Hometown Pride
Are you thinking of moving to Daventry? Having a little knowledge of the area in which you live, or of where you intend to move, can provide an enormous sense of psychological wellbeing. Homes and their locality are an important part of what makes us who we are. An understanding of the history of our hometowns can instil a sense of belonging and pride.
The following short post traces some of the more notable facts and historical events of Daventry.
What’s in a name?
Daventry was historically spelt Danetre and pronounced ‘Daintry’. There is some debate as to whether this originated from Saxon or Danish; however, it roughly translates to ‘tribal leader’ and ‘tree’. The tree may have been a religious marker where tribal leaders once met to resolve quarrels. The pronunciation is preserved in local place names such as Danetre Hospital.
Borough Hill – 4,500 years of history – War, Whips, and Wireless Radio
To the eastern side of Daventry and standing sentinel over the town is Borough Hill, one of the largest Hill forts in Britain. Borough Hill is probably the most important site in Daventry and is a scheduled ancient monument. The Hill has been in use since the Stone Age period but boasts archaeological finds from Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman, Saxon, and Viking periods. All in all, there has been human habitation on the Hill for over 4,500 years!
Borough Hill – Daventry
War
During the English Civil War, Borough Hill hosted the Royalist army of King Charles I. His army consisted of 5000 cavalry and 5000 infantry who proceeded to plunder the locals for food and supplies before making camp on the Hill. Charles I and his Officers decided to sleep in more comfortable lodgings at The Wheatsheaf coaching inn which today is in use as a residential care home.
The local townsfolk celebrated when they heard that the Oliver Cromwell’s New Model Army were on their way to engage in battle with the Royalist army; however, it is likely that the parliamentarian soldiers also carried out much plundering!
The pivotal battle played out at the nearby village of Naseby on 14th of June 1645 where the Royalists were comprehensively defeated by the Parliamentarians.
Whips
Daventry is conveniently located to make it an attractive town for commuters, not only to London Euston and Birmingham, via the nearby Long Buckby train station, but also to Coventry via the M40. The DIRFT (Daventry International Railfreight Terminal) has links to Europe via the Channel Tunnel making Daventry an important hub for commercial logistics.
Being a centre for the movement of goods and people is not a new characteristic of Daventry. The Wheatsheaf Inn is on the junction of four main roads through which stagecoaches would have passed on their way to Oxford, Northampton, or Coventry. This abundance of coaches led to the development of a thriving industry of specialist whip makers. The town became famous enough for Shakespeare to write this line in Henry IV: “to say the truth, was stolen from my host at St Albans or the red nosed innkeeper of Daventry!”
Wireless Radio
From the mid-1920s until the early 1990s Borough Hill was used as a transmitting site for the BBC World Service. The site was at the forefront of the new wireless age and the name Daventry became synonymous with radio broadcasting. It was also used for early television experiments, secret radar development, and played a crucial role in broadcasting during World War 2. The site was even attacked by machinegun fire from a German fighter bomber during an audacious daylight raid. Luckily no lasting damage was inflicted, and the staff managed to dive for cover beneath their desks.
The eventual demise of the broadcasting site at Borough Hill came with the end of the Cold War period. During this time of espionage and spy-rings Borough Hill played an important role by broadcasting western views (in Russian language) to the eastern bloc countries. The USSR took the threat of these subversive broadcasts so seriously that they attempted to jam the signals from Borough Hill. They were, however, unsuccessful and in 1992 the Soviet leader at the time, Mikhail Gorbachev, recognised that communist ideology had failed, and the Soviet Union was disbanded. How many of today’s residents in Daventry appreciate the critical role that their town played in lifting the Iron Curtain?
Noteworthy Architecture
Holy Cross Church
This C18th, Grade I Listed Church is located in the centre of Daventry and is the only Church of England church in the town. It is constructed from local ashlar ironstone and, as with most Georgian properties is classically styled. The architects William and David Hiorne are thought to have been influenced in their design by the Church of St. Giles-in-the-Fields (otherwise known as Poet’s Church) in the West End of London.
Holy Cross Church – Daventry
Moot Hall
Another Georgian property, built in 1769 and now a Grade II* Listed building, is Moot Hall. Originally constructed for residential habitation, Moot Hall has seen an eclectic mix of occupants over the years. In no particular order, it has been used as the Mayor’s parlour the Tourist Information Centre an Indian restaurant and even as a women’s prison! Again, it is classically proportioned and features local ashlar ironstone to the prominent gable elevation, with red brick to the side elevation where there is a Doric entrance porch.
Moot Hall – Daventry
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