Everything about Wollaston Northamptonshire totally explained
Wollaston is a village in Eastern
Northamptonshire,
England. The name is derived from the Saxon "Wulfaf's Town" - named after a
Saxon chief of that name.
In common with the rest of Northamptonshire, Wollaston is noted for its shoe industry. Until
2001, the famous
Dr Martens boots were made in Wollaston.
Wollaston also has the head office of an international chemical company, founded by the
Quaker Ernest Bader (1890 - 1982), which is now a common ownership factory, the Scott Bader Commonwealth, making advanced resins and composite materials .
The legendary
BBC Radio 1 Disc jockey,
John Peel, DJed at the Nag's Head pub (now the Wollaston Inn) in the late 60s and early 70s. He was booked by the then landlord 'Big' Bob Knight. Peel, renowned for his love of live music, attracted many artists, such as
Rod Stewart and
Led Zeppelin, to this village pub. Peel also wore Wollaston's Dr Martens, as did many of the artists he popularised.
The Village Today
Wollaston is a rural village (population around 3600) located near the market town of
Wellingborough in
Northamptonshire. The village has a primary and a secondary school (Wollaston Secondary School), local shops, post office, library and public houses. The village supports four churches, these being Anglican, Baptist, Methodist and a Salvation Army Citadel. The Anglican church was at one time held by the Abbey of
Delapré in Northampton.
The village has significant industry for its size, the main employer being the Scott Bader chemical works. Until recent time (2001) the village was also a major centre for shoe and boot manufacture with
R. Griggs and Co. production of
Dr Martens boots in the village. Although Griggs is still administered from offices in the village manufacture has been outsourced to
China.
The village has an excellent museum located off the north end of the High Street. It displays and curates a growing record of Wollaston village life.
In July 2006, the local Evening Telegraph newspaper reported rumours that the
Duchy of Lancaster was proposing to build 600 homes in the village over the next few years, which sparked considerable anger in the village.
History
The village first developed as a linear settlement starting at what is now Cobbs Lane moving past Bell End, Rotten Row, St Michaels' Lane and down towards
Strixton.
Romano British
Settlement and activity in the area are known to date from at least Roman times. Remains of a large (35 hectare) Romano British vineyard are known in the village, these being some of the very first such sites confirmed in the United Kingdom. A Roman road passes roughly east-west just south of the modern village, with another Roman road passing north-south to the east of the modern village.
Saxon
The village also has strong evidence for Saxon settlement and activity from the discovery of one of the finest Saxon-style iron helmets in a warrior's grave dating from around 700 AD. It is thought that the name Wollaston comes from Wulflaf’s Town, Wulflaf being an early Saxon.
Mediæval
The oldest visible part of the village is known as Beacon Hill, an ancient castle earthwork or burial mound which once belonged to Bury Manor. The mound was once surrounded by a great ditch which dates back to the 12th century.
In
1260 William de Bray secured a charter from
Henry III to hold an annual
Michaelmas fair and a weekly market to be held on a Tuesday.
Margery de Wolaston - was elected in 1282 as the Abbess of
Delapré Abbey in Northampton; she died circa 1296.
Tudor (1485-1603)
Stuart (1603-1714)
18th Century
In
1788 Wollaston land was enclosed under an act of parliament, at the time David Hennell, a lace dealer from the village wrote
"I lament that this field is now agoing to be enclosed. Some that have large quantities of land are set upon it, and pay no regard to the many little ones that may be injured, and I fear many ruined." The enclosure reduced the number of landowners in the village from 108 to just 18.
19th Century
Wollaston's first school opened in
1842 and was located in a building adjacent to the Cuckoo pub, opposite Bell End. The school was private and was run by a village curate, the Reverend J.J. Scott, from his own funds. The school didn't come under government control until
1873. The school has moved several times, finally being established on College Street in a building dating from May
1894.
During this period significant industry came to the village in the form of shoe- making and farming.
20th century
Shoe-making, and the mechanisation of this work, continued in the early 20th century with a number of nationally-known shoe-making companies establishing themselves in the village and surrounding area.
In
1940 Scott Bader moved manufacturing to the village from London; the move became permanent and the company is now an integral part of the local community. The company founders, Ernst Bader and Dora Scott, established the Scott Bader Commonwealth in the 1950s, gifting the whole company to its employees for all time. The company now functions as a co-operative with profits divided between investment in the company, bonus for employees and charitable donations.
Geography
The village of Wollaston is located between 50 and 80 metres above sea level on hills to the east of the Nene valley. The soil is clay over subsoil. The village is about 5 kilometres south south east of Wellingborough and is on the old Wellingborough to London road.
Notable People
Further Information
Get more info on 'Wollaston Northamptonshire'.
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