Maidford is a civil and ecclesiastical parish in

West Northamptonshire West Northamptonshire is a unitary authority area covering part of the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire, England, created in 2021. By far the largest settlement in West Northamptonshire is the county town of Northampton. Its other signific ...

and the diocese of

Peterborough Peterborough () is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, east of England. It is the largest part of the City of Peterborough unitary authority district (which covers a larger area than Peterborough itself). It was part of Northamptonshire until ...

situated about north-west of

Towcester Towcester ( ) is an affluent market town in Northamptonshire, England. It currently lies in West Northamptonshire but was the former administrative headquarters of the South Northamptonshire district council. Towcester is one of the olde ...

. The population at the 2011 census was 168. It was a centre of local

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 ...

lace Lace is a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern, made by machine or by hand. Generally, lace is divided into two main categories, needlelace and bobbin lace, although there are other types of lace, such as knitted o ...

-making until the early 20th century.

History

The villages name means 'Maidens' ford'. Maidford is mentioned in the

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 manus ...

as the settlement Merdeford Manor.

Buildings

The 13th-century parish church is dedicated to St Peter and St Paul, and forms the centre of a monastic complex used as an hospitalium by the nearby

Abbey An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns. The con ...

Canons Ashby Canons Ashby is a small village and civil parish in West Northamptonshire, England. The population of the village is included in the civil parish of Preston Capes. Its most notable building is Canons Ashby House, a National Trust property. Th ...

. Since 2006 the parish has been part of the Lambfold BeneficeThe Lambfold Benefice
/ref> along with the parishes of

Blakesley Blakesley is a village in the West Northamptonshire, England. It is about west of Towcester. It is about above sea level according to Ordnance Survey. North-west of Blakesley, and now contiguous with it, is the hamlet of Quinbury End. Demogr ...

, Adstone,

Farthingstone Farthingstone is a village in West Northamptonshire in England. It is close to the major trunk routes of the M1 Motorway, M1 junction 16, M40 motorway, and A5 road (Great Britain), A5 road, at the head of a valley and is south of Daventry and ...

and

Litchborough Litchborough is an historic village and civil parish in West Northamptonshire, England. At the time of the 2001 census, the parish's population was 300 people,

References

External links

Maidford Village website
Villages in Northamptonshire West Northamptonshire District Civil parishes in Northamptonshire {{Northamptonshire-geo-stub