Warkton is a small

nucleated village A nucleated village, or clustered settlement, is one of the main types of settlement pattern. It is one of the terms used by geographers and landscape historians to classify settlements. It is most accurate with regard to planned settlements: its ...

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. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

in the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

county of

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire ( ; abbreviated Northants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshi ...

. It is approximately three miles north-east of the town of

Kettering Kettering is a market town, market and industrial town, industrial town in the North Northamptonshire district of Northamptonshire, England, west of Cambridge, England, Cambridge, southwest of Peterborough, southeast of Leicester and north- ...

and seven miles west-northwest of

Thrapston Thrapston is a market town and civil parish in the North Northamptonshire unitary authority area of Northamptonshire, England. It was the headquarters of the former East Northamptonshire district, and at the time of the 2021 census, had a pop ...

, and forms part of

North Northamptonshire North Northamptonshire is a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Northamptonshire, England, and was created in 2021. The council is based in Corby, the district's la ...

. At the time of the 2001 census, the parish's population was 144 people, reducing slightly to 136 at the 2011 Census. The village's name means 'Farm/settlement which is connected to a man named Weorc(a)'. The

Grade I listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

parish church of St Edmund is particularly noted for containing four Baroque marble monuments erected between the 1750s and 1830s to members of the local Montagu family of

Boughton House Boughton House is a country house in the parish of Weekley in Northamptonshire, England, situated about north-east of Kettering. It is situated within an estate of . The present house was built by Ralph Montagu, 1st Duke of Montagu (d.1709) ...

. The monuments are housed in four niches in the specially constructed chancel. The original medieval (probably Norman) chancel was demolished to make way for its construction. The east window is large and of clear glass, flooding the chancel with light to show the white marble monuments at their best. Monuments to

John Montagu, 2nd Duke of Montagu Major-General John Montagu, 2nd Duke of Montagu, (1690 – 5 July 1749), styled Viscount Monthermer until 1705 and Marquess of Monthermer between 1705 and 1709, was a British Army officer, courtier and the fifth Grand Master of the Premier Gr ...

(1690–1749), and his wife, Mary Churchill (1689–1752) are by the renowned sculptor

Louis-François Roubiliac Louis-François Roubiliac (or Roubilliac, or Roubillac) (31 August 1702 – 11 January 1762) was a French sculpture, sculptor who worked in England. One of the four most prominent sculptors in London working in the rococo style, he was described ...

. A third monument to Mary Montagu (1711–1775), daughter of John and Mary, is by

Pieter Mathias van Gelder Pieter is a male given name, the Dutch form of Peter. The name has been one of the most common names in the Netherlands for centuries, but since the mid-twentieth century its popularity has dropped steadily, from almost 3000 per year in 1947 t ...

(1742–1824). These first three monuments are of very high quality, rivalling the Roubilliacs in Westminster Abbey. The fourth monument, to Elizabeth Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch (1743–1827), daughter of Mary, is by Thomas Campbell (1790–1858) and, though very fine, is of significantly lesser quality than the other three. The private family burial vault, adjacent to the chancel, contains the mortal remains of those celebrated in the monuments, together with their children, many who died in infancy, and

Ralph Montagu, 1st Duke of Montagu Ralph Montagu, 1st Duke of Montagu (24 December 1638 – 9 March 1709) was an English courtier, diplomat, politician and peer. Background Ralph Montagu was the second son of Edward Montagu, 2nd Baron Montagu of Boughton (1616–1684), and Anne ...

(1638–c. 1709). Local villages include

Barton Seagrave Barton Seagrave is a large village and civil parish in the North Northamptonshire, England. The village is about south-east of Kettering, town centre. The older part of the village is known for its Norman Church and attractive buildings. The ...

Weekley Weekley is a small village and civil parish in the English county of Northamptonshire, on the outskirts of Kettering. The village's name probably means, 'wood/clearing by the Romano-British vicus', a trading settlement. There are two known R ...

Geddington Geddington is a village and civil parish on the A4300, previously A43, in North Northamptonshire between Kettering and Corby. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 1,503, virtually unchanged from 1,504 at the 2001 census. ...

and

Grafton Underwood Grafton Underwood is a village and civil parish in North Northamptonshire, England. At the time of the 2001 census, the parish's population was 134 people, increasing to 146 at the 2011 census. The village was used in Helen Fielding's Bridget ...

References

External links

Brief description
* Villages in Northamptonshire Civil parishes in Northamptonshire North Northamptonshire {{Northamptonshire-geo-stub