Courteenhall is a village south of the county town of

Northampton Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England; ...

, in the shire county of Northamptonshire, England, and about north of London. The population of the civil parish was 122 at the 2011 census. The village is located in a

cul-de-sac A dead end, also known as a cul-de-sac (, from French for 'bag-bottom'), no through road or no exit road, is a street with only one inlet or outlet. The term "dead end" is understood in all varieties of English, but the official terminology ...

Governance

The village is in South Northamptonshire, and is part of Blisworth and

Roade Roade is a village in Northamptonshire, England. Currently in West Northamptonshire, before local government changes in 2021 it was represented by South Northamptonshire District Council, falling within the two-member Blisworth and Roade ward. ...

ward. It is within the Northamptonshire County Council area. From the 2010 general election it is in the new parliamentary constituency of South Northamptonshire (previously Northampton South).

Location

The M1 motorway between junctions 14 and 15 passes to the northeast of the village, and junction 15 is just 1 mile distant. The main part of the village is on a no-through route. Courteenhall Parish has its own independent Parish Meeting which usually meets twice a year. It shares a rector with Roade, Ashton, Collingtree and Hartwell.

Facilities

The parish had a population of less than 100 in 2003, has no facilities other than a church and relies on the nearby village of

for shops, schools and other services. The post office in Courteenhall, which opened in 1883, closed in February 1996.

History

The villages name origin is uncertain. 'Corta's/Curta's nook of land' or 'nook of the enclosed piece of land'. Courteenhall Church Northants UK

Church of St Peter and St Paul

The church dates from the 12th century. It is now part of "The Five Parishes" group of local churches together with

, Collingtree,

Ashton Ashton may refer to: Names *Ashton (given name) *Ashton (surname) Places Australia * Ashton, Elizabeth Bay, a heritage-listed house in Sydney, New South Wales *Ashton, South Australia Canada *Ashton, Ontario New Zealand * Ashton, New Zealand ...

and Hartwell. The former Rectory is next to the south side of the church. The church has some memorable tombs. The 1851 ecclesiastical census revealed that 100 people, out of a total population of 127, attended Courteenhall Church on census day. The Rectory next to the church dates from 1805.

The Hall

The village has developed around the Courteenhall House estate. The landscaped park covers about , with formal gardens close to the house.Parks and Gardens UK - based on the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest
The estate was purchased from Richard Ouseley by Samuel Jones, the son of a London merchant, in 1647. Samuel was knighted in 1660, was High Sheriff of Northamptonshire for 1652–53 and died in 1673. His estates were inherited by his great-nephew Samuel Wake, a younger son of Sir William Wake, 3rd Baronet of Piddington. The

Wake family Wake or The Wake may refer to: Culture *Wake (ceremony), a ritual which takes place during some funeral ceremonies * Wakes week, an English holiday tradition * Parish Wake, another name of the Welsh ', the fairs held on the local parish's patron ...

is reputedly descended from Hereward the Wake, a

Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...

hero of resistance to the

Norman conquest of England The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, Duchy of Brittany, Breton, County of Flanders, Flemish, and Kingdom of France, French troops, ...

. The park was designed in 1791 by Humphry Repton '' sic'' for Sir William Wake, 9th Baronet. The Hall, like the park, dates from 1791 on a site selected by Repton and is by a little-known architect Samuel Saxon. It is private property but may be viewed in the distance from Courteenhall village church. Although sheep graze over the grounds of the main park, they are kept out of the Hall's garden by a ha-ha. Courteenhall House is still occupied by the Wake family, the head of which being Sir Hereward Charles Wake, 15th Baronet.

The Stables and School House

Built around 1750 in the Palladian style and contrast with the house. There is also in the grounds the former Free Grammar School House of about 1680, under the will of Sir Samuel Jones containing its original school furnishings including a raised seat for the school master.

Visitors

The venue is rarely open to the public but is available for private hire. It is at the end of a narrow ''

'' road and has very limited parking. Visitors are advised to park outside the village and use one of the many public footpaths for access. Parking during the fête is via the main drive from the

A508 The A508 is a short A-class road for north–south journeys in central and south central England, forming the route from Market Harborough in Leicestershire, via Northampton, to Old Stratford, just outside Milton Keynes (and the Buckinghamshir ...

Milton Keynes Milton Keynes ( ) is a city and the largest settlement in Buckinghamshire, England, about north-west of London. At the 2021 Census, the population of its urban area was over . The River Great Ouse forms its northern boundary; a tributary ...

road only.

Biennial fête

A large biennial

fête In Britain and some of its former colonies, fêtes are traditional public festivals, held outdoors and organised to raise funds for a charity. They typically include entertainment and the sale of goods and refreshments. Village fêtes Village f� ...

is held during June in even-numbered years, which is an opportunity to see the house (exterior only), and grounds including an extensive

arboretum An arboretum (plural: arboreta) in a general sense is a botanical collection composed exclusively of trees of a variety of species. Originally mostly created as a section in a larger garden or park for specimens of mostly non-local species, man ...

. The event raises several thousand pounds for the upkeep of the church, parts of which are over 800 years old.

Notable people

* Sir Richard Lane (1584–1650) Chief Baron of the Exchequer and Lord Keeper of the Great Seal to Charles I * Joan Wake (1884–1974), historian

References

External links

South Northants District CouncilNorthamptonshire County Council
{{authority control Villages in Northamptonshire Buildings and structures in Northamptonshire History of Northamptonshire Tourist attractions in Northamptonshire Country houses in Northamptonshire West Northamptonshire District