History

A brief history of Woodford

The oldest construction in Woodford is out to the west at one of the highest points in the parish. Near the parish boundary with Great Addington are some historic barrows. There is insufficient evidence to date them properly, however, they are thought to be Neolithic (c 3000BC). Known locally as Three Hills they are easy to see from the road.

A number of Roman artifacts have been found in the area now occupied by Church Street

The name Woodford immediately suggests that the village was named after a wood and a ford. The village still has a wood and a ford. The ford however, is more than a mile from where the settlement is most likely to have started (in the area now known as Church Street), and the wood (known locally as The Shrubbery) cannot be described as ancient woodland. Records suggest that it was planted around 1700.

The village most likely was named after the wooded slopes of the valley that most probably existed 1000 years ago and possibly a ford across the river. (The Ancient Rockingham Forest extended to the River Nene at that time). The river was obviously not controlled and would have been bordered by marshland and reed beds. Anecdotal evidence suggests that even as late as the 1950s the river was quite shallow near the Church (in comparison to other parts) which could suggest there was some sort of crossing at this point. Additionally this is very close to the green lane which extends across the fields from Ringstead and stops rather abrubtly one field away from the river

During Saxon times (800-1000) a system of open fields was laid out. This later evolved into a three-field system whereby crops were grown in two fields on a three year rota enabling a different field to remain fallow. Each villager would have had strips of land in each field and some would also have had grazing rights. Some of these strips of land became a series of low ridges caused by ploughing which mounded the soil to the centre of the strip causing a dip between each strip of land. There is still evidence of this type of farming in the Leys and can be viewed if one walks across the field from Newtown to either the end of Rose Terrace or Whittlesea Terrace. A further example was evident in the field now occupied by Paddock Road and Windmill Close

Eventually it became apparent that this type of farming was inefficient and a series Enclosure Acts were passed by Parliament. This practice gained momentum during the reign of King George II (1727-60). The Woodford Enclosure took place in 1764 different areas of land were enclosed by hedges and fences and divided between 44 owners. A copy map of the field system is on display in the Church and also at the Northamptonshire Record Office. The original is at Boughton House.

Housing

Housing Pre 1850

The oldest properties remaining in the village are without doubt along Church Street, with the oldest dating back to the 1300’s. Many of these old cottages probably date back to 1600s and although most of the old cottages in Church Street, Bakers Lane, Club Lane and Church Green have been demolished a number of properties from the same era do still exist around the village green but all have lost their thatched roofs.

Until the mid 1800’s the last house in the village on the way out to Thrapston was known as the Nunnery. This is the house just north of the village green in the High Street on the left with one of the windows blocked out due to the window tax (introduced by William III in 1696),

The stone for many of these houses would have come from the Common Stone Pit, later known as Stone Pit Common. It is now known as the Woodford Shrubbery.

The field at the east end of Church Street is known as the Warren field and was once the site of a large house which was home to the St John family. A courtyard area is still visible just on the right of the entrance to the Shrubbery, and the two large garden terraces are the dominant features in the field. The house was located between the “courtyard” and the gardens with a commandng view of the Nene Valley.

Some records indicate that an ancient Green Road ran along Church Street continuing to Thrapston and in doing so also linking the WillyWatt” Mill near Ringstead and Woodford Mill together. There is also evidence that a third mill once stood in the Warren field.

Housing 1850 – 1930

Following the discovery of Iron Ore in the mid 19th Century more housing was required and expansion of the village started. This was in a northerly direction, but away from the existing settlement. Stone and early brick properties on what is now the High Street were constructed on the eastern side between what is now known as Constable walk and the Mill Road Junction. This was followed by the construction of terraced brick properties on the western side of High Street north of the Temperance Hall, some have date stones and generally date from 1850 onwards.During this same period a mix of stone and brick built properties were being constructed to the east of the High Street forming Long Row, Pleasant Row and Constable Walk to accommodate the many people moving into the village to work in the quarries and furnaces. Some once again carry date stones of 1860. This whole group of properties were quite removed from those around the village green by over 100 yards / metres and were known as a whole as Newtown. This is clearly evident on census returns and the description of Newtown relates to this northern end of the High Street, Newtown Street, Constable Walk, Long Row and Pleasant Row.

It was in the late 1880’s after the construction of the Temperance Hall that building work continued on the west side of the High Street with the construction of more terraced houses (now remodelled) the shop (no longer is use dated 1890) on the corner of Eady’s Row, and itself, comprising 10 brick and stone cottages.

Sunnyside was built in 1898/9 and the terraced houses (in similar elevational style to Sunnyside on the eastern side of the High Street between Sunnyside and Constable Walk were built just after 1900. The properties in Sunnyside were quite unique and may almost be considered as a trial for future development. Five of the properties in Sunnyside were equipped with workshops in the back yard (for outwork – clothing or shoe mending making etc) and the remaining five had pigsties. Each property also had an allotment in front of each house in a piece of land known as Dovehouse close. Sunflower Cottage on the corner of Sunnyside has a date stone of 1890, presently a hairdressers. As a result of these new properties built at turn of the 20th century, Newtown finally joined up with Woodford. Other indications that Newtown was originally seen as a separate settlement are revealed in the message written by Rev Smythe in 1867 found in the time capsule in the Church.

Whittlesea Terrace was built in the early 1900’s and Rose Terrace at roughly the same time. Whittlesea Terrace, before houses had been built was known as Whittle Lane and was the start of a track which ran to the north of the shrubbery.

A row of terraced houses were built near the windmill in Mill Road for ironstone workers in the 1860s/70s, and these were known as Mill Terrace. This row of terraced houses would have been almost 1/2 mile from the Newtown settlement

Housing 1930 – date

Much of Mill Road, with the exception of Mill Terrace westwards was constructed by the Oundle and Thrapston Rural District Council, as too were Highfield and West Street. Whilst many properties in Mill Road at the eastern end are pre 2nd World War, the remainder of the local authority houses, Highfield and West Street were built as part of the rebuilding effort following that conflict.

Local Authority housing had also been built in 1930 in the Leys (north side and more in the 1970’s on the south side) at the end of Whittlesea Terrace

The Moorings comprising 12 “executive houses” were built in 1967/8 and was the first large scale private development in the village. The Shrubberies and the bungalows were built in the late 1960s. Alledge Drive was built in the 1970’s and originally comprised 25 bungalows (3 facing Thrapston Road). Alledge Drive was was later extended by East Northants Council to include more local authority accommodation for senior citizens.

DeCapel Close was built in the early 1980’s and comprised five individual detached properties.

There have been numerous examples of infill / individual properties throughout the village. Latterly many of the older properties in Woodford especially around the Green and in the High Street have been knocked “two into one”.

In April 2006 a new development off Mill Rd was commenced comprising fifty properties which form Paddock Road and Windmill Close.

The latest development in Woodford is Daventry Close, constructed in the old Daventry Farm yard.

Industry

Prior to the 1850s it is likely that the vast majority of worked worked the land around Woodford either tending their own small holdings or working for the larger landowners. This all changed in the 1850s when ironstone was discovered. Samples were even exhibeted at the Great Exhibition. As a result many quarries were opened in the area for the mining of iron ore and limestone resulting in a population increase. When the Islip Ironworks opened (whilst situated in the Islip Parish they were much closer to Woodford) the number of people moving to Woodford increased greatly and it was at this time that Newtown (1859 onwards) was built to accommodate the ironworkers who worked both in the local quarries and also the works. 30 families moved to the village from Wiltshire. A terrace of houses (known as Mill Terrace (adjacent to the windmill)) was also built for workers at the western end of Mill Road (and the 12 houses were occupied by 91 people in 1881). In 1881 almost a third of the village male population were employed in the industry. The furnaces opened on 20 April 1873 and finally closed on 16 October 1942. The majority of the site was cleared and lay derelict until the 1990’s when it was used for storing vehicles. In late 2013 preparation began for the construction of a 1 million squarefoot warehouse for Primark which is due for completion towards the middle of 2016, becoming operational soon after.

During the latter half of the 1800s shoemaking, shoe finishing and boot making became a significant source of employment for villagers. A small number of these tradesmaen were skilled shoe boot makers, carrying out the whole process with the remainder of persons within this trade working as outworkers for some of the local factories based in Raunds, Rushden, Higham Ferrers, Irthlingborough and Kettering. Generally the remainder of the male population worked on the land.

During Victorian times most women stayed at home occasionally working carrying out lacemaking, dressmaking etc. But during the latter part of the 19th century two clothing factories opened; Wallace and Linnell (Newtown) and the Ideal (Whittlesea Terrace). Both factories closed in the 1970’s. A mail order company used the Newtown factory for a short time in the early 1980s, but this was remodelled at the turn of the 21st century to form the present apartments. In the late 1990s the Ideal factory in Whittlesea Terrace was demolished to make way for three executive style properties.

Following the closure in 1974 of the Victorian infant school near the village green, the school was re-employed as a shoe factory. The shoe factory, part of the Griggs Group (of Doc Martins fame), closed at Christmas 1999. The property is now a private dwelling.

There is no large scale industry within the village now.

Memories

Leon Bradford

My brother and I arrived at Woodford as evacuees in early 1941 from Dagenham London and we were eventually passed  into the welcoming arms of Jim and Edith Ballard and under the watchful eye of “Mother” Gunn with whom we stayed until 1944 .

Our new home was a thatched cottage (destroyed by fire in late 40s) opposite a butchers shop (in Addington Road and next door to a man named Frank Barringham who always returned home from work at the calli(y) banks at Thrapston covered in a peculiar yellow dust. My happiest times were weekends and holidays when I helped out on Bob Ward’s Home Farm (Daventry Farm near village green) along with two Italian POWs both named Mario and one had the surname Pittonetti. Bob Ward had two sons David and Michael and three daughters Mary, Monica and Gill; but only Michael, who was the same age as me helped on the farm.

My other memories include sitting in the (infant) school room and being fascinated by the workings of the school clock, helping out Carvel Bonsor in his workshop behind the pub by pumping the bellows of the forge, playing down in the Osier beds by the river or up in the “Rec” and the highlight of our week was to climb the windmill pump in the Rec (where the present school is located – no health and safety those days!!

I have no real recall of my time at the (Junior) bottom school but remember going to school in Thrapston by bus which was usually driven by Bill Waterman, son-in-law of Edith Ballard and who had a daughter Sylvia.

Another memory is of our twice monthly walk to Thrapston (Saturdays) and the pictures, two old pennies for the ticket, ditto for a bottle of “spruce” (lemonade) and tuppence for crisps. Walk back to Woodford via Alledge brook and a stop for a drink of spring water.

Sunday. Early morning trek to the bakehouse with the Sunday lunch-always beef – Reg Hawes the owner would sometimes give me a warm bread roll filled with beef or pork dripping.

The highlight of the year was Woodford Feast held on the green with old fashioned steam driven swing boats and penny arcades and the older men of the village would go to Buckby’s pub (Coach and Horses) and the younger ones to the Reading room to play cribbage.

I remember when the Americans practised bridge building down by the river and the chewing gum and “Cookies” they gave us.

I have so many memories of those years, too many to include in this blog and some of them quite painful but at the age of 77 these memories have never left me and i shall never forget Woodford or the kindness shown to all we kids moved out from war torn London.

I now live only a couple of miles from Woodford and often drive through the village to relive old memories but one thing puzzles me, where do people now go to have their radio accumulators recharged now that Reg Essam’s shop (was located where Victoria Court I now is) is closed!

Leon Bradford 17/8/33 – 1/8/2012