Barton Seagrave is a large 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 authorit ...

in the

North Northamptonshire North Northamptonshire is one of two local authority areas in Northamptonshire, England. It is a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area forming about one half of the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Northampto ...

, England. The village is about south-east of

Kettering Kettering is a market and industrial town in North Northamptonshire, England. It is located north of London and north-east of Northampton, west of the River Ise, a tributary of the River Nene. The name means "the place (or territory) of ...

, town centre. The older part of the village is known for its

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

Church and attractive buildings. The villages name means 'barley farm'. 'Seagrave' was added after the manor passed to

Stephen de Segrave Stephen de Segrave (or Seagrove or Stephen Segrave or Stephen of Seagrave) (c. 1171 – 9 November 1241) was a medieval Chief Justiciar of England. Life He was born as the son of a certain Gilbert de Segrave of Segrave in Leicestershire, who h ...

in 1220.

Demographics

The 2011 Census recorded a parish population of 4,418 in 1,843 homes.

Transport

The

A6 road This is a list of roads designated A6. * A006 road (Argentina), a road connecting Las Cuevas with the Christ the Redeemer monument in the border between Argentina and Chile * ''A6 highway (Australia)'' may refer to : ** A6 (Sydney), a road connec ...

linking London and Leicester joins the A14 road just to the south of the village. The A14 joins the

M1 motorway The M1 motorway connects London to Leeds, where it joins the A1(M) near Aberford, to connect to Newcastle. It was the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the UK; the first motorway in the country was the Preston By-pass, which ...

at junction 19 (

Catthorpe Interchange The Catthorpe Interchange is a major intersection at the southern end of the M6, the western end of the A14 and junction 19 of the M1 near the village of Catthorpe in Leicestershire, England. It was developed in 1994 when the link to the A ...

) offering easy access to

Huntingdon Huntingdon is a market town in the Huntingdonshire district in Cambridgeshire, England. The town was given its town charter by King John in 1205. It was the county town of the historic county of Huntingdonshire. Oliver Cromwell was born there ...

Felixstowe Felixstowe ( ) is a port town in Suffolk, England. The estimated population in 2017 was 24,521. The Port of Felixstowe is the largest Containerization, container port in the United Kingdom. Felixstowe is approximately 116km (72 miles) northea ...

and

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, 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 dow ...

. The

Midland Main Line The Midland Main Line is a major railway line in England from London to Nottingham and Sheffield in the Midlands. It comprises the lines from London's St Pancras station via Leicester, Derby/Nottingham and Chesterfield in the East Midlands ...

runs to the west of the village, partly along the edge of the

River Ise The River Ise is a river in Northamptonshire, England and a tributary of the River Nene. The river rises in a field that was part of the site of the Battle of Naseby in north-western Northamptonshire. The parish of Naseby lies across a watershe ...

. The nearest station is

Kettering railway station Kettering railway station serves the town of Kettering in Northamptonshire, England. It lies south-west of the town centre, on the Midland Main Line, north of London St. Pancras. History The station was opened in May 1857 by the Midland ...

, which opened in 1857 and is maintained by East Midlands Railway, which run services to

Sheffield Sheffield is a 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 historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire a ...

Corby Corby is a town in North Northamptonshire, England, located north-east of Northampton. From 1974 to 2021, the town served as the administrative headquarters of the Borough of Corby. At the 2011 United Kingdom census, 2011 Census, the built-up ...

and

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 g ...

. The village used to be connected with

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a College town, university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cam ...

by rail via the

Kettering, Thrapston and Huntingdon Railway The Kettering, Thrapston and Huntingdon Railway was an English railway line opened throughout in 1866. It connected the Midland Railway main line at Kettering to ironstone deposits to the south-east of the town, as well as opening up the agricultu ...

, until this was closed in 1961 due to the

Beeching cuts The Beeching cuts (also Beeching Axe) was a plan to increase the efficiency of the nationalised railway system in Great Britain. The plan was outlined in two reports: ''The Reshaping of British Railways'' (1963) and ''The Development of the M ...

. Part of the route of the branch can still be viewed today and is in use as a footpath. Bridge over the River Ise on the abandoned Kettering, Thrapston and Huntingdon Railway

Bridge over the River Ise on the abandoned Kettering, Thrapston and Huntingdon Railway

Governance

Barton Seagrave has a Parish Council and forms the Barton ward o
Kettering Borough Council
It is in the Wicksteed division of

North Northamptonshire Council 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 Ketteri ...

Facilities

The village has a wide range of amenities, including a convenience store on Gotch Road, a full-servic
Post Office on St Botolph's Road
and a

petrol station A filling station, also known as a gas station () or petrol station (), is a facility that sells fuel and engine lubricants for motor vehicles. The most common fuels sold in the 2010s were gasoline (or petrol) and diesel fuel. Gaso ...

beside the A6 on the outermost limits of the village. There is a Community Centre on Castle Way, along with the Masque Theatre, and a new (201&) village hall in the Redrow estate off St Botolph's Road / Polwell Lane. The large and lively church, St Botolph's, is located at the village green, adjacent to the war memorial. They provide groups for all ages, from mums and tots to seniors' groups, plus youth groups and regular social events for the community. The village has one pub
The Stirrup Cup
on Woodlands Avenue, which serves real ales and has a regular quiz night.

Environment

The village is home to the Castle Fields Wildlife Trust site. This is managed by the Wicksteed Trust and is a haven for plants, including Meadowsweet. A footpath runs through the reserve to the arboretum at

Wicksteed Park Wicksteed Park is a Grade II listed park in Kettering, Northamptonshire, England, which includes an amusement park within its grounds. The park is located in the south-east of Kettering, on the western edge of Barton Seagrave village. The par ...

and sheep graze in the reserve during the summer. There is also a pocket park
Wallis Spinney
a strip of woodland which lies within the Ise Valley, south-east of the church, which is accessible via Belvoir Drive. The Spinney is cut into three areas by a road and a tarmac footpath and is the site of

ancient woodland In the United Kingdom, an ancient woodland is a woodland that has existed continuously since 1600 or before in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (or 1750 in Scotland). Planting of woodland was uncommon before those dates, so a wood present in 16 ...

consisting mainly of ash and field maple. This had been neglected, but is now being cared for. The site now has accessible paths and information signs to welcome visitors, but is difficult to access from Castle Way due to the fence built by Ms Hearne, Principal of the Latimer Community Arts College. It is named after a local farmer, Samuel Wallis, and was once owned by Wicksteed Park. It is thought that most trees were planted in the 17th century, although it is probable that woodland existed prior to this. There is evidence of coppicing, hedge-laying and a boundary ditch, possibly from a medieval field system.

Education

The village has three schools. The

Latimer Arts College The Latimer Arts College (formerly Latimer Community Arts College) is a foundation secondary school and specialist arts college located in Barton Seagrave Barton Seagrave is a large village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in th ...

is a secondary school at the top of Castle Way. It has an emphasis on the performing arts. and has a theatre and dance studios. Barton Seagrave Primary School is on an adjacent wooded site, and has recently expanded to three-form entry after an extensive building program ending in 2016. Hayfield's Cross Church of England School is a primary school that opened in 2015, on the new development to the east of Barton Road. It opened significantly in advance of the houses that would supply its pupils.

Expansion proposals

The northern border of the village is Wicksteed Park, which forms a welcome

green belt A green belt is a policy and land-use zone designation used in land-use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighboring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges, which ...

between the village and

. There is considerable development to the south and east, with new

warehouse A warehouse is a building for storing goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial parks on the outskirts of cities ...

developments to the south of the A14 in adjacent Burton Latimer, on former agricultural land. Many new homes have been built to the north of St Botolph's Road / Polwell Lane, extending the developed land towards Wicksteed Park. Further homebuilding to the east of Barton Seagrave will considerably expand the village. This development is expected to ultimately include three primary schools (one of which opened in 2015), a secondary school and local facilities such as shops and doctors' surgeries.

Notable buildings

Church

The village has one of the oldest churches in Kettering, parts of which date from 1120 to 1130 AD, although much of the rest is 13th century. It is the

Church of England parish church of

Saint Botolph Botolph of Thorney (also called Botolph, Botulph or Botulf; later known as Saint Botolph; died around 680) was an English abbot and saint. He is regarded as the patron saint of boundaries, and by extension, of trade and travel, as well as vario ...

, locally known as
St Bot's
. There are memorials to Jane Floyde (died 1616) wife of Hugh Floyde, rector, who is depicted at a prayer desk attended by five children, and also to three John Bridges (died 1712), the county historian (died 1724) and another (died 1741). The Bridges family lived at Barton Seagrave Hall.
is in the church grounds.

Rectory

This building was built around 1700, although the south side was rebuilt in 1806. It is currently in use as 'Church House', providing community facilities, accommodation and church offices.

Castle

South-west of the village centre is the site of Barton Seagrave Castle. This was built in the early part of the 14th century by Nicholas Segrave the younger, but became ruined after 1433. It was surrounded by a moat, and another moat lies to the north of the castle site. These can still be seen today.

Barton Seagrave Hall and Wicksteed Park

(see also Barton Hall Hotel, Barton Seagrave) Originally built in 1550 by the Humphrey family,Barton Seagrave Hall - website, accessed 29 March 2010
Barton Seagrave Hall was bought in 1665 by John Bridges (1642–1712) of Warwickshire, son of the parliamentarian Major Bridges of

Alcester Alcester () is a market town and civil parish of Roman origin at the junction of the River Alne and River Arrow in the Stratford-on-Avon District in Warwickshire, England, approximately west of Stratford-upon-Avon, and 7 miles south of Reddit ...

. John was Sheriff of Northampton in 1675. After his John died, his son John Bridges (1666–1742) inherited the house. He was an antiquarian and a

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural knowledge, including mathemat ...

. The house passed to his brother, William (1668–1741) who carried out more renovations started by his father – the date 1725 being on the lead rain-water heads. However, he fell into debt and was forced to mortgage the house in 1733. Later that century the house was owned by the Wilcox family then Richard Tibbits whose son was responsible for modernising the house further. Lady Mary Isabella Hood-Tibbits lived at the house for many years until her death in 1904 when the house came up for sale and was bought by

Charles Wicksteed Charles Wicksteed (1810–1885) was a Unitarian minister, part of the tradition of English Dissenters. Early life and education Charles Wicksteed was born in Shrewsbury; his father was a manufacturer and his mother was descended from the great di ...

. He laid out Wicksteed Park within its boundaries. On his death, the house and the park passed to the Wicksteed Village Trust. It was a hotel for a while, then a nursing home for the elderly. For a while it housed part of the NHS on the ground floor, before becoming an arts centre. The first floor and stables accommodated the artists and designers. It is now home to the Vines Restaurant and the Barton Hall Hotel. It can also be hired out for weddings and other events. The house is of two stories, of limestone and roofed with Collyweston slates. The main front faces south and has projecting end-wings with plain gables and a middle gabled porch of two stories with classic doorway. A wing at the east end containing a number of small rooms appears to be older than the rest of the building. The

Orangery An orangery or orangerie was a room or a dedicated building on the grounds of fashionable residences of Northern Europe from the 17th to the 19th centuries where orange and other fruit trees were protected during the winter, as a very lar ...

is a grade I

Listed Building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

Notable residents

Rear Admiral Horace Hood once lived in Barton Hall as a member of the Hood Family. He was killed on HMS ''Invincible'' during the Battle of Jutland in May 1916, and his name is on the Barton Seagrave War Memorial. Kieron Baker moved to Barton Seagrave aged 3 and is now a professional American Football player. The soprano singer

Elizabeth Harwood Elizabeth Harwood (27 May 1938 – 22 June 1990) was an English lyric soprano. After a music school, she enjoyed an operatic career lasting for over two decades and worked with such conductors as Colin Davis and Herbert von Karajan. She was ...

was born in the village on 27 May 1938, but moved to Yorkshire at an early age. Other natives of the village include

topographer Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the land forms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps. Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sc ...

John Bridges and his brother, Charles, a painter.

References

External links

* {{authority control Castles in Northamptonshire Civil parishes in Northamptonshire Country houses in Northamptonshire Villages in Northamptonshire North Northamptonshire