Woodford Halse is a village in West Northamptonshire, England, about south of Daventry. It is in the civil parish of Woodford cum Membris, which includes also the village of Hinton and the hamlet of West Farndon. Hinton and Woodford Halse are separated by the infant River Cherwell and the former course of the Great Central Main Line railway. The village was formerly served by the Great Central Railway, which provided significant local employment, including Woodford Halse railway station which opened in 1899 and closed in 1966.

Churches

The earliest parts of the Church of England parish church of Saint Mary the Virgin include the chancel, west tower and south doorway, which date from about 1300. The arcade of the south aisle is 14th or 15th century. One of the Watts family of bell-founders, who had foundries in Bedford and Leicester, cast four of the bells including the tenor in 1613.

Woodford Halse has also a Moravian Church.

Economic history

A flight of four lynchets survive south of the village: a rare survival in Northamptonshire. In 1758 the open field system of farming around Woodford Halse was ended by enclosure. The ridge and furrow pattern of the common fields is visible in parts of the parish, and especially just south of the village. Allotments northeast of the village are laid out along the ridges and furrows, and follow their uneven widths and reverse S-curve.

In 1848 Woodford Halse's principal landowners included Sir Henry E.L. Dryden, 7th Baronet and Sir Charles Knightley, 2nd Baronet. a four-way railway junction, a major locomotive depot and extensive marshalling yards. A plan to build carriage sheds here was not implemented, but between the old village and the new railway several rows of terraced houses for railway workers were built, together with a street of shops.

The Railway Hotel was built in 1900. By 1973 it had become Woodford Halse Social Club. The school has one of the largest playing fields of any Northamptonshire school and holds an annual cross-country race, attracting over 700 competitors from more than thirty schools. The village has several shops and businesses. Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service has a fire station at Woodford Halse, staffed by retained firefighters. The village's regular social events include the Annual Christmas Street Fair and Summer Boat Races.

Media

Television signals in the village are received from the local relay transmitter which is transmitted via the Sutton Coldfield transmitter. However, signals can also be received from the Sandy Heath and Oxford transmitters.

Local radio stations are BBC Radio Northampton, Heart East, Inspiration FM and Connect Radio.

The local weekly newspaper serving the village is the Daventry Express.

Sport and leisure

Woodford Halse has a non-League football club, Woodford United F.C., which plays at Byfield Road.

References

Sources and further reading

  • Woodford cum Membris Parish Council - The official Parish Council website