Walgrave
Walgrave | |
Walgrave Walgrave shown within Northamptonshire | |
Population | 822 |
---|---|
OS grid reference | SP8072 |
District | Daventry |
Shire county | Northamptonshire |
Region | East Midlands |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | Northampton |
Postcode district | NN6 |
Dialling code | 01604 |
Police | Northamptonshire |
Fire | Northamptonshire |
Ambulance | East Midlands |
EU Parliament | East Midlands |
UK Parliament | Kettering |
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Landmarks
St Peter's, a sandstone-spired church, is in the centre of the village. Throughout the autumn and winter, residents make donations to illuminate the Church from 8.30pm.
Up the road from St Peter's is the 18th-century Baptist chapel. Although the Baptist church was founded before 1700, the present chapel was built in 1786 in typical Northamptonshire non-conformist style, being slightly wider than it is long. Built of the local brown limestone, with a gate guarded by two yew trees, it clashes a little with the attached brick-built Sunday School of 1899. The former graveyard has been converted into a garden area.
Other notable features of the village include the Royal Oak public house[2] with its collection of real ales and a village sign on the main green. The Royal Oak has been an inn since 1840, though the building itself is much older. The Royal Oak has a thriving skittles team and hosts the Monday Club for Men of Walgrave[3] every Monday in the main bar.
Walgrave is home to one of Northamptonshire's oldest football teams. Formed in 1896, the club played in the Northamptonshire League (subsequently to become the United Counties League), the Kettering & District Combination League, and more recently the Northants Central Conmbination League. In the last years of the 20th century, the club was forced to fold, and played for a while under the name Walgrave Royal Oak. After a gap of some 12 years, Walgrave Amber FC was reformed by David Rhodes. It formally re-affiliated with the Northants FA in 2007 and re-joined the Northants Combination League in time for the start of the 2008/9 season. The club's original nickname, The Pipe Stems, has only recently been unearthed. Several Amber players have gone on to play professional football at the highest level, most notably Harry Walden who starred in Northampton Town's rise from Division 4 obscurity to Division 1 between 1963 and 1966.
Walgrave Amber now plays its home games at the nearby new village of Mawsley, the facilities at the Walgrave Playing Field being no longer up to standard and the playing surface suffering a drainage collapse. Discussions regarding an upgrade of the changing rooms and renovation of the pitch are ongoing.
References
- ↑ Office for National Statistics: Walgrave CP: Parish headcounts. Retrieved 25 November 2009
- ↑ Royal Oak public house
- ↑ McMOW
External links
Media related to Walgrave at Wikimedia Commons