SOUTH NORTHAMPTONSHIRE Introduction Middleton Cheney is one of the largest villages in South This walk is dedicated to Northamptonshire, situated in the south west of Northamptonshire - 3 miles from Banbury, 2 miles from junction 11 on the M40 and Middleton Cheney the memory of 6 miles from Brackley. Heritage Trail Leonard Jerrams & Since the relocation of large manufacturers to Banbury in the 1950s the village has developed with much new housing, however many William Wheeler. older 17th and 18th century cottages are hidden in the lanes leading away from the main roads. Originally an agricultural village which also supported a cottage textile industry, nowadays the residents are generally employed in nearby towns or commute along the M40 corridor. Northants place names are mostly Anglo-Saxon and Danish. ‘Tun’ or ‘Ton’ was the saxon word for an enclosed farm, then later a village or town. After the Norman Conquest the lords added their family name to the manor they had been awarded. Simon de Chenduit held the manor in a 12th century survey; John de Curci held a part in 1205. The name is ultimately derived from medieval latin, ‘casnetum’ (in old French becomes ‘chesnai’), which means oak grove. Originally the village was divided in two; Upper or Church Middleton Originally produced as a Millenium Project 2000 by Nancy Long. and a hamlet a quarter of a mile to the east; Lower or Nether Updated and reprinted 2014. Middleton. The village was divided in this way as early as the reign of Henry II (1154-1189). Middleton is also located near to the prehistoric track-way called Farthinghoe Nature Reserve Banbury Lane, which runs along the northern boundary. This was the main medieval route from Northampton to Banbury and the If you would like a pleasant location for a picnic and to enjoy important period of its use would have been in the late 12th century. the countryside, may we suggest you visit Farthinghoe Nature Much of it is still an important road between the two towns. Reserve which is situated in the parish of Middleton Cheney. The windows in All Saints Church are Middleton’s greatest glory; Leaflets about the Nature Reserve are available from Middleton making it a place of pilgrimage for anyone with a passion for William Cheney Library (near the primary school). Morris glass. Directions: The parish registers commence at 1558 and are deposited at • Head towards Brackley for approximately one mile and turn Northamptonshire Record Office. A full detailed history of the parish right at the crossroads. can be found in the Victoria County History for the Hundred of Kings • Follow the road for about 200 yards and park at the disused Sutton. railway bridge. • The entrance to the Reserve is on the left. Enjoy your walk around Middleton Cheney, you may be surprised what you A Middleton Cheney History Society publication. Dogs are allowed but only on a lead. Please follow the Country find! Funded by Banbury Charities. Code and ‘leave no litter.’ 1 Start the walk at the top of Washle Drive. Thought to Middleton Cheney Heritage Trail be a derivation of ‘Wash Hole,’ in times gone by villages did their annual laundry in the stream that ran along the bottom of the hill. Chacombe Rd (Please park with consideration) Follow the main road through the village. Note the large house on the right hand side of the road. Although there are no remains of the original manors, Middleton House is situated in an area known as Manor Farm on old maps. This land belonged to Walter de Merton the Bishop of Stanwell Rochester (Lord High Chancellor of England), as long ago as 1274. Estate 2 To the left is Lower Green. The village carrier, Fred Penn, lived in one of the cottages on the right hand side. Local boys used to follow his cart and steal the oranges through the slats in the wooden boxes. Their friends would give the game away by shouting ''Whip behind!" and Fred Chenderit School would flick his whip over his shoulder to deter them. He eventually covered the fruit with sacking to put a stop to their mischief. The New Inn pub was originally a farmhouse and probably the venue for Archery Rd Glov the first Baptist community meeting in the village circa.1740. A Baptist ers Lane Chapel was later built in Upper Middleton. Members of the Chapel made an unfortunate appointment in 1781 when their new Minister from Wales, 10 'being imperfectly acquainted with the English language, continued only for Rectory Lane a few months.’ 11 3 Turn left into Salmons Lane. At the end of the pub car park you will see a very old house on the left which used to be a bakery. The High St house was originally built in the 16th Century and enlarged in the 18th and 12 Lane Waters Village 19th Centuries. Mr Edward Killpack, one of the village bakers, delivered 9 his bread by carrying it in two baskets before becoming affluent enough to Hall 15 Queen St purchase a horse and cart and venture further afield. The Green 16 8 School e Thenford Rd Dands Estate n Follow the road around into Braggintons Lane. An original 13 14 R a o L s k row of houses on the left hand side has been demolished. This row all had Mansion Hill e 5 a O Main Rd H l 3 a a their backs to the lane and the entrance was via a passageway which led to y Main Rd 7 l l o L R Salmons Lane more cottages at the top of the gardens. a 6 ne The remaining old cottage on the left belonged to the Bayliss family for Braggintons Lane 17 many years. Fred Bayliss lived here. In 1930 he married Blanche Warner, Horton Estate 4 one of the village schoolteachers. Blanche was a victim of attempted 2 murder in 1911 when a rejected suitor fired his revolver at her three times. Fortunately she was saved from serious injury when two bullets bounced The Avenue off the steel in her corsets! Her assailant, a blacksmith from a village 28 Recreation Ground 1 miles away, went to jail. Astrop Rd The Washle Middleton Bypass 4 Turn right into Royal Oak Lane. The cottage immediately to your right was noted as the Primitive Methodist Chapel in 1814. Standing in the present day garden was a further cottage and a barn or weaver's shop. All these properties were sold in 1849 for the princely sum of £70. The house next door to the Chapel was a grocery shop and a coal and girls were kept at work for many hours each day with little freedom to wood merchant's business. When this shop was trading you could buy the 6 Cross Horton Road. You are now entering Upper, or Church move. In 1841 a doctor commented on the high incidence of tuberculosis, weekly groceries in quarter pound weights (113 grams). Middleton. Mary Ann Horton, Lady of the Manor, built the Almshouses in digestive disorders and bad circulation which led to swollen ankles and 1863 for retired workers on her estate. Each almsman had to be 60 years chilblains. The modem homes on the right are built on what was once a paddock and old, 55 years for a woman and the youngest female inmate was expected dwelling known as Copperwell. This entire area was sold for £110 in 1899. to nurse any infirm residents.The committee had the power to evict any If you wish to pick up a leaflet on Farthlnghoe Nature Reserve please visit resident who was guilty of insobriety, immorality or wilful misbehaviour. Men our library (see note overleaf). The next house on the left, set at right angles to the lane, was known as received an allowance of seven shillings a week, women six shillings with the Royal Oak. This used to be owned by the village carpenter, wheelwright an extra payment of five shillings at Christmas which could be distributed 8 and beer retailer. A saw-pit was located in the yard and a cross-cut saw Cross the High Street to the Dolphin. In 1878, Joseph as either money, coal or clothing. was used to cut trees into planks and various lengths of wood. This method Arch, organiser and leader of the English Agricultural Labourers, addressed a meeting at the Dolphin when farm labourers were beginning to protest of hand sawing required one of the operatives to be in the sawpit. The The Avenue stands on what were village allotments. These were the first against low wages and harsh living conditions in the countryside. This pub sawyer on top was ‘top-dog’ and the junior one in the pit the ‘under-dog.’ council houses to be built in Middleton (1921) at a cost of approximately £900 was once owned by Arthur Mold, a local lad who found fame playing cricket each. The rent was 7/6d per week which included all mod cons; a short walk The last house on the right was another village grocers. An old sword was for Lancashire and England in the 1880s. along the road will lead you to one of the communal water pumps! discovered hidden in the wall during repairs. The sword was rusty but had Notice the War Memorial. This was given to the a long blade and the remains of an ornamental handle. Could it have been Continue along the Main Road. Note the widening of the grass village by a Mr and Mrs Barnett in memory of removed from the site of the English Civil War skirmish which took place at verge outside number 95.