Harpole is a village 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Northampton, England, along the A4500 road (formerly the A45) about 1 mile (1.6 km) east of the M1 Motorway junction 16.
| Harpole | |
|---|---|
 | |
.svg)  Harpole Location within Northamptonshire | |
| Population | 1,545 (2001 census) 1,546 (2011 census) |
| OS grid reference | SP691608 |
| • London | 69 mi (111 km) |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | NORTHAMPTON |
| Postcode district | NN7 |
| Dialling code | 01604 |
| Police | Northamptonshire |
| Fire | Northamptonshire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
The village's name means "filthy pool".[1]
Governance edit
Harpole is in the unitary authority area of West Northamptonshire. Prior to local government reform in 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 edit
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 edit
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.
Facilities edit
It hosts two public houses:The Live and Let Live, located on Larkhall Lane; and the Turnpike or Beefeater, located at the Harpole Turn from the A4500 road (former A45 road).
Village events edit
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 edit
An early Christian Anglo-Saxon era burial site of a woman of high social standing was found in Harpole in spring 2022.
References edit
- ^ "Key to English Place-names".
- ^ British History On Line: HarpoleHistory Gateway
- ^ Hill, Amelia (7 December 2022). "Early medieval female burial site is 'most significant ever discovered' in UK". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- ^ "UK census 2001 - data". Retrieved 31 October 2008.
- ^ SNC (2010). South Northamptonshire Council Year Book 2010-2011. Towcester: South Northamptonshire District Council. p. 39.
- ^ Harpole Scarecrows
External links edit
Media related to Harpole at Wikimedia Commons