Pipewell
| Pipewell | |
  Pipewell Pipewell shown within Northamptonshire | |
| OS grid reference | SP839857 |
|---|---|
| District | Kettering |
| Shire county | Northamptonshire |
| Region | East Midlands |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Kettering |
| Postcode district | NN14 |
| Dialling code | 01536 |
| Police | Northamptonshire |
| Fire | Northamptonshire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| EU Parliament | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament | Kettering |
| |
Pipewell was the site of a Cistercian abbey established in 1143 by William Butevilain, and all of the settlement is built around three fields where this used to be, which contains the Harpers Brook, a tributary of the River Nene, running through the centre.[1] It was located within the old Rockingham Forest and some of its income came from sale of the timber and undergrowth.
The abbey was suppressed as part of the Dissolution of Monasteries in November 1538, despite the efforts of local gentleman, Sir William Parr (later Marquess of Northampton).[2] Pipewall Hall was built in 1675 and the abbey remains are contained in its estate. By 1720 no standing masonry was visible.
In 2004, it was proposed that Pipewell would be connected to Corby by a housing development, to be completed by 2050. However this is uncertain as there are two Site of Special Scientific Interest woods at the top of the village and it is a conservation area with the Abbey site of historical interest.
Pipewell also holds Northamptonshire's smallest church building, known as the Abbey Church of St Mary, which was built in 1881.
References
- ↑ Cistercian Abbeys: Pipewell. The Cistercians in Yorkshire. Retrieved 7 December 2009
- ↑ 'House of Cistercian monks: The abbey of Pipewell', A History of the County of Northampton: Volume 2 (1906), pp. 116-121. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=40228 Date accessed: 29 October 2013