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60-616: The Daventry Express is a local weekly newspaper serving Daventry and the surrounding villages. It is published every Thursday and is owned by National World . In 1869 the Daventry Express was published on Saturdays by Thomas and John William Barrett. The newspaper was discontinued in 1940, at a time of national paper shortages, but was revived in 1948 under the title Daventry and District Weekly Express , shortened to Daventry Weekly Express in 1966, and again to Daventry Express in 1990. This English newspaper–related article

120-543: A market was first recorded at Daventry. The market benefited from Daventry's location upon the main road (now the A45 road ) linking the important city of Coventry with Watling Street (now the A5 road ) which was the main route from the Midlands to London , which brought in much passing trade. In 1576 Daventry grammar school was founded by William Parker, a woollen draper and native of

180-468: A Dissenting chapel in the town around 1722 in buildings opposite The Wheatsheaf on the southern end of Sheaf Street. Later in 1752 a Dissenting Academy was moved from Northampton to this site. The chemist and theologian Joseph Priestley studied there from 1752 to 1755. In 1789, the Academy moved back to Northampton. Daniel Defoe described Daventry as a "considerable market town which subsists chiefly on

240-446: A branch line this did little to revive the town's economy. The only significant industry to develop in the town during this time was shoemaking , which at its height in the 1870s employed around 700 workers. In 1925, the newly created BBC constructed a radio transmitting station on Borough Hill just outside the town. Daventry was chosen because it was the point of maximum contact with the land mass of England and Wales . From 1932

300-751: A coaching town. There were many coaching inns in the town including the Wheatsheaf the Saracen's Head the Plough and Bell the Dun Cow and the Brown Bear . At the zenith of the coaching era in the 1830s, Daventry had become a major hub of the national network, with more than 250 coaches passing through the town every week, including services between London, Warwick , Birmingham , Liverpool and Holyhead, and Birmingham and Cambridge . Reflecting Daventry's prosperity, many of

360-479: A good start, and by 1972 more than 1,000 new families had moved to Daventry, along with many new industries. However by the mid-1970s growth had slowed sharply, due to a combination of the faltering national economy and public spending cuts. The planning agreement had originally been intended to last for 30 years (until 1991) however Birmingham City Council decided to pull out of it half way through in 1976, due in part to spending cuts, but also as it had become clear that

420-510: A number of BBC staff and their families moved into the area. At its height by 1990 the station had 43 radio masts , however the station closed in 1992 and all but one of the radio masts was taken down, with most of the land being sold to Daventry District Council who opened it up to the public as a country park. A commercial unit of the BBC remained based locally for a few years after. A busy directional radio beacon (VOR), identifier "DTY", for aircraft

480-678: A population of 28,123. The town is located 75 mi (120 km) north-north-west of London via the M1 motorway , 14 mi (23 km) west of Northampton , 10 + 1 ⁄ 4  mi (16.5 km) south-west of Rugby and 15 + 3 ⁄ 4  mi (25.5 km) north-north-east of Banbury . Other nearby places include Southam , Coventry and the villages of Ashby St Ledgers , Badby , Barby , Braunston , Byfield , Charwelton , Dodford , Dunchurch , Everdon , Fawsley , Hellidon , Kilsby , Long Buckby , Newnham , Norton , Staverton , Welton , Weedon and Woodford Halse . The town

540-503: A pub) , also in Drayton – School Street and Orchard Street. A street market is held every Tuesday and Friday in High Street, although its original site was on the aptly named Market Square. There is a modern shopping precinct adjacent to the High Street called Bowen Square. An alternative pronunciation for Daventry used by locals is 'Daintree', but this has become less common. Daventry

600-457: A radio receiver installed in a van at Litchborough (just off the A5 about six mi (ten km) south of Daventry) to receive signals bounced off a metal-clad Handley Page Heyford bomber flying across the radio transmissions. The interference picked up from the aircraft allowed its approximate navigational position to be estimated, and therefore proved that it was possible to detect the position of aircraft using radio waves. The success of

660-472: A stem diameter of more than 75 mm (3"), when measured at 1.5 metres (5') height above ground level, in a conservation area must give the planning authority six weeks' notice of their intentions to do the work. Several exemptions from the need to notify exist including for removal of dead trees, the prevention or abatement of (legal) nuisance and for the implementation of planning permission. Work may only be undertaken either when consent has been given by

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720-543: Is twinned with Westerburg , Germany . The town lies at around 110–210 m (360–690 ft) above sea level. To the north and west, the land is generally lower than the town. Daventry sits on the watershed of the River Leam which flows to Leamington Spa , Warwick and the west of England and the River Nene which flows east. There is no river in the town; the largest gatherings of water are two reservoirs made to supply

780-459: Is a conservation area , with most of its buildings dating from the 17th to 19th centuries including many listed buildings . Until the 1950s, Daventry was a small market town with a population of around 4,000. All of the subsequent growth of the town has occurred during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Consequently, the historic core of the town is surrounded by modern roads, housing, and industrial estates . There are two country parks on

840-473: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Daventry Daventry ( / ˈ d æ v ə n t r i / DAV -ən-tree , historically / ˈ d eɪ n t r i / DAYN -tree ) is a market town and civil parish in the West Northamptonshire unitary authority area of Northamptonshire , England , close to the border with Warwickshire . At the 2021 Census , Daventry had

900-422: Is a conservation area, 59% of which are rural, and 41% are in urban areas. The original idea of historic conservation areas was proposed by June Hargreaves , a York town planner, in her 1964 book Historic buildings. Problems of their preservation . In the book she critiqued the idea that historic buildings should be replaced with modern "streamlined and ultra-functional" buildings as this would be detrimental to

960-429: Is designed with short terraces of dwellings grouped around a series of cul-de-sacs grouped around a large looped access road around the edge of the hill. There is a central focal point which has schools for children from early years to senior level. There are several service shops and originally there was an estate public house but that was demolished in the mid 1990s. There is also a community centre. The plan got off to

1020-648: Is desirable to preserve or enhance". The current Scottish legislation is the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 . In Northern Ireland it is the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 . Conservation areas can be found across a wide a range of urban and rural UK locations. For example, in the historic centres of town and cities such as Alexandra Palace and Park ; model housing estates; historic mining, fishing and transport areas e.g. Crosby Garrett ; and rural villages such as Osmotherley . It

1080-515: Is now discredited. Daventry was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Daventrei . It was recorded as belonging to Countess Judith , niece of William the Conqueror . In around 1108, Daventry Priory a small Cluniac priory was founded at Daventry, alongside the parish church. The priory was closed in 1526 by Cardinal Wolsey who granted its assets to Christ Church, Oxford . In 1203

1140-489: Is overlooked by the 653 ft-high (199 m) Borough Hill on the eastern edge of the town. The hill has been the site of human activity dating back into prehistory: remains have been found of two Bronze Age barrows , two Iron Age hill forts – one of which is the fourth largest found in Britain, and a later Roman villa and farming settlement. According to local folklore Daventry had Danish ( Viking ) origins, this

1200-828: Is served by a direct connection to the Northampton Loop of the West Coast Main Line railway. Due to the proximity to the M1, Ford opened a large national spare parts distribution warehouse on the Royal Oak Industrial Estate in 1972. The 130-acre (53 ha) building took Taylor Woodrow a year to build at a cost of £2.25M and was for many years considered the largest building in the United Kingdom. Conservation area (United Kingdom) As of 2019, 2.2% of England making up 2,938 km (1,134 sq mi)

1260-442: Is situated approximately four mi (six km) south of the town. The town also gives its name to the busy Daventry air traffic control sector. On the early morning of Tuesday 26 February 1935 the radio transmitter at Daventry was used for what became known as the " Daventry Experiment " which involved the first-ever practical demonstration of radar , by its inventor Robert Watson-Watt and Arnold Frederic Wilkins . They used

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1320-426: Is the role of the listed building process to protect individual buildings, and it is common for many listed buildings to also be located within designated conservation areas where those individual buildings make a contribution to the special architectural or historic character of the area. Current Government planning policy on conservation areas is laid down (for England) mainly in section 12 'Conserving and enhancing

1380-517: Is worth protecting or enhancing. Local and regional criteria are used, rather than any national standard. In exceptional circumstances, Historic England can designate conservation areas in London, but it has to consult the relevant Borough Council and obtain the consent of the Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport. The Secretary of State can also designate in exceptional circumstances – usually where

1440-531: The BBC Empire Service (now the BBC World Service ) was broadcast from there. The radio announcement of "Daventry calling" made Daventry well known across the world. It was the BBC's use of the literal pronunciation in this call-sign that resulted in the widespread displacement of the historical pronunciation "Daintree" ( ˈdeɪntri ). The transmitting station contributed to the town's population revival, as

1500-519: The Gee Eastern chain master transmitter mast: this was part of a radio navigation system used by the Allies during World War II . Borough Hill Roman villa is also located here. The modern growth of Daventry occurred from the mid-1950s onwards. Real growth started in 1955 when the tapered roller bearing manufacturer British Timken opened a large factory in the town (the factory closed in 1993 although

1560-628: The Grand Union Canal , West Coast Main Line , the Northampton Loop Line and most recently the M1 motorway. Daventry has several housing estates, which include Drayton , Middlemore Farm, Lang Farm, Ashby Fields, Royal Oak, Timken, Stefen Hill, The Grange, The Southbrook, The Headlands and most recently Monksmoor Park. The small historic core of Daventry, centred on High Street, Market Place, New Street, Sheaf Street and their surrounding streets

1620-537: The Staverton to Newnham road which was eventually sold by the Ministry of Defence in 2007. In 2006, the outdoor pool – which had been built and funded by Daventry residents in the 1950s following the drowning of three children in the local reservoir – was closed due to funding difficulties. In 2007, Daventry began plans to modernise the town with a futuristic personal rapid transit system that would link outer estates to

1680-515: The canal that swings from Watford Gap into the West Midlands through the 2,042 yd-long (1,867 m) Braunston Tunnel around the north of the town. To the north-west is Drayton Reservoir and to the north-east is the Daventry Reservoir and country park. Watford Gap is about 4 mi (6 km) north-east of the town; through this gap pass the A5 ( Watling Street Roman road),

1740-403: The 'Daventry Experiment'. Signals from GB75RDF at Borough Hill , reflected from aircraft (all of which were flown by radio hams), were detected in a receiving set housed in a replica Morris van . The receiving station set up in the field that is the home to The Birth of RADAR memorial at Litchborough . The team was led by Brian Leathley, known as Andrew G8GMU. Borough Hill was also the site of

1800-500: The 1841 level until later in the 1950s. The London and Birmingham Railway passed a few miles to the east of the town through the Watford Gap . A branch line to Daventry was included in the original Act of Parliament, however, despite several earlier attempts, the line was not built until 1888, when a short branch was built from Weedon to Daventry railway station . In 1895 the line was extended to Leamington Spa . However being only

1860-460: The 1960s, when Birmingham City Council purchased nearly 1,000 acres (400 ha) of land to be developed for housing and industrial use. The first phase of this expansion was constructed on the south-east slopes of Borough Hill and was named the Southbrook Estate. It was designed and laid out by the architect J A Maudsley for City of Birmingham Architects Department . This began in 1966. and

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1920-825: The Saracen's Head (now Wetherspoons ), the Moot Hall (see below), the Wheatsheaf (now a residential home), 27, 29, 36, 57, 59 High Street and 2, 20, and 22 Sheaf Street. Grade II listed buildings include several in Market Place, Church Walk, New Street, High Street, Sheaf Street and the United Reformed Church, the Burton Memorial (commemorating Edmund Charles Burton, Town Clerk of Daventry; see photo at left), Danetre Hospital Offices (former workhouse) and Middlemore Farmhouse (now

1980-566: The area is of more than local interest. Local authorities have additional powers under planning legislation to control changes to buildings in a conservation area that might usually be allowed without planning permission in other locations, for example changing the appearance of windows, adding external cladding or putting up satellite dishes. Large conservation areas are sometimes subdivided into identity areas, which cover groups of buildings and features having similar character and appearance. Enforcement of conservation areas varies, dependent on

2040-419: The area of the former borough of Daventry became an unparished area with charter trustees until 2003, when Daventry became a civil parish and gained its own Town (parish) Council . Daventry Town Council currently has 16 councillors representing four wards. The Mayor of Daventry is elected annually by the members of the town council. The town council has responsibility for a number of functions such as managing

2100-530: The development of an increasingly large logistics facility, north of Daventry. This warehousing and distribution centre is known as the Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT). It is situated between Rugby and Crick and the A5 and junction 18 of the M1 motorway (its original northern terminus in 1959 until 1964). Stagecoach Midlands provides regular bus services D1 and D2 from Daventry and Rugby . The terminal

2160-402: The distribution Centre stayed open until 2000). The town's fortunes were also boosted when the first phase of the M1 motorway was opened nearby, giving the town a direct motorway link with London , with the expansion of the motorway network connecting it to the north of England within a decade. Despite the growth of the town, Daventry railway station was closed to passengers in 1958, with

2220-707: The edge of the town; just north-east of the town centre is the Daventry Country Park , based around a canal reservoir , just east of the A425. On the south-eastern edge of the town is the Borough Hill country park. There are 74 buildings or groups of buildings in the centre of Daventry that are on the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest led by the Church of Holy Cross at grade I. Grade II*buildings include

2280-674: The experiment persuaded the British government to fund the development of a network of full scale radar stations on the south coast of England, known as Chain Home , which provided a decisive advantage to the RAF in the Battle of Britain in 1940. 75 years to the day of the original launch, on 26 February 2010, teams from the Coventry Amateur Radio Society & The Northampton Radio Club re-enacted

2340-501: The great concourse of travellers on the old Watling Street way." During the Georgian era of the 18th and early 19th century, a national system of turnpike roads with improved road surfaces developed, this in turn allowed the development of a national system of mail coaches and long distance passenger stagecoaches . Daventry, being located on the main roads linking London with the West Midlands, Holyhead and Lancashire , flourished as

2400-476: The historic character of the area, for example by ensuring that newly constructed buildings are of a high quality design. Conservation area status also removes some permitted development rights that apply in undesignated areas. In England, conservation area consent was abolished by the ERR Act (1) and replaced with a requirement for planning permission for demolition of a building in a conservation area (1). In Wales,

2460-723: The historic environment' of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and (for Wales) in Welsh Office Circular 61/96 – Planning and the Historic Environment: Historic Buildings and Conservation Areas . There are additional planning controls over certain works carried out within the conservation area. For example, demolition within conservation areas requires consent. The designation does not preclude development from taking place, but does require that developments preserve or enhance

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2520-493: The identity of historic towns: "No building within an 'area of special preservation' should be demolished or altered in such a way as to materially detract from the contribution it makes to the group value of the street." The Civic Amenities Act 1967 introduced the concept of conservation areas, and in September of that year the first designation was made, covering the "old town" area of Stamford, Lincolnshire . The legislation

2580-581: The king to the presence of the Parliamentary army. The Royalists made for their reinforcements at Newark-on-Trent but after reaching Market Harborough turned to fight, which resulted in the decisive Battle of Naseby , in which the Royalist army was heavily defeated by the Parliamentarians. The village of Naseby is approximately 14 mi (23 km) northeast of Daventry. English Dissenters founded

2640-401: The line closing to freight in 1963. In 1961, Daventry was designated as an 'overspill' to house people and industry relocated from Birmingham , as government policy of the time favoured moving population and industry away from Birmingham . Although Daventry was not formally designated as a New Town , its expansion bore many similarities to such developments: A planned expansion of the town

2700-597: The main route from the Midlands to London. During the English Civil War , the army of King Charles I stayed at Daventry in 1645 after storming the Parliamentary garrison at Leicester and on its way to relieve the siege of Oxford . The King stayed at the Wheatsheaf Inn, whilst his Royalist army camped on Borough Hill. According to local legend, it was during his stay at the Wheatsheaf Inn in Daventry that Charles

2760-425: The requirement for conservation area consent remains. The circumstances in which such planning permission is required and the consequences of failing to apply for it when it is needed are the same as applied to conservation area consent. Local authorities are chiefly responsible for designating conservation areas. They can designate any area of 'special architectural or historic interest' whose character or appearance

2820-476: The resources and priorities of the local authority, and many fail to meet expectations. A conservation area may have a conservation area advisory committee , a non-elected body of people, some of whom may be expert, who are concerned about the conservation in the particular area. Historic England maintains an "at risk" register which includes conservation areas. The law generally requires that anyone proposing to cut down or carry out any work on any tree, with

2880-480: The town centre, and a canal arm with marina next to the former site of the outdoor pool. In May 2018, the District Council dropped the building a canal arm and marina scheme in favour of achievable projects. In March 2018, the town's High Street was used as a filming location for the feature film, Nativity Rocks! . Daventry is a civil parish within the unitary authority of West Northamptonshire which

2940-469: The town's finest building were constructed during this period, including, most notably, the Holy Cross Church of 1758. The Industrial Revolution largely passed Daventry by, owing to its failure to become linked to the newer transport networks: The Grand Junction Canal (now Grand Union) had opened in 1796, and passed a few miles north of Daventry. An arm from the canal to Daventry was proposed, and

3000-745: The town's market, open spaces, allotments, cemeteries, museum, and CCTV. All other local services are the responsibility of West Northamptonshire Council. Daventry is represented in Parliament by the Daventry Parliamentary constituency , which is a safe Conservative seat, the MP representing the seat since 2024 has been Stuart Andrew . Cummins have their largest UK plant at the town where they manufacture some of their largest diesel engines that are suitable for marine, railcar and generator set uses. The proximity of motorways and mainline railways has led to

3060-418: The town's plan was falling short of expectations: The target population had been 36,000 by 1981, but actual growth was much slower than this, nevertheless, between 1961 and 1981 the population had nearly tripled from 5,860 to 16,178; Subsequent growth in the following decades has been slower and driven mainly by private developments. The population had reached 22,367 by 2001, and by 2011 it was 25,026. Daventry

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3120-511: The town. The original schoolhouse on New Street, dating from around 1600 still stands, although it is now a private house. That same year Queen Elizabeth I granted Daventry borough status . The town was mentioned by William Shakespeare in Henry IV, Part I (Act IV, Sc II), which refers to "the red-nosed innkeeper of Daventry". Shakespeare would have known Daventry due to its relatively close proximity to Stratford-upon-Avon , and its position on

3180-412: Was carried out as part of a three-way agreement between Birmingham City Council , Daventry Borough Council, and Northamptonshire County Council : Birmingham's role was to buy land, and build houses and industrial estates , Northamptonshire provided roads, schools and libraries, whilst Daventry provided drainage and sewage disposal. Work on the official expansion of Daventry began in the second half of

3240-515: Was created in 2021. From 1576 until 1974, Daventry had been a borough : The ancient borough of Daventry, created in 1576 was reconstituted as a municipal borough in 1835. In 1974 the municipal borough was abolished and merged into the much larger Daventry District , which also included a large rural area. In 2021 the Daventry District was itself abolished and merged into the even larger unitary authority of West Northamptonshire. From 1974,

3300-627: Was included in the Act of Parliament authorising it, however this was never built. The opening of the London and Birmingham Railway in 1838 signalled the beginning of the railway age; almost immediately the coaching trade slumped and Daventry entered a long period of stagnation and decline which lasted for over a century: In 1841 Daventry had a population of 4,565, from thereon it went into steady decline until 1911, when it bottomed out at 3,516, and then slowly recovered, reaching 4,077 in 1951, but did not recover to

3360-462: Was partly due to the old pronunciation of Daventry as Daintry , which was interpreted as "Dane Tree", however in more modern interpretation the town's name is thought likelier to be Anglo-Saxon in origin: "Dafa's tree" (Dafa being a founding father or paterfamila ) and there was very likely a meeting tree, possibly on Borough Hill. Thus the name may have been formed on lines similar to Coventry ("Cofa's tree", i.e. "tree of Cofa"). Another theory which

3420-481: Was popular in the 19th century, was that of Thomas Pennant , the Welsh naturalist and antiquarian, who acknowledged the town's 'considerable antiquity' and speculated that the name was Brythonic , dwy-avon-tre (town of two rivers), a derivation seemingly supported by the town's topography, situated as it is between the sources of the River Leam , which flows west, and the River Nene which flows east. This theory however

3480-546: Was refined by section 277 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 , which in turn was superseded by the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. The current legislation in England and Wales, the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (sections 69 and 70), defines the quality of a conservation area as being: "the character or appearance of which it

3540-473: Was struck by an F0/T1 tornado on 23 November 1981, as part of the record-breaking nationwide tornado outbreak on that day. In 1995 RAF Daventry was listed as a USAF communication facility by the then Minister of State for the Armed Forces Nicholas Soames in answer to a question from Max Madden . RAF Daventry is most likely the transmitter base at a former WW1 isolation hospital site on

3600-491: Was twice visited by the ghost of his former adviser and friend, Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford , who advised him to keep heading north and warned him that he would not win through force of arms. However, Parliament's newly formed New Model Army , led by Sir Thomas Fairfax , was marching north from besieging Oxford after being instructed to engage the king's main army. Fairfax's leading detachments of horse clashed with Royalist outposts near Daventry on 12 June, alerting

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