Irchester is a village and
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...
in
North Northamptonshire
North Northamptonshire is one of two local authority areas in Northamptonshire, England. It is a unitary authority area forming about one half of the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire. It was created in 2021. Its notable towns are Ketterin ...
, two miles (3 km) south-east of
Wellingborough
Wellingborough ( ) is a large market and commuter town in the unitary authority area of North Northamptonshire in the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire, England, 65 miles from London and from Northampton on the north side of the River Nen ...
and two miles south-west of
Rushden
Rushden is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in North Northamptonshire, England, around east of Northampton. The parish is on the border with Bedfordshire, north of Bedford.
The parish of Rushden covers an area of some ...
. The population of the village at the 2011 Census was 5,706 and estimated in 2019 at 5,767. Little Irchester and Knuston also lie in the parish.
Toponym
Irchester was spelt ''Yranceaster'' in 973 and ''Irencestre'' in the 1086
Domesday Book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
. A. D. Mills wrote that name was formed from the
Old English
Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
personal name ''Ira'' or ''*Yra'' with the suffix ''ceaster'' denoting a
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
station, but another theory is that ''Iren Ceastre'' was an Anglo-Saxon name meaning "iron fortress". In the 11th century, it was spelt ''Erncestre'' or ''Archester'' and had evolved to ''Erchester'' by the 12th century.
[Parishes: Irchester with Knuston and Chester-on-the-Water, A History of the County of Northampton](_blank)
Volume 4 (1937), pp. 21–27. Retrieved 4 May 2009.
History
Chester Farm is one mile (1.6 km) north of the village of Irchester, with the
A45 road A45 or A-45 may refer to:
* A45 Infantry Support Tank, the chassis of which was developed into the Conqueror tank
* A45 Records, a German record label notably producing the band Real McCoy
* Article 45 Concern Group, a political party in Hong Kong
* ...
to its south and the
River Nene
The River Nene ( or : see below) is a river in the east of England that rises from three sources in Northamptonshire.OS Explorer Map sheet 223, Northampton & Market Harborough, Brixworth & Pitsford Water. The river is about long, about of w ...
to the north. It "represents a unique piece of historic landscape of high importance... preserving in a small area a wide range of historic features spanning several thousand years."
[Northamptonshire County Council - Chester Farm: Additional Background Information](_blank)
Retrieved 4 May 2009. It is a
scheduled monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change.
The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...
protected by law.
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic (Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic is often used synonymous ...
flint
Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Flint was widely used historically to make stone tools and start fir ...
s have been found, with signs of later prehistoric settlement and a "nationally important" walled
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
town.
The Roman name of the settlement has been lost, but there is evidence of buildings, a cemetery, occupation outside the town walls and a causeway across the Nene floodplain.
A
Romano-Celtic temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
was recorded inside the town boundary. Square-shaped, it faced south-east; its outer ''portico'' measured 38 feet (11.5 m) square and the inner ''cella'' about 17 feet (5 m) square. The walls were around two feet (0.6 m) thick. The tombstone of a ''Strator Consularis'' – 'a transportation officer of the consular governor' – was also found.
An inscription at Irchester offers evidence of organised horse-breeding.
A road running north–south through the site and three oblong buildings to the west of the road have been identified. As only one Roman road has been found leading south, it is thought highly likely that the river served as a means of communication with other Roman settlements at
Duston
Duston is a suburb of Northampton and a civil parish in West Northamptonshire, England.
History
Archaeological remains found in the area suggest that Duston has roots in Prehistoric and Roman settlements. However, development in the area ha ...
to the south-west and
Thrapston
Thrapston is a market town in North Northamptonshire, England. It was the headquarters of the former East Northamptonshire district, and at the time of the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census, had a population of 6,239.
The town's name mea ...
to the north-east.
[www.roman-britain.org: Romano British Town – Irchester](_blank)
. Retrieved 4 May 2009
Next to the Roman town are remains of a medieval
hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
, Chester by the Water, which may have arisen in Anglo-Saxon times. The later Chester House and Farm had gardens and parkland. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries,
ironstone
Ironstone is a sedimentary rock, either deposited directly as a ferruginous sediment or created by chemical replacement, that contains a substantial proportion of an iron ore compound from which iron (Fe) can be smelted commercially. Not to be con ...
quarrying took place to the south-west, but most of the hamlet escaped serious alteration. Tramways and other artifacts have since become "historically important" in their own right.
In 2004, Northamptonshire County Council received a grant of £1.2 million from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (now the
Department for Communities and Local Government
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), formerly the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for housing, communities, local government ...
) and purchased Chester Farm, including the walled Roman town and the deserted medieval village of Chester on the Water. Wellingborough's Local Plan states that "planning permission will be granted for a heritage park in association with the archaeological remains of the Chester camp ancient monument." as part of the planned
River Nene Regional Park
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...
. The aims in developing the park are to make Chester Farm accessible to the public and provide opportunities for education, leisure and recreation. However, the park plan stalled for want of "a viable business plan and subsequent pressure on resources".
A county council report of November 2007 stated, "In order to safeguard the heritage asset, Cabinet is asked to... declare Chester Farm surplus to the operational requirements of the Council and to approve its sale." However, in 2010, the 17th-century farmhouse was gutted by fire.
In 2013, the Chester Farm site owned by Northamptonshire County Council received £4 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund to open to the public. The project was to include an archaeological resource centre. When the farmhouse on the site was badly damaged by the fire, the council received a £1.9 million insurance pay-out for repairs. Lottery monies were used to build a classroom, a conference space and an archaeological resource centre. The site is partly open to the public, with parking to the west of it.
[BBC News website accessed 20 July 2013](_blank)
[Northamptonshire County Council website – with images accessed 30 July 2013](_blank)
Possible medieval identification
The 12th-century English historian
Henry of Huntingdon
Henry of Huntingdon ( la, Henricus Huntindoniensis; 1088 – AD 1157), the son of a canon in the diocese of Lincoln, was a 12th-century English historian and the author of ''Historia Anglorum'' (Medieval Latin for "History of the English"), ...
mentions a Roman "town on the river (Nene), in Huntingdonshire, which is entirely destroyed" as one of his interpretations of the
28 cities of Britain
8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9.
In mathematics
8 is:
* a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2.
* a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...
. The town is mentioned also by
William Lambarde
William Lambarde (18 October 1536 – 19 August 1601) was an English antiquarian, writer on legal subjects, and politician. He is particularly remembered as the author of ''A Perambulation of Kent'' (1576), the first English county history; ''E ...
in ''Dictionarium Angliae Topographicum & Historicum''.
Henry names the town ''Dormchester'', which he translates from the
Celtic
Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to:
Language and ethnicity
*pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia
**Celts (modern)
*Celtic languages
**Proto-Celtic language
* Celtic music
*Celtic nations
Sports Fo ...
as ''Kair-Dorm''. The "-Dorm" element may denote water (''Dwr'' in modern Welsh and a common place-name root throughout England). If so, the name may have continued in English as ''Chester-on-the-Water''. Currently no modern study has wholly rejected or accepted this hypothesis.
Governance
Irchester Parish Council meets monthly at the village hall. Since
local government changes in 2021 the area is covered by
North Northamptonshire
North Northamptonshire is one of two local authority areas in Northamptonshire, England. It is a unitary authority area forming about one half of the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire. It was created in 2021. Its notable towns are Ketterin ...
Council. It was represented on
Borough of Wellingborough Council by three councillors for the ward of Irchester, and on Northamptonshire County Council by one councillor. It is in the
parliamentary constituency
An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other poli ...
of
Wellingborough
Wellingborough ( ) is a large market and commuter town in the unitary authority area of North Northamptonshire in the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire, England, 65 miles from London and from Northampton on the north side of the River Nen ...
, with
Peter Bone
Peter William Bone (born 19 October 1952) is a British Conservative Party politician who served as Deputy Leader of the House of Commons in 2022. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wellingborough since 2005. He campaigned for Brexit ...
MP (
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
) as its current member.
Geography
Irchester lies to the south-east of
Wellingborough
Wellingborough ( ) is a large market and commuter town in the unitary authority area of North Northamptonshire in the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire, England, 65 miles from London and from Northampton on the north side of the River Nen ...
and to the south-west of
Rushden
Rushden is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in North Northamptonshire, England, around east of Northampton. The parish is on the border with Bedfordshire, north of Bedford.
The parish of Rushden covers an area of some ...
, in the east of the county of
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by
two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It is ...
.
[Streetmap: 1:25,000 mapping](_blank)
Retrieved 4 May 2009. It is north-east 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; ...
and a beeline north-west of central
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. The border of the
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...
is formed by the
River Nene
The River Nene ( or : see below) is a river in the east of England that rises from three sources in Northamptonshire.OS Explorer Map sheet 223, Northampton & Market Harborough, Brixworth & Pitsford Water. The river is about long, about of w ...
in the north and west; adjacent parishes are Wellingborough (north-west),
Great Doddington
Great Doddington is a village and civil parish in Northamptonshire in the United Kingdom, close to Wellingborough and just off the A45. At the time of the 2001 census, the parish's population was 1,061 increasing to 1,123 at the 2011 census.
...
(south-west),
Wollaston (south),
Podington
Podington is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, United Kingdom. The village is within the electoral ward of Harrold in the Borough of Bedford. Podington lies around northwest of Bedford and is about east of the county border ...
in
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council wa ...
(south-east), and Rushden (east). The height above sea level ranges from 40 metres (131 feet) in the river valley to 91 metres (298 feet) south of Irchester village.
Demography
At the
2001 census, the population of Irchester parish was 4,807 in 2,020 households: 2,397 male and 2,410 female, with a mean age of 41 years. Of those aged 16–74 and economically active, 2,352 were employed and 80 unemployed. Most of the employed (1,930) travelled to work by private transport; 126 used public transport. The population at the 2011 Census had fallen to 4,745. The mean distance travelled to a fixed place of work was . In 1851, the parish population was 960 and in 1861, 1,168; writing in 1872, John Marius Wilson ascribed the increase to "the opening of the railway and... discovery of iron stone."
Transport
![Irchester station site geograph-3704563-by-Ben-Brooksbank](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/Irchester_station_site_geograph-3704563-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg)
The nearest motorway is the
M1 at junction 15, 13 miles (21 km) away. The nearest railway station is at
Wellingborough
Wellingborough ( ) is a large market and commuter town in the unitary authority area of North Northamptonshire in the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire, England, 65 miles from London and from Northampton on the north side of the River Nen ...
, 2 miles (3.2 km) from the village. Places served by
East Midlands Railway
Abellio East Midlands Limited, trading as East Midlands Railway (EMR), is a train operating company in England, owned by Abellio, and is the current operator of the East Midlands franchise.
History
In March 2017, the Department for Transport a ...
trains include
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
,
Luton
Luton () is a town and unitary authority with borough status, in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 census, the Luton built-up area subdivision had a population of 211,228 and its built-up area, including the adjacent towns of Dunstable an ...
,
Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...
,
Nottingham
Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...
,
Derby
Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...
and
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...
.
Irchester
Irchester is a village and civil parish in North Northamptonshire, two miles (3 km) south-east of Wellingborough and two miles south-west of Rushden. The population of the village at the 2011 Census was 5,706 and estimated in 2019 at 5,767. ...
had a station to its east until 1965. The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) and some locals argue for reopening it. (See
Rushden Parkway.)
The main bus service is
Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group is a transport group based in Perth, Scotland. It operates buses, express coaches and a tram service in the United Kingdom.
History
Stagecoach was born out of deregulation of the British express coach market in the early ...
's X46, which connects with
Wellingborough
Wellingborough ( ) is a large market and commuter town in the unitary authority area of North Northamptonshire in the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire, England, 65 miles from London and from Northampton on the north side of the River Nen ...
,
Rushden
Rushden is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in North Northamptonshire, England, around east of Northampton. The parish is on the border with Bedfordshire, north of Bedford.
The parish of Rushden covers an area of some ...
,
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; ...
,
Earls Barton
Earls Barton is a village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, notable for its Anglo-Saxon church and shoe-making heritage. The village is in North Northamptonshire and was previously in the Borough of Wellingborough until 2021. At the time of t ...
,
Higham Ferrers
Higham Ferrers is a market town and civil parish in the Nene Valley in North Northamptonshire, England, close to the Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire borders. It forms a single built-up area with Rushden to the south and has an estimated populati ...
and
Raunds
Raunds is a market town in North Northamptonshire, England. It had a population of 9,379 at the 2021 census.
Geography
Raunds is situated north-east of Northampton. The town is on the southern edge of the Nene Valley and surrounded by ar ...
.
Luton Airport
London Luton Airport is an international airport located in Luton, Bedfordshire, England, situated east of the town centre, and north of Central London. The airport is owned by London Luton Airport Ltd (LLAL), a company wholly owned by L ...
, 30 miles (48 km) south, is the nearest passenger airport, although there is an aerodrome at
Sywell
Sywell is a village and civil parish in North, Northamptonshire, England. At the time of the 2011 census, the population was 792.
The name Sywell is thought to mean seven wells.
Facilities
The facilities found in the village include:
*The c ...
10 miles north-west.
Education
A playgroup meets at the village hall in School Road. Irchester Primary School in nearby School Lane has some 330 pupils aged 4–11. The nearest secondary school is in
Wollaston.
Amenities
The village has a health centre, car repairs, a car sales garage, a pharmacy, a library and a post office. Shops include a Co-operative supermarket. A former gift shop and estate agent have closed. There is a fish and chip shop and Chinese and Indian takeaways. Of the two village pubs, the ''Red Lion'' closed a few years ago, leaving only the ''Carpenters Arms''.
Sport and leisure
The local
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
team,
Irchester United, known as The Romans, plays in the
United Counties League
The United Counties League (also known after its sponsor as the ''Uhlsport United Counties League'') is an English football league covering Northamptonshire, Rutland and Bedfordshire and most of Leicestershire as well as parts of Buckinghamshi ...
Premier. The ground is in Alfred Street. Irchester Bowls Club on the High Street, also known as The Romans, has a county-standard class "A" Green. Irchester Cricket Club was founded in 1897 and plays at Alfred Street, in the
Northamptonshire Cricket League
The Hevey Building Supplies Northamptonshire Cricket League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in Northamptonshire, England, and since 1999 has been a designated ECB Premier League. The league headquarters is based i ...
.
Irchester Players is an
amateur dramatic society. It puts on plays, shows,
musical
Musical is the adjective of music.
Musical may also refer to:
* Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance
* Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...
s and
pantomime
Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...
s, at Parsons Hall in the village.
Country park
![Irchester Country Park - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/Irchester_Country_Park_-_geograph.org.uk_-_27406.jpg)
The village has a large
country park
A country park is a natural area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment.
United Kingdom
History
In the United Kingdom, the term ''country park'' has a special meaning. There are around 250 recognised coun ...
managed by Northamptonshire County Council, created after local open-cast
ironstone
Ironstone is a sedimentary rock, either deposited directly as a ferruginous sediment or created by chemical replacement, that contains a substantial proportion of an iron ore compound from which iron (Fe) can be smelted commercially. Not to be con ...
quarries were allowed to revert to the wild, having been worked out some decades after the war. The removal of the ironstone and some limestone that overlaid it has lowered the land around the working face by several metres, though this is not apparent except near the vehicle entrance. The park has an unusual ridge-and-furrow topography with several metres' relief, marking the movement patterns of the machines that stripped the overburden to expose the ironstone. The park offers maturing woodlands (planted about 1965) and grassy meadows with surrounding trails. There is also a children's play area and a café.
Irchester Narrow Gauge Railway Museum
The Irchester Narrow Gauge Railway Museum is a small railway museum and metre gauge railway near Irchester, near Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, England.
History
The area around Wellingborough was rich in iron ore. A quarry opened in ...
in the country park shows working
steam
Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization ...
and
diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine. Several types of diesel locomotives have been developed, differing mainly in the means by which mechanical power is conveyed to the driving whee ...
s among more than 40 items of
rolling stock
The term rolling stock in the rail transport industry refers to railway vehicles, including both powered and unpowered vehicles: for example, locomotives, freight and passenger cars (or coaches), and non-revenue cars. Passenger vehicles can b ...
. A 250-metre demonstration track can be seen.
Since November 2019, Irchester Country Park has hosted a free, weekly
parkrun
Parkrun (stylised as parkrun) is a collection of events for walkers, runners and volunteers that take place every Saturday morning at more than 2,000 locations in 23 countries across six continents. Junior Parkrun (stylised as junior parkrun) ...
timed 5-km run/walk, every Saturday morning at 9 a.m.
Park site.
/ref>
Notable residents
In order of birth:
*Thomas Allen Thomas Allen may refer to:
Clergy
*Thomas Allen (nonconformist) (1608–1673), Anglican/nonconformist priest in England and New England
*Thomas Allen (dean of Chester) (died 1732)
*Thomas Allen (scholar) (1681–1755), Anglican priest in England
* ...
(1681–1755), a religious writer, served as Vicar of Irchester in 1705–1715.
*Phil Neal
Philip George Neal (born 20 February 1951) is an English retired footballer who played for Northampton Town, Liverpool and Bolton Wanderers as a full back. He is one of the most successful English players of all time, having won seven First D ...
(born 1951), footballer, played for Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is a professional football club based in Liverpool, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Founded in 1892, the club joined the Football League the following year and has p ...
and other major clubs. His son Ashley (born 1974) is also a footballer.
* Giovanni Di Stefano (born 1955), a notable convicted fraudster, grew up in Irchester.
References
External links
Irchester Parish Historical Society
Irchester's entry on Vision of Britain website
Irchester Live Weather Station - Weather station located in Irchester
{{authority control
Villages in Northamptonshire
North Northamptonshire
Civil parishes in Northamptonshire