Greens Norton is a village and civil 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 ...

, England, just over 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 ...

. At the 2011 census the parish, including Caswell and Duncote, had a population of 1,526, a slight decrease since the 2001 census.Office for National Statistics: Greens Norton CP: Parish headcounts
Retrieved 10 November 2009

History

Located on

Watling Street Watling Street is a historic route in England that crosses the River Thames at London and which was used in Classical Antiquity, Late Antiquity, and throughout the Middle Ages. It was used by the ancient Britons and paved as one of the main ...

, in medieval times the village was known a simply 'Norton' and was a royal domain of Edward the Confessor and later

William the Conqueror William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first House of Normandy, Norman List of English monarchs#House of Norman ...

. In the 14th century the whole village was sold to Sir Henry de Grene for a total of 20 shillings, hence the name Grene's Norton, which today was modernized to just Greens Norton.

Buildings

The Grade I

listed Listed may refer to: * Listed, Bornholm, a fishing village on the Danish island of Bornholm * Listed (MMM program), a television show on MuchMoreMusic * Endangered species in biology * Listed building, in architecture, designation of a historicall ...

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

is dedicated to St Bartholomew and is Saxon in origin.Pevsner & Cherry, 1973, pp 239–240 Its tall spire, last rebuilt in 1957, is a landmark for miles around. The architect H. R. Gough rebuilt the

chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse. Ov ...

arch in 1882. There are monuments and a brass to members of the de Grene or Greene family. The church is in the Diocese of Peterborough, and the benefice of Towcester with Caldecote and Easton Neston and Greens Norton and Bradden (The Tove Benefice). There are 27 listed buildings in the parish, ''Enter parish name to search'' all but the church at Grade II. Other notable buildings include Bengall Manor and nearby farms built about 1840 by the Grafton Estate at nearby Caswell and Field Burcote.

Amenities

Greens Norton has a pub, a post office, a village shop, a primary school, a playground and playing field, a butcher and a doctors' surgery. The village is the northern terminus of the Grafton Way footpath, and there is a local nature reserve, Greens Norton Pocket Park. The village holds an annual village show, affiliated to the RHS, has a

Neighbourhood Watch Neighbourhood Watch in the United Kingdom is the largest voluntary crime prevention movement covering England and Wales with upwards of 2.3 million household members. The charity brings neighbors together to create strong, friendly and active comm ...

scheme, and produces a free bi-monthly village newsletter.

Transport

Although there was never a

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

station at Greens Norton, there was once a junction here, where the lines of the Stratford and Midland Junction Railway from Towcester to Stratford, and Towcester to

Banbury Banbury is a historic market town on the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, South East England. It had a population of 54,335 at the 2021 Census. Banbury is a significant commercial and retail centre for the surrounding area of north Oxfordshir ...

diverged. In 1910 however, the physical connection was removed, leaving two separate single lines running side by side from here into Towcester.

References

External links

Parish Council

A History of Greens Norton
archived in 2011
Greens Norton, Northamptonshire
at A Vision of Britain {{authority control Villages in Northamptonshire West Northamptonshire District Civil parishes in Northamptonshire