Moulton, Northamptonshire

Moulton
St Peter & St Paul's Church
Moulton Location within Northamptonshire
Population	3,454 (2011 Census)
OS grid reference	SP784663
Civil parish	Moulton
Unitary authority	West Northamptonshire
Ceremonial county	Northamptonshire
Region	East Midlands
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	NORTHAMPTON
Postcode district	NN3
Dialling code	01604
Police	Northamptonshire
Fire	Northamptonshire
Ambulance	East Midlands
UK Parliament	Daventry

Moulton is a large village in West Northamptonshire. The population of the civil parish at the 2021 Census was 5,491.

The villages name is thought to be derived from 'town of the mill', or perhaps 'Meleton' - meaning protected town, since the church, manor house and castle were all within bowshot. In the Domesday Book of 1086 it is spelt 'Moltone'.

Moulton Parish Council won the Local Council Award Scheme Gold in 2024.

Education

There are many pre-school facilities in the village including playgroups and nurseries. Primary education in the village is provided by Moulton Primary School, although it is not uncommon for children to attend other primary schools in the local area, for example Overstone, Pitsford or Parklands primary schools.

Moulton School and Science College is a comprehensive school providing education for 11- to 18-year-olds, not only to those from Moulton but also to students from the surrounding villages - primarily Brixworth, Walgrave, and Overstone.

Moulton is home to Moulton College, an agricultural and trade orientated college.

Church

The Church of England parish church is dedicated to St Peter and St Paul. It is within the Conservative Evangelical tradition of the Church of England, and it has passed resolutions to reject the ordination of women. There has been a small church building in Moulton since the early 7th century, built of wood, but this was burnt down by invading Danes, was rebuilt, but again suffered the same fate. The invading Normans erected a building of stone, the beginning of today's building. During the 19th century, during church renovation, the shaft of a stone Saxon preaching cross was discovered under the floor, which is now displayed in the south aisle. Moulton has a peal of twelve bells, one of three others within Peterborough Diocese, and one of about only one hundred or so in the world. During the 15th century there were four bells and in the succeeding centuries more were added, the latest two making up the twelve in 1993. Two of Moulton's peal, hung in 1934, commemorate William Carey's pastorate and residence in the village 1785–1789.

Notable residents

John Sanderson (1578/9-c.1653) was living at Moulton in 1606/7. He purchased a substantial quantity of land in the parish in 1629 and apparently remained there for much if not all of the rest of his life.

The village was the 18th-century home of William Carey. The church where he ministered, and the cottage in which he lived, are located at the west end of West Street.

The village also has links with John Jeyes (of Jeyes Fluid fame) as Holly Lodge is found on the road from Moulton to Boughton (a building associated with the family). Holly Lodge has the 'Implement gate' (c. 1955), which is iconic of the rural beginnings of Moulton.

Amenities

The stone-built Gothic Revival Style Methodist Chapel of 1835 with arched windows is next to the old school of 1878, now used by the Moulton Theatre.

Moulton hosts an annual village festival (held in May) and is home to the Moulton Morris Dancers. Often there will be business stalls in the public gardens and youth groups - including locals - from the West Northamptonshire area will march around the village centre.

Moulton Community Centre is a recent development consisting of a library, cafe, a pre-school, and halls for hire, with their largest room hosting up to 120 people.

The centre of Moulton houses the parish church, a shop and a number of parks, "The Public Gardens", "Busby's Meadow" and "Crow Fields Common, a nature reserve managed by Moulton Parish Council. The latter being a popular dog-walking route.

The local Co-Op store was run by the Moulton Co-operative Society, an independent society and one of Britain's smallest until its merger with Midlands Co-operative Society in 2009.

Moulton is home to a number of pubs including the iconic Cardigan Arms, The Telegraph, The Artichoke, and a working men's club.

Moulton also contains, on its fringe, the Northampton Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters, located on Moulton Way next to Smurfit Kappa and near Moulton Park.

Geology

The geology of Moulton is based on sedimentary rocks known as Oolite. Cornbrash, Inferior and Great Oolite rocks have dictated that the soils of Moulton are predominantly sands and clays, but small quantities of ironstone may be found. This ironstone was used extensively for construction of buildings in and outside of Moulton. Moulton's elevation lies at 400–600 ft above sea level and the nature of the soil means that it is relatively free of flooding and drains well without becoming too dry. The alluvial nature of the soil means that it is fertile and can be used to grow a wide range of plants.

Geography

Moulton has a population of over 5,000, and ever growing with new developments along the outskirts of the village. It is situated about 4 miles (6 km) north of Central Northampton. Moulton has been affected by the expansion of Northampton, new build developments and expanding borders, yet retains a village identity.

In the village are a fair number of 17th-century gabled stone houses, generally with thatched roofs, but in most cases the mullioned windows have been modernized. On one is a well-designed panel inscribed 'IME Ao 1658', on another 'GW 1660', whilst the Artichoke Inn, a twostory building retaining its mullioned windows, is dated 1680 and has the initials RMA. There is a Methodist chapel in the main street, and a Baptist chapel at the west end of the village built while the well-known Dr. William Carey, Professor of Sanskrit in Fort William College, India, and founder of the Baptist Missionary Society, was minister here (1785–9). The church stands to the north, rather on the outskirts of the village, while the vicarage is more central, near the schools. To the north-west of the church lies the Manor Farm, built on the site of the old manor-house, with traces of ponds still remaining. Bridges, writing about 1720, speaks of it as 'the new house, now called the Hall'. About half a mile farther north, to the right of the road leading to Holcot, and parallel with New Fox Court and Hog Hole Spinney, is the artificial elevation known as Castle Hill, which may have been the site of the Fitz John's manor, for foundations of buildings have been dug up and the remains of a moat are apparent.

A small stream crosses the parish, and where it passes under the road leading from the village to Moulton Grange the neighbouring ground reaches an elevation of 298 ft. only and is the lowest lying land in the parish, and farther on, where the stream forms the western boundary for a few hundred yards, stands Moulton Mill, with the old windmill, now disused, to the southeast. About three-quarters of a mile west of Moulton is Holly Lodge, built about 1861 and now the seat and property of Mr. J. T. P. Jeyes, while 2 miles north of the village is Moulton Grange, standing in a pleasantly wooded park where the elevation of 412 ft. is reached, the property of Mrs. Manfield. The northern boundary of the parish is formed by a stream which separates it from Brixworth, and in 1276 Simon, son of Simon of Brixworth, was accused of appropriating the fishing in a certain stretch of water between the fields of Brixworth and Moulton. Part of the parish was inclosed under an act passed in 1772.

The boundaries of Moulton extend from Pitsford reservoir in the north to Moulton Lane in the south. In the east, the A43 (Kettering Road) is the border, with a small quantity of land that adjoins the east side of the A43 near Ashley Lane. The western fringe corresponds with all land east of Spectacle Lane.

The topography of Moulton is generally flat, but the gradient of land runs from a higher southern elevation in towards lower parts, in the village centre, and then elevates again in a northern direction. At the northern boundary the lower elevations of the reservoir are separated from the village by a strip of high ground.

In the village centre, a tributary of the Nene river flows from the east of the village in a westerly direction where it joins the Nene near Chapel Brampton. Medieval fish ponds in the village were fed from this tributary.

Crowfields Common is part of Moulton village and boasts a range of wildlife and plants. Boughton Lane Pocket Park on the southern end of Moulton is another source of animal and plant biodiversity.

The A43 Moulton Bypass provisionally opened on 6 February 2020, removing through traffic from the village. Travelling northbound, you get views of Overstone Hall and Overstone School.

History

People have lived in this place for thousands of years; for remains of Iron Age and Roman habitation have been uncovered in Thorplands, Moulton Park, and Pitsford Road areas of Moulton. Moulton Park was at one time a Royal Hunting Park, first mentioned as such in 1201. It was used for hunting, and for supplies of timber and food when King and court were lodged in Northampton Castle. Parliament met in Northampton in those times. During the same period of time Moulton had its own castle and manor house, lying to the north of the church. It also had a brief period of fame as a spa when the local chalybeate (iron rich) water became a sought after remedy for ills.

It is thought that the village has its origins in Saxon times, although the main features of the present church are Norman or later. The oldest building in Moulton is the Parish Church, which was constructed in stages between 1250 and 1422, on the ruins of earlier church structures. The earliest Church building was erected in the late 7th Century by monks from Brixworth, but this wooden structure was burnt down by invading Danes, as was a small stone Church built in Saxon times. Some carved Saxon stones remain being built into the present building. A remnant of the old Saxon Cross remains inside the present Church.

For the most part of its history, however, the village has been an agricultural community with the local women engaged in lacemaking. In the 19th century and early 20th century the closeness of Northampton with its boot and shoe industry attracted Moulton menfolk who travelled into jobs there. Northampton industry and commerce now provides a large proportion of villagers with jobs, although the Moulton Park Industrial Estate and Thorplands Industry could perhaps still be considered part of 'Greater Moulton'.

Roads

Moulton is a village of narrow winding lanes, lined by stone-built cottages and houses, nowadays with traffic calming and one-way systems. Since the opening of the A43 Moulton Bypass, traffic has decreased inside the village and clogged up other arterial roads such as the A43.

Northampton Lane's parked cars creates usual, minor traffic at school pick-up and drop-off times. Despite repeated attempts to deter cars from parking on the grass verges, it still happens regularly.

External links

• Parish Council
• Moulton Focus
• Moulton Secondary School
• Moulton Primary School
• Moulton Magpies
• Moulton Parish Church
• Carey Baptist Church, Moulton