Walgrave
Encyclopedia
Walgrave is a village and civil parish in the Daventry district of the county of Northamptonshire
in England
. At the time of the 2001 census
, the parish's population was 822 people.
Up the road from St Peter's is the 18th-century Baptist
chapel. Although the Baptist church was founded before 1700, the present chapel was built in 1786 in typical Northamptonshire non-conformist style, being slightly wider than it is long. Built of the local brown limestone, with a gate guarded by two yew trees, it clashes a little with the attached brick-built Sunday School of 1899. The former graveyard has been converted into a garden area.
Other notable features of the village include the Royal Oak public house
with its collection of real ales and a village sign on the main green. The Royal Oak has been an inn since 1840, though the building itself is much older. The Royal Oak has a thriving skittles team and hosts the Monday Club for Men of Walgrave every Monday in the main bar.
Walgrave is home to one of Northamptonshire's oldest football teams. Formed in 1896, the club played in the Northamptonshire League (subsequently to become the United Counties League), the Kettering & District Combination League, and more recently the Northants Central Conmbination League. In the last years of the 20th century, the club was forced to fold, and played for a while under the name Walgrave Royal Oak. After a gap of some 12 years, Walgrave Amber FC was reformed by David Rhodes. It formally re-affiliated with the Northants FA in 2007 and re-joined the Northants Combination League in time for the start of the 2008/9 season. The club's original nickname, The Pipe Stems, has only recently been unearthed. Several Amber players have gone on to play professional football at the highest level, most notably Harry Walden
who starred in Northampton Town's rise from Division 4 obscurity to Division 1 between 1963 and 1966.
Walgrave Amber now plays its home games at the nearby new village of Mawsley, the facilities at the Walgrave Playing Field being no longer up to league standard and the playing surface suffering a drainage collapse. Discussions regarding an upgrade of the changing rooms and renovation of the pitch are ongoing.
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,...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. 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 822 people.
Landmarks
St Peter's, a sandstone-spired church, is in the centre of the village. Throughout the autumn and winter, residents make donations to illuminate the Church from 8.30pm.Up the road from St Peter's is the 18th-century Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
chapel. Although the Baptist church was founded before 1700, the present chapel was built in 1786 in typical Northamptonshire non-conformist style, being slightly wider than it is long. Built of the local brown limestone, with a gate guarded by two yew trees, it clashes a little with the attached brick-built Sunday School of 1899. The former graveyard has been converted into a garden area.
Other notable features of the village include the Royal Oak public house
Public 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...
with its collection of real ales and a village sign on the main green. The Royal Oak has been an inn since 1840, though the building itself is much older. The Royal Oak has a thriving skittles team and hosts the Monday Club for Men of Walgrave every Monday in the main bar.
Walgrave is home to one of Northamptonshire's oldest football teams. Formed in 1896, the club played in the Northamptonshire League (subsequently to become the United Counties League), the Kettering & District Combination League, and more recently the Northants Central Conmbination League. In the last years of the 20th century, the club was forced to fold, and played for a while under the name Walgrave Royal Oak. After a gap of some 12 years, Walgrave Amber FC was reformed by David Rhodes. It formally re-affiliated with the Northants FA in 2007 and re-joined the Northants Combination League in time for the start of the 2008/9 season. The club's original nickname, The Pipe Stems, has only recently been unearthed. Several Amber players have gone on to play professional football at the highest level, most notably Harry Walden
Harry Walden
Harold Bertram "Harry" Walden is an English former professional footballer.-Career:Walden started out with Kettering Town, before signing for Luton Town in 1961. After playing 106 times for Luton in all competitions, he moved on to Northampton Town in 1964, where he made 76 league appearances in...
who starred in Northampton Town's rise from Division 4 obscurity to Division 1 between 1963 and 1966.
Walgrave Amber now plays its home games at the nearby new village of Mawsley, the facilities at the Walgrave Playing Field being no longer up to league standard and the playing surface suffering a drainage collapse. Discussions regarding an upgrade of the changing rooms and renovation of the pitch are ongoing.