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Upper Boddington

Upper Boddington photos (11 available)

Old photo of Upper Boddington

Upper Boddington maps (2 available)

Old map of Upper Boddington

Upper Boddington books (8 available)

Upper Boddington memories

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Northamptonshire memories

early schooldays.

My memories of Byfield, where I lived on the brand new council estate, in Lovett Road, are idyllic. I was there from age 6 to 10, then we moved to York.
We children had to walk what seemed like miles, in all weathers, to the village school which was on the opposite side of the village. Passing the sweet shop on Dolls Hill, where halfpenny chews, sherbert dips and gobstoppers were the treat of the week, we would race down the hill to the stream at the bottom,over the bridge, then through the centre of the old village which had an Inn on either side of the road. One of these, The Rose & Crown(?) used to be the meeting place ...read more here
A memory of Byfield contributed by Rosemarie Delaney

Childhood

My father was the village policeman until 1958 and we lived in the Police House which doubled as a Police Station (there was a counter for public use at the front of the house). We left for Corby in 1958 when I was 6.
My memories are of the blacksmith's forge (opposite the secondary school), Nobby Brown's dairy (next to the railway station), the picture house, Northrop's butcher's shop, the Fleur De Lys pub (landlady Jean Shrimpton), black topped bread from the bakery, the Fox and Hounds pub, bus journeys on a Bedford OB bus, Saturday shopping trips to Banbury on the train, cricket at Preston Capes and the village primary school.
Other names I can recall are John Kingston (dairy ...read more here
A memory of Woodford Halse contributed by Alan Hamilton

Early years

My early memories of Woodford, were being taken by bus, from Byfield Primary School, to the Moravian church, in Parsons Street, for the polio injection, also of going to the cinema, which was opposite the Post Office, to see the Big Country.
Some of my relatives, worked on the railway, I spent a lot of happy times, watching the comings and goings, to the sheds, watching the Master Cutler and the Yorkshireman, the two high speed mainline trains, at that time.
A memory of Woodford Halse contributed by neville eyles

Vine Cottage

Visited the place my grandmother was bought up in, Vine Cottage - now Meadow Cottage - next to The Nuttery. My grandmother was Fanny Alice Spencer, her father was Joseph. She met my grandfather, James Hudson McKellow, who was a New Zealand soldier in the First World War in London where she was working as housekeeper to Prince Bibisco (Bibesco). They married in 1918 and moved to Christchurch, NZ. They had 4 children, James Joseph, Harry William, Robert and Nancy McKellow. I am the eldest daughter of James.
It was lovely to see the cottage and the kind owner showed us (my sister and I) around the garden.
I remember that my great-grandfather had cows and provided milk for the village ...read more here
A memory of Newnham contributed by Mary Molloy

Extracts From Upper Boddington & Northamptonshire books

Upper Boddington, the Post Office c1965

Heading south-west towards Banbury, we now reach Upper Boddington, close to the Warwickshire border. This tight-knit village is built along a grid of narrow winding lanes with a fair bit of modern development - but it retains its attractive character. Here we look south along Church Road to the village shop, nestling behind the 17th-century Cobblers Cottage.
An extract from from"Northamptonshire Living Memories".

Upper Boddington, the Plough c1965

The Plough pub, now a free house, can be found on the Warwick Road. An 18th century ironstone house with a thatched roof, the outbuilding to the right has been thatched and extended to hide the door (with parcel and the delivered dry cleaning). The brick boundary wall has been rebuilt in stone and is now much lower.
An extract from from"Northamptonshire Living Memories".

Upper Boddington, Frog Lane c1965

Leading north off Warwick Road, Frog Lane is one of most attractive lanes in the village, albeit now interspersed with modern houses of the 1960s onwards. Hillside View, the thatched stone cottage on the left, is unchanged but the one beyond has been dramatically altered so that virtually only the front elevation survives. Beyond this there are now modern houses. The overhead electricity wires and poles remain and the slate roofed house behind, quirkily named Toad Hall. There are more modern houses on the right.
An extract from from"Northamptonshire Living Memories".

Braunston, the Canal c1965

We are looking westwards along the Grand Union Canal on its way to Birmingham, at point where it originally joined the Oxford Canal. This junction was later moved further on, and the ‘cut’ to the left became the entrance to the ‘pound’. The building on the left is the Stop House, where boats would stop to pay their tolls as they moved from one canal company canal to another. The ‘Belmont’ (centre left) is the butty to the ‘Stanton’ (next to it), belonging originally to Barlows. Butties were the un- powered boats towed by their powered partner.
An extract from from"Daventry Living Memories".

Braunston, the Marina c1965

The marina was originally a reservoir to maintain levels in the Grand Union Canal; it was also used as a pound to moor working boats. Water was pumped from here up to the top lock. The line of bushes and trees in the middle distance hide the embankment of the railway line, which ran from Weedon through Daventry to Leamington. The service was withdrawn in 1959.
An extract from from"Daventry Living Memories".