Castlethorpe

Castlethorpe
Castlethorpe
 Castlethorpe shown within Buckinghamshire
Population 1,047 (2011 Census)[1]
OS grid referenceSP795445
Civil parishCastlethorpe
Unitary authorityMilton Keynes
Ceremonial countyBuckinghamshire
RegionSouth East
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town MILTON KEYNES
Postcode district MK19
Dialling code 01908
Police Thames Valley
Fire Buckinghamshire
Ambulance South Central
EU Parliament South East England
UK ParliamentMilton Keynes North
List of places
UK
England
Buckinghamshire

Coordinates: 52°05′35″N 0°50′24″W / 52.093°N 0.840°W / 52.093; -0.840

Castlethorpe is a village and civil parish with a population of about 1000 in the Borough of Milton Keynes (ceremonial county of Buckinghamshire), England.[2] It is about 3 miles (4.8 km) north-east of Stony Stratford, 4 miles (6.4 km) north-west of Newport Pagnell and 7 miles (11 km) north of Central Milton Keynes. It is separated from the county of Northamptonshire by the River Tove.

History

St Simon and St Jude

The village is relatively more recent than those around it, and it started out in life as a castle belonging to the lord of the manor of nearby Hanslope. A settlement of servants and manual workers grew up around the castle and this became the village of Castlethorpe (thorpe is an Old Norse language (particularly Danish) word for homestead, and it is not unreasonable to assume that there may well have been a Danish settlement nearby as the area was, if not part of, certainly close to, the Danelaw). The castle was damaged in 1215 in a feud between Foulkes de Brent, who had been sent by King John (John of England), and William Mauduit, the castle's owner. Mauduit was reputedly in rebellion against the King. Although Mauduit returned to claim his seat after the King's death, the castle was demolished shortly afterward. All that is left today are the grassy mounds of the former Motte-and-Bailey castle.

Parish

Church of St Simon and St Jude, the parish church, is dedicated to St Simon and St Jude, and dates back to Anglo-Saxon times, though the present church is of mainly Norman design. Castlethorpe has grown up around the church and some traditional old stone cottages at the centre of the village which is currently designated a conservation area. It is the centre of a Civil Parish.

Rail and canal

Site of the station looking south towards London (fast lines on the right)

The West Coast Main Line runs alongside the west side of Castlethorpe, and the village had its own railway station until September 1964 when, to the outrage of the village, it was closed down.[3]

The Grand Union Canal also runs by on the outskirts of the village, and it is a short walk along the towpath to the neighbouring village of Cosgrove.

References

  1. ↑ Neighbourhood Statistics 2011 Census, Accessed 3 February 2013
  2. ↑ Parishes in Milton Keynes Archived June 8, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. - Milton Keynes Council.
  3. ↑ Castlethorpe Station Closure - 6 September 1964 - Milton Keynes Heritage Association
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