie Colin
Colin (film)
Colin is a 2008 English zombie film which, after a successful run in a number of film festivals, went on to be shown at Cannes in 2009. Applauded for its success despite its low budget, the total cost of production was reportedly £45...
used the Wollaston local residents fields to film some shots. In a homage to Night of the Living Dead
Night of the Living Dead
Night of the Living Dead is a 1968 American independent black-and-white zombie film and cult film directed by George A. Romero, starring Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea and Karl Hardman. It premiered on October 1, 1968, and was completed on a USD$114,000 budget. After decades of cinematic re-releases, it...
by George A. Romero
George A. Romero
George Andrew Romero is a Canadian-American film director, screenwriter and editor, best known for his gruesome and satirical horror films about a hypothetical zombie apocalypse. He is nicknamed "Godfather of all Zombies." -Life and career:...
, some shots are of the fields overrun with living dead though these shots are few and far between in the finished film.
Wellingborough
Wellingborough is a market town and borough in Northamptonshire, England, situated some from the county town of Northampton. The town is situated on the north side of the River Nene, most of the older town is sited on the flanks of the hills above the river's current flood plain...
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,...
. The village has a primary and a secondary school (Wollaston Secondary School), local shops, post office, library and public houses. The village supports four churches, these being Anglican, Baptist, Methodist and a Salvation Army Citadel. The Anglican church was at one time held by the Abbey of Delapré
Delapré Abbey
Delapré Abbey , or more properly, the Convent of St Mary De La Pré, was founded as a Cluniac nunnery about the year 1145, situated in the meadows of the River Nene to the south of Northampton ....
in Northampton.
The village has a museum located off the north end of the High Street. It displays and curates a record of Wollaston village life.
Wollaston has many shops, Including a Fish & Chips shop, Hairdressers, Pubs, Cooperative food, Library, Post office and many more.
The community of Wollaston is very friendly, and the Primary School often has shows and talent contests for the Salvation Army.
Village History
Wollaston was developed as a linear settlement starting at what is now Cobbs Lane moving past Bell End, Rotten Row, St Michaels' Lane and down towards StrixtonStrixton
Strixton is a small village in Eastern Northamptonshire that borders the main A509 road between Wellingborough and Milton Keynes.The village borders Grendon and Wollaston...
.
Romano British
Settlement and activity in the area are known to date from at least Roman times. Remains of a large (35 hectare) Romano British vineyard are known in the village, these being some of the very first such sites confirmed in the United Kingdom. A Roman road passes roughly east-west just south of the modern village, with another Roman road passing north-south to the east of the modern village.Saxon
The village also has strong evidence for Saxon settlement and activity from the discovery of one of the finest Saxon-style iron helmets in a warrior's grave dating from around 700 AD. It is thought that the name Wollaston comes from Wulflaf’s Town, Wulflaf being an early Saxon.Mediæval
The oldest visible part of the village is known as Beacon Hill, an ancient castle earthwork or burial mound which once belonged to Bury Manor. The mound was once surrounded by a great ditch which dates back to the 12th century.In 1260 William de Bray secured a charter from Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
to hold an annual Michaelmas
Michaelmas
Michaelmas, the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel is a day in the Western Christian calendar which occurs on 29 September...
fair
Fair
A fair or fayre is a gathering of people to display or trade produce or other goods, to parade or display animals and often to enjoy associated carnival or funfair entertainment. It is normally of the essence of a fair that it is temporary; some last only an afternoon while others may ten weeks. ...
and a weekly market to be held on a Tuesday.
Margery de Wolaston - was elected in 1282 as the Abbess of Delapré Abbey
Delapré Abbey
Delapré Abbey , or more properly, the Convent of St Mary De La Pré, was founded as a Cluniac nunnery about the year 1145, situated in the meadows of the River Nene to the south of Northampton ....
in Northampton; she died circa 1296.
18th Century
In 1788 Wollaston land was enclosed under an act of parliament, at the time David Hennell, a lace dealer from the village wrote "I lament that this field is now agoing to be enclosed. Some that have large quantities of land are set upon it, and pay no regard to the many little ones that may be injured, and I fear many ruined." The enclosure reduced the number of landowners in the village from 108 to just 18.19th Century
Wollaston's first school opened in 1842 and was located in a building adjacent to the Cuckoo pub, opposite Bell End. The school was private and was run by a village curate, the Reverend J.J. Scott, from his own funds. The school did not come under government control until 1873. The school has moved several times, finally being established on College Street in a building dating from May 1894.During this period significant industry came to the village in the form of shoe- making and farming.
20th century
Shoe-making, and the mechanisation of this work, continued in the early 20th century with a number of nationally-known shoe-making companies establishing themselves in the village and surrounding area.In 1940 Scott Bader moved manufacturing to the village from London; the move became permanent and the company is now an integral part of the local community. The company founders, Ernest Bader and Dora Scott, established the Scott Bader Commonwealth in the 1950s, gifting the whole company to its employees for all time. The company now functions as a co-operative with profits divided between investment in the company, bonus for employees and charitable donations.
Geography
The village of Wollaston is located between 50 and 80 metres above sea level on hills to the east of the Nene valley. The soil is clay over subsoil. The village is about 5 kilometres south south east of Wellingborough and is on the old Wellingborough to London road.Notable people
- The legendary BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
Disc jockeyDisc jockeyA disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
, John PeelJohn PeelJohn Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
, DJed at the Nag's Head pub (now the Wollaston Inn) in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was booked by the then landlord 'Big' Bob Knight. Peel, renowned for his love of live music, attracted many artists, such as Rod StewartRod StewartRoderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
, U2U2U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, Killing Joke, The Faces (Rod Stewart) and Led ZeppelinLed ZeppelinLed Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, to this village pub. Peel also wore Wollaston's Dr Martens, as did many of the artists he popularised. - Ernest Bader and Dora Scott founded Scott Bader and gifted the company to its employees.
- Henry KeepHenry KeepHenry Frederick Keep was a Member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1894 to 1897.The son of farmer Adam Corrie Keep, Henry Keep was born in Wollaston, Northamptonshire, England on 27 January 1863, and named, according to his birth certificate, Henry Francis Keep...
was born in Wollaston and emigrated to Australia in the 1890s, later becoming a member of the Western Australian Legislative AssemblyWestern Australian Legislative AssemblyThe Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth.... - Cyril PerkinsCyril PerkinsGeorge Cyril Perkins is a former English cricketer. Perkins was a right-handed batsman who bowled both slow left-arm orthodox and left-arm medium pace. He was born in Wollaston, Northamptonshire. On 4 June 2011, he became the 12th former first-class player to reach 100 years of age, and the 4th...
(1911-), currently the oldest living first-class cricketer who played for Northamptonshire and Suffolk.