Everything about Towcester totally explained
Towcester is a small town in
Northamptonshire,
England with a population of 8,856 (2001 census). The town is located roughly 9.5 miles (15 km) southwest of
Northampton. The name is derived from the Latin for "Camp on the (river)
Tove". Towcester is the administrative headquarters of the
South Northamptonshire district.
Location and features
Towcester is located upon the
A5 road and is perhaps most famous for its
Racecourse, where many important national
Horse racing events are held. Nearby is the
Silverstone motor racing circuit. It once had a railway station on the SMJ (Stratford and Midland Junction Railway, now the site of a
Tesco supermarket (see external link)
(External Link
). In fiction, the "Saracen's Head Inn" in Towcester features in
Charles Dickens's novel
The Pickwick Papers as one of Mr Pickwick's stopping places along what is now the
A5 trunk road.
St. Lawrence' Church (CofE) stands in the middle of the town. It has a 12th century Norman Transitional ground plan and foundation, probably laid over a Saxon 10th century stone building. Its ecclesiastical heritage may well relate back to the Roman times as St Lawrence was patron saint of the Roman Legions. The building was reconstructed in the Perpendicular style 1480-85 when the Tower was added. Permission to quarry stone for this restoration from Whittlebury Forest was granted by
Edward IV and later confirmed by
Richard III on his way towards Leicestershire and his death at the
Battle of Bosworth Field.
The church contains a "Treacle" Bible, a table tomb and cadaver of Archdeacon Sponne, Rector 1422-1448. The Archdeacon started what was thought to be the oldest Grammar school in Northamptonshire, which was merged with the old Secondary Modern School in Towcester to produce
Sponne School. The church tower contains more bells than probably any other Parish Church in the land: a fine peal of 12 bells and a chime of 9 bells which ring the hours and chime tunes at frequent intervals.
History
Prehistoric and Roman periods
Towcester lays claim to being the oldest town in Northamptonshire and possibly, because of the antiquity of recent
Iron Age finds in the town, to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the country. There is evidence that it was settled by humans since the
Mesolithic era (middle stone age). There is also evidence of Iron Age burials in the area.
In
Roman times, the
Watling Street road (now the
A5) was built through the area and a garrison town called
Lactodurum was established on the site of the present day town. Some say the
Battle of Watling Street was fought in
61 at a site two miles to the south-east of Towcester, in that small strange dip in Watling Street, or the A5 as it's now, in that corner of Northamptonshire known as
Cuttle Mill.
Lactodurum was encompassed by a wall that was strengthened at several points by brick towers. Substantial remains of one of these towers could be seen until the
1960s, when it was demolished to make way for a telephone exchange. The wall was also surrounded by a ditch part of which became the Mill Leat on the east side of the town.
The modern day St Lawrence's Church in Towcester is thought to occupy the site of a large Roman civic building, possibly a
temple. Small fragments of Roman pavement can be seen next to the church's boiler room.
The Saxon period and Medieval age
When the Romans left in the
5th century, the area was settled by
Saxons. In the
8th century, the Watling Street became the frontier between the kingdom of
Wessex and
Danelaw, and thus Towcester became a frontier town.
Edward the Elder fortified Towcester in
914. In the
11th century, the
Normans built a
motte and bailey castle on the site.
Bury Mount is the name of what is left of the Norman fortification. The Motte and part of the Bailey remain and are a scheduled Ancient Monument, although listed as being "at risk". They are rather overgrown with trees and scrub although as of early July 2006, plans were afoot to make the site fit for archaeological excavation (source - Towcester and Brackley Post 7/7/2006).
Georgian and Victorian periods
In the
18th and early
19th centuries, in the heyday of the
stagecoach, the Watling Street became a major coaching road between
London and
Holyhead, and Towcester flourished, becoming a major stopping point. Many
coaching inns and stabling facilities were provided for travellers in Towcester many of which remain.
The coaching trade came to an abrupt halt in
1838 when the
London and Birmingham Railway was opened, and Towcester soon reverted to being a quiet market town. By the
1870s, Towcester was linked to the national rail network by the
Stratford Junction Railway, although this was closed to passengers in
1951 . The advent of the motor age has brought new life to the town in recent years. Although the A43 now by-passes the town, the A5 trunk traffic passes directly through the historic market town centre causing traffic jams at some times of the day. The resulting pollution has led to the town centre being designated an
Air Quality Management Area.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Towcester'.
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