Moulton, Northamptonshire

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Moulton
Moulton, Northamptonshire (Northamptonshire)
Moulton, Northamptonshire

Moulton shown within Northamptonshire
Population 3,388 (2001 Census)
OS grid reference SP784663
Parish Moulton
District Daventry district
Shire county Northamptonshire
Region East Midlands
Constituent country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town NORTHAMPTON
Postcode district NN3
Dialling code 01604
Police Northamptonshire
Fire Northamptonshire
Ambulance East Midlands
European Parliament East Midlands
UK Parliament Daventry
List of places: UKEnglandNorthamptonshire

Coordinates: 52°17′21″N 0°50′57″W / 52.28922, -0.84907

Moulton is a large village in the Daventry district of the county of Northamptonshire in England. It is situated about four miles north of Northampton which is in the Midlands and is one of Europe's largest towns. Moulton has been affected by the expansion of the town yet still retains its village identity. It is thought that the village has its origins in Saxon times, although the main features of the present church are Norman or later. There is one major school in Moulton which serves many other surrounding small villages in the area.

The village was the 18th-century home of William Carey. The village also has links with John Jeye (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.

Moulton is a village of narrow winding lanes, lined by stone-built cottages and houses, nowadays with traffic calming and one-way systems. The stone-built Gothicky Methodist Chapel of 1835 with its pretty arched windows is next to the old school of 1878, now used by the Moulton Theatre. Unfortunately the tranquillity of this view is somewhat spoilt today by the level of traffic, mostly cars, snaking through the village’s narrow lanes. Moulton is home to Moulton College, an agricultural and trade orientated college.

The village features a meadow called 'Crowfields', which is a natural repository of wild flowers and wildlife. Moulton hosts an annual village festival (held in May) and is home to the Moulton Morris Dancers. The Moulton Sports Complex is also home to the Village Hall and is the current site of the Northampton Saints Hockey Club,

Moulton has a population of over 3,000. The centre of Moulton houses the parish church and some shops, such as a Co-op and a post office. In the area of Moulton Leys in the south, Kettering Road (A43) takes residents from Moulton to Northampton town centre.

Moulton is home to a number of pubs including The White Lion, The Cardigan Arms, The Telegraph, The Artichoke, a working men's club, and just past Moulton Leys heading towards town there is the Lumbertubs pub. Moulton also contains, on its fringe, the Northampton Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters.

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[edit] 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.[1] This ironstone was used extensively for construction of buildings in and outside of Moulton. Moulton's elevation lies at 400-600ft 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.

[edit] Geography

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.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Martin, R.A. & Osborn, G. 1976. An Outline of the Geology of Northamptonshire, Northamptonshire Natural History Society and Field Club.

[edit] External links