Spratton
Encyclopedia
Spratton is a village
and civil parish in the English county of Northamptonshire
. The local government authority is Daventry District Council
. At the time of the 2001 census
, the parish's population was 1,099 people. Spratton is 7.1 miles north of Northampton
, 6.5 miles from Long Buckby
and 11.4 miles from Daventry. The village is situated on the A5199 road
.
. The church, built from ironstone, stands on high ground in the centre of the village and has a tower with a spire. The chancel
is 29 feet long by 15 feet wide. The earliest church built on the site dated from 1120, but it has been altered and remodelled considerably over the centuries. The interior of the church was restored in 1847 by Sir George Gilbert Scott
, and the north porch rebuilt. The spire
was taken down nearly to the base in 1870 and rebuilt. The great great grandmother of George Washington
was baptised in the church, there is a plaque saying this in the church.
was founded by K.C. Hunter and his wife Joan in 1951. Spratton Hall, the largest house in the village, is a plain three-storey 18th century structure. The roof is slate and the main structure is made from limestone from Kingsthorpe
. The house was probably built in 1760 on the site of an earlier farmhouse. The house is a Grade II listed building and set in 50 acres of rolling Northamptonshire countryside.
The actor Tenniel Evans
taught English and drama there for a short time in the early 1950s before returning to theatre. Matt Dawson
, the Saints
, Wasps and England Rugby player, was a gap student at Spratton Hall from 1996 to 1997. Michael Ellis
the MP
for the Northampton North
constituency was educated there.
There are currently over 400 pupils at the school aged between 4-13 years old. The school celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2011.
, the King’s Head on Brixworth
Road. There is a butcher
s, Saul’s, also on Brixworth Road, and established in 1926. There is also a village store.
festival
in July every year but stopped because they lost money 2 years in a row. Bands that have appeared include Capercaillie
, Show of Hands
, Oysterband
and Peatbog Faeries
. In addition to the music, there were craft stalls, food, children's entertainment and a bar serving real ales and cider
s.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and civil parish in the English county of Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
. The local government authority is Daventry District Council
Daventry (district)
The Daventry district is the largest local government district of western Northamptonshire, England. The district is named after the town of Daventry which is the administrative headquarters and largest town...
. At the time of the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
, the parish's population was 1,099 people. Spratton is 7.1 miles north of Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
, 6.5 miles from Long Buckby
Long Buckby
Long Buckby is a village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England, midway between Northampton and Rugby. In the 2001 census the parish of Long Buckby had a population of exactly 4,000....
and 11.4 miles from Daventry. The village is situated on the A5199 road
A5199 road
The A5199 road is the direct road from Leicester to Northampton in England. It was formerly part of the A50 trunk road that ran from Bedfordshire to Lancashire...
.
Parish Church
The parish church of Spratton is dedicated to St Andrew and stands on Brixworth Road. The ecclesiastical parish is part of the diocese of PeterboroughPeterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
. The church, built from ironstone, stands on high ground in the centre of the village and has a tower with a spire. The chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
is 29 feet long by 15 feet wide. The earliest church built on the site dated from 1120, but it has been altered and remodelled considerably over the centuries. The interior of the church was restored in 1847 by Sir George Gilbert Scott
George Gilbert Scott
Sir George Gilbert Scott was an English architect of the Victorian Age, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches, cathedrals and workhouses...
, and the north porch rebuilt. The spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
was taken down nearly to the base in 1870 and rebuilt. The great great grandmother of George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
was baptised in the church, there is a plaque saying this in the church.
Spratton Hall Preparatory School
The private co-educational Spratton Hall SchoolSpratton Hall School
Spratton Hall School is a co-educational independent preparatory school seven miles outside Northampton, England.It was established initially as a boys' day and boarding school in 1951. The school became co-educational in 1977 and a day-only school in 1987....
was founded by K.C. Hunter and his wife Joan in 1951. Spratton Hall, the largest house in the village, is a plain three-storey 18th century structure. The roof is slate and the main structure is made from limestone from Kingsthorpe
Kingsthorpe
Kingsthorpe was once a Northamptonshire village but is now an extremely affluent suburb to the north-west of the major town of Northampton, England. The River Nene flows through the area to the west...
. The house was probably built in 1760 on the site of an earlier farmhouse. The house is a Grade II listed building and set in 50 acres of rolling Northamptonshire countryside.
The actor Tenniel Evans
Tenniel Evans
-Family:Walter Tenniel Evans was born in Nairobi, Kenya. His middle name derived from the illustrator Sir John Tenniel, a distant relation. His daughter, Serena Evans, is an actress, and his son, Matthew, is a television director....
taught English and drama there for a short time in the early 1950s before returning to theatre. Matt Dawson
Matt Dawson
Matthew James Sutherland "Daws" Dawson, MBE is a retired English rugby union player who played scrum half for Wasps and Northampton Saints. During his international career he toured with the British and Irish Lions three times and was part of England's 2003 Rugby World Cup winning side...
, the Saints
Northampton Saints
Northampton Saints are a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. The Northampton Saints were formed in 1880. They play in green, black and gold colours. They play their home games at Franklin's Gardens, which has a capacity of 13,591....
, Wasps and England Rugby player, was a gap student at Spratton Hall from 1996 to 1997. Michael Ellis
Michael Ellis (British politician)
Michael Tyrone Ellis is a British Conservative Party politician. Since 2010 he is the MP for the Northampton North constituency.- Background :...
the MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for the Northampton North
Northampton North (UK Parliament constituency)
Northampton North is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. It was created before the election of February 1974 when the old constituency of Northampton...
constituency was educated there.
There are currently over 400 pupils at the school aged between 4-13 years old. The school celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2011.
Amenities
The village has one public housePublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, the King’s Head on Brixworth
Brixworth
Brixworth is a village and civil parish in the Daventry district of Northamptonshire, England. The 2001 census recorded a parish population of 5,162. The village is particularly notable for All Saints' Church, Brixworth, its historic Anglo-Saxon church....
Road. There is a butcher
Butcher
A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat or any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat, poultry, fish and shellfish for sale in retail or wholesale food establishments...
s, Saul’s, also on Brixworth Road, and established in 1926. There is also a village store.
Events
Spratton used to host a folk musicFolk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
festival
Festival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
in July every year but stopped because they lost money 2 years in a row. Bands that have appeared include Capercaillie
Capercaillie (band)
Capercaillie is a Scottish folk band, founded in the 1980s by Donald Shaw and fronted by Karen Matheson. They have seen four of their albums placed in the UK Albums Chart, and continue to perform and record to the present day.-History:...
, Show of Hands
Show of Hands
Show of Hands is an English acoustic roots and folk duo comprising singer-songwriter Steve Knightley and multi-instrumentalist Phil Beer. In recent years they have been accompanied on tour and in the studio by jazz double-bassist Miranda Sykes.-Origins:...
, Oysterband
Oysterband
Oysterband is a British electric folk or folk rock band formed in Canterbury in or around 1976.-Early history:...
and Peatbog Faeries
Peatbog Faeries
The Peatbog Faeries are a largely instrumental Celtic fusion band. Formed in 1991, they are based in Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye, Scotland.Their music embodies many styles and influences, including folk, electronica, rock and jazz, - but their main influence is traditional celtic music...
. In addition to the music, there were craft stalls, food, children's entertainment and a bar serving real ales and cider
Cider
Cider or cyder is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from apple juice. Cider varies in alcohol content from 2% abv to 8.5% abv or more in traditional English ciders. In some regions, such as Germany and America, cider may be termed "apple wine"...
s.
Notable people
- The VictorianVictorian eraThe Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
cricketer Charles StuddCharles StuddCharles Thomas Studd, often known as C. T. Studd, was born 2 December 1860, Spratton, Northamptonshire, England, and died 16 July 1931, Ibambi, Belgian Congo....
was born in the village in 1860 - Amphillis Twigden, the great-great grandmother of George WashingtonGeorge WashingtonGeorge Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
, first President of the United StatesPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, was born in the parish of Spratton at Little Creaton; she was baptised in Spratton Church on 2 February 1602 - World CupRugby World CupThe Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
-winning rugbyRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player Ben CohenBen Cohen (rugby player)Benjamin Christopher "Ben" Cohen, MBE is a former England rugby union international. He began his professional career with Northampton Saints in 1996; in 2007 he moved to France to represent Brive before returning to England two years later to join Sale Sharks...
lived in the village for a number of years - Part of the same World Cup-winning team as Ben Cohen, Matt DawsonMatt DawsonMatthew James Sutherland "Daws" Dawson, MBE is a retired English rugby union player who played scrum half for Wasps and Northampton Saints. During his international career he toured with the British and Irish Lions three times and was part of England's 2003 Rugby World Cup winning side...
was also a Spratton resident - Former England cricketer Devon MalcolmDevon MalcolmDevon Malcolm is a former English cricketer.Malcolm was one of England's few genuinely fast bowlers of the 1990s. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, he settled in England, making his first-class debut for Derbyshire in 1984, and qualifying to play for England in 1987...
lives in the village - The suffragetteSuffragette"Suffragette" is a term coined by the Daily Mail newspaper as a derogatory label for members of the late 19th and early 20th century movement for women's suffrage in the United Kingdom, in particular members of the Women's Social and Political Union...
Emily DavisonEmily DavisonEmily Wilding Davison was a militant women's suffrage activist who, on 4 June 1913, after a series of actions that were either self-destructive or violent, stepped in front of a horse running in the Epsom Derby, sustaining injuries that resulted in her death four days later.-Biography:Davison was...
was working as a live-in governessGovernessA governess is a girl or woman employed to teach and train children in a private household. In contrast to a nanny or a babysitter, she concentrates on teaching children, not on meeting their physical needs...
to the Moorhouse family at The Grange, Spratton, at the time of the 1901 censusUnited Kingdom Census 1901A nationwide census was conducted in England and Wales on 31 March 1901. It contains records for 32 million people and 6 million houses, It covers the whole of England and Wales, with the exception of parts of Deal in Kent. Separate censuses were held in Scotland and Ireland... - Author Alison Penton Harper lives in the village.