Cosgrove, Northamptonshire

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Cosgrove is a village in Northamptonshire, England just north of Milton Keynes (grid reference SP791425). The church is dedicated to St Peter and St Paul.

Immediately south east of the village the Grand Union Canal crosses the valley of the river Great Ouse on an embankment and aqueduct known as the Cosgrove Iron Trunk Aqueduct. The river was initially by the canal crossed on the level, with four temporary locks lowering the canal from the south-east, and five raising it from the river towards the north-west (the top one of these locks still being in place today). The temporary locks were used as a means of getting the canal open to through traffic by 1800 (this river crossing and the tunnel at Blisworth being the only two gaps by that year). However, it was always intended that the river should be crossed by aqueduct, as the locks were wasteful of water, time-consuming and the river in flood in winter could prevent through passage. A brick aqueduct was built, but collapsed in 1808, after which the locks were re-opened. It was replaced by the iron aqueduct seen today, which opened on 22 January 1811.

The 10.5 mile (17 kilometre) Buckingham branch of the canal, an extension of the original proposal for a link to the main road at Old Stratford, was opened in 1801, diverging from the main line just to the south-east of the village, above the lock.

This Buckingham branch froze more quickly and solidly than either the River Ouse or the main canal. The fact was not only noticed by skaters from miles around, but also by the owner of Cosgrove Hall, who, in some date round about 1820 built an ice-house half-way between the canal and the Hall. This ice house was constructed rather like a stone windmill, with very thick walls but, unlike the windmill, the ice house has its greater part below the level of the surrounding field. Into this ice house, every winter from 1820 until the 1900's ice cut from the canal would be stored, packed around with straw, and by this method it kept until the following spring and summer, when it would be sold to local fishmongers, butchers and others in the days before refrigeration was possible. In recent years it has become derelict, but it was the last remaining in Buckinghamshire and one of the very few left in all England.

For the past two hundred years the village life has been affected by the building of the Grand Junction Canal--which passes through the middle of the village, and then in later years by the coming of the railway. For a while the village was a very busy trading centre, but in more recent years--with the advent of motorways and other means of transportation--life and business in the village has slowed down again. The traders have gone, and the village has returned to its natural, rural charm--which typifies so much of Northamptonshire country life.

Today the majority of visitors to Cosgrove are tourists and holiday-makers. Large numbers arrive by canal boat, many hundreds more are caravanners, who spend their summers in the Cosgrove Leisure Park [1] which features a swimming and paddling pool, fishing lakes and a water sports area offering water and jet skiing and pitches for 500 touring caravans and 460 owner occupied static holiday homes. The Park does not accept day visitors, all facilities are only available for people staying on site.

The postcode for Cosgrove is MK19.