Greens Norton is a village and civil parish in West Northamptonshire, England, just over north-west of Towcester. At the 2011 census the parish, including Caswell and Duncote, had a population of 1,526, a slight decrease since the 2001 census.Office for National Statistics: Greens Norton CP: Parish headcounts
Retrieved 10 November 2009

History

Located on

Watling Street Watling Street is a historic route in England that crosses the River Thames at London and which was used in Classical Antiquity, Late Antiquity, and throughout the Middle Ages. It was used by the ancient Britons and paved as one of the main R ...

, in medieval times the village was known a simply 'Norton' and was a royal domain of

Edward the Confessor Edward the Confessor ; la, Eduardus Confessor , ; ( 1003 – 5 January 1066) was one of the last Anglo-Saxon English kings. Usually considered the last king of the House of Wessex, he ruled from 1042 to 1066. Edward was the son of Æth ...

and later

William the Conqueror William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first House of Normandy, Norman List of English monarchs#House of Norman ...

. In the 14th century the whole village was sold to Sir Henry de Grene for a total of 20 shillings, hence the name Grene's Norton, which today was modernized to just Greens Norton.

Buildings

The Grade I listed

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

is dedicated to St Bartholomew and is

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 ...

in origin.Pevsner & Cherry, 1973, pp 239–240 Its tall spire, last rebuilt in 1957, is a landmark for miles around. The architect H. R. Gough rebuilt the

chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse. Ove ...

arch in 1882. There are monuments and a brass to members of the de Grene or Greene family. The church is in the Diocese of Peterborough, and the benefice of Towcester with Caldecote and Easton Neston and Greens Norton and Bradden (The Tove Benefice). There are 27 listed buildings in the parish, ''Enter parish name to search'' all but the church at Grade II. Other notable buildings include Bengall Manor and nearby farms built about 1840 by the Grafton Estate at nearby Caswell and Field Burcote.

Amenities

Greens Norton has a pub, a post office, a village shop, a primary school, a playground and playing field, a butcher and a doctors' surgery. The village is the northern terminus of the

Grafton Way Grafton Way is a street in the London Borough of Camden that runs from Tottenham Court Road in the east to Fitzroy Street in the west. Whitfield Street and Grafton Mews adjoin Grafton Way. The street was originally known as Grafton Street. V ...

footpath, and there is a local nature reserve,

Greens Norton Pocket Park Greens Norton Pocket Park is a Local Nature Reserve in Greens Norton in Northamptonshire. It is owned and managed by Green Norton Parish Council. This former brick pit has a pond, wetland, grassland and woods. There are picnic tables and benches ...

. The village holds an annual village show, affiliated to the RHS, has a Neighbourhood Watch scheme, and produces a free bi-monthly village newsletter.

Transport

Although there was never a

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

station Station may refer to: Agriculture * Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production * Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle ** Cattle statio ...

at Greens Norton, there was once a junction here, where the lines of the

Stratford and Midland Junction Railway Stratford may refer to: Places Australia * Stratford, Queensland, a suburb of Cairns * Stratford, Victoria, a town in the state district of Gippsland East ** Stratford railway station, Victoria, a railway station on the Bairnsdale railway line in ...

from Towcester to Stratford, and Towcester to Banbury diverged. In 1910 however, the physical connection was removed, leaving two separate single lines running side by side from here into Towcester.

References

External links

Parish Council

A History of Greens Norton
archived in 2011
Greens Norton, Northamptonshire
at A Vision of Britain {{authority control Villages in Northamptonshire West Northamptonshire District Civil parishes in Northamptonshire