Priors Marston
Priors Marston is a village in Warwickshire, England, 6 miles (9.7 km) southwest of Daventry. The Oxford Canal and Jurassic Way both run nearby. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001 the population of the parish is 506, increasing to 579 at the 2011 Census,[1] most of whom live in the village.
In the village's toponym, "Priors" records the fact the village belonged to St. Mary's Priory, Coventry. "Marston" combines the Old English words Merse referring to a lake which formed a fishery in the early history of the village and tun meaning a settlement.
The village has an primary school called The Priors School. The school was originally a state school, opened in 1847. However in August 1996 the school was forced to close. After a month of intensive fundraising and planning the school re-opened - still offering free education to village residents, and also accepting fee paying pupils from further afield. The school raised over £1.2m during 15 years of self-regulation until 1 September 2011, when it became one of the first of 22 new free schools to open in the UK. This returned the school to state funding but independently managed.
The Church of England parish church is dedicated to Saint Leonard and is part of The Bridges Group of local churches. The earliest known church on this site was built in the 13th century. The tower dates from the 17th and 18th centuries, but the building was largely rebuilt in 1863 as it stands today. The church has recently undergone a significant renovation and improvement programme - including the addition of a kitchen and toilet, removing Victorian block work and modern organ pipe facade to reinstate and glaze an older arch to the tower, and removal of pews at the rear (west end) of the church.
The village hall, called Priors Hall is modern and is a joint venture with Priors Hardwick. It can cater for up to 250 people and the offices of several local businesses are based there. It also acts as an occasional cinema. The village also has a part-time Post Office, a Sports and Social Club and a children's playground. There is also a traditional country pub/inn called The Hollybush Inn which provides food, drink and accommodation. The village, being remote, only got a mains supply of electricity in 1934 and of water in 1948.
The village has a disused Moravian Church.
References
- ↑ "Civil Parish population 2011". Retrieved 31 December 2015.
External links
Media related to Priors Marston at Wikimedia Commons
Coordinates: 52°12′N 1°17′W / 52.200°N 1.283°W