Harpole

For other uses, see Harpole (surname).

Harpole
Harpole is located in Northamptonshire
Harpole
Harpole
Location within Northamptonshire
Population1,545 (2001 census)
1,546 (2011 census)
OS grid referenceSP691608
• London69 mi (111 km)
Civil parish
  • Harpole
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townNORTHAMPTON
Postcode districtNN7
Dialling code01604
PoliceNorthamptonshire
FireNorthamptonshire
AmbulanceEast Midlands
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Northamptonshire
52°14′30″N 0°59′27″W / 52.241603°N 0.990786°W / 52.241603; -0.990786

Harpole is a village 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Northampton, in the West Northamptonshire district, in Northamptonshire, England, along the A4500 road (formerly the A45) about 1 mile (1.6 km) east of the M1 Motorway junction 16. In 2011 the parish had a population of 1546.

The village's name means "filthy pool".[1]

Governance

Prior to from 1974 to 2021 it was in the district council area of South Northamptonshire where it was part of Harpole and Grange ward, together with the parishes of Milton Malsor, Kislingbury, Rothersthorpe and Gayton. It was also in the area of Northamptonshire County Council and is in the Parliamentary Constituency of Daventry. The MP is currently Chris Heaton-Harris (Conservative).

Geography and history

The M1 London to Yorkshire motorway junctions 16 and 15a are 2 miles (3.2 km) west and 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Harpole respectively. It is 69 miles (111 km) north of London and 42 miles (68 km) southeast of Birmingham.

A Roman mosaic floor uncovered in 1846-48 identifies the site of a Roman villa north of the village.[2]

In April 2022 archaeologists found an Anglo-Saxon woman's grave, the Harpole bed burial, at a site in Harpole being developed for housing by Vistry. The discovery was announced in December 2022 and described as "the most significant early medieval female burial ever discovered in Britain".[3]

Demographics

2001 census data[4] shows 1,547 people resident in the Parish Council area consisting of 755 males and 792 females (the 2009 estimated population is 1,557[5]), in 636 households, of which 82.6% were owner occupied or being purchased with a mortgage.

Village events

Harpole hosts a scarecrow weekend in September.[6] There is also an event in December where Santa drives around the village, as in, following him.

Harpole bed burial

Main article: Harpole bed burial

An early Christian Anglo-Saxon era burial site of a woman of high social standing was found in Harpole in spring 2022.

References

  1. ^ "Key to English Place-names".
  2. ^ British History On Line: HarpoleHistory Gateway
  3. ^ Hill, Amelia (7 December 2022). "Early medieval female burial site is 'most significant ever discovered' in UK". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  4. ^ "UK census 2001 - data". Retrieved 31 October 2008.
  5. ^ SNC (2010). South Northamptonshire Council Year Book 2010-2011. Towcester: South Northamptonshire District Council. p. 39.
  6. ^ Harpole Scarecrows

Media related to Harpole at Wikimedia Commons