Long Buckby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Long Buckby |
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 Long Buckby Market Place |
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 Long Buckby
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| Population | 4,511 (2021 census) |
| OS grid reference | SP628673 |
| Civil parish |
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| Unitary authority |
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| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | NORTHAMPTON |
| Postcode district | NN6 |
| Dialling code | 01327 |
| Police | Northamptonshire |
| Fire | Northamptonshire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| EU Parliament | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament |
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Long Buckby is a large village in West Northamptonshire, England. It is also a civil parish, which is like a local government area. In 2021, the village and its nearby hamlet, Long Buckby Wharf, had a population of 4,511 people.
Long Buckby is built on a hill. It is about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) northeast of Daventry. It sits roughly in the middle of Northampton and Rugby. Both cities are about 9 miles (14 km) away. To the west of the village, you'll find several important routes. These include the A5 road, the Grand Union Canal, the West Coast Main Line railway, and the M1 motorway. All these pass through an area called the Watford Gap. The next village north is Watford, Northamptonshire.
Just south of Long Buckby is Long Buckby railway station. This station is on the Northampton Loop line, which is part of the main West Coast Main Line.
Contents
History of Long Buckby
The exact meaning of the village's name is not fully known. It might mean "Bukki's farm" or "Bucca's farm." Another idea is "billy-goat farm."
Long Buckby's history goes back about 1,000 years. It was around when the Vikings controlled much of England, known as the Danelaw. The village was mentioned in the Domesday Book as Buchebei. The "Long" part of its name was added later, during the Elizabethan era. This was to show how long the village stretched out.
Long Buckby Castle
Near the center of the village, you can still see the remains of a medieval castle. These are just earthworks, which are mounds and ditches. The castle was likely built by the local lords, the de Quincy family, in the 12th century. It was probably made of earth and wood. People think it was built by 1150 AD and used until after 1200 AD. The remaining earthworks are called The Mounts by local people. They look like an oval shape surrounded by a ditch.
Village Development
The tower of the local church of St Lawrence was built in the 12th century. The rest of the church building was added later over time.
Long Buckby was once a busy industrial village. In the 1600s, a wool industry started here. The village became a center for weaving and preparing wool. After 1800, this industry slowed down. It was replaced by a busy shoemaking industry. The arrival of the Grand Union Canal in the early 1800s helped this industry grow. Long Buckby had a very active wharf (a place where boats load and unload goods). The shoemaking business slowly declined in the 1900s and ended by 2000.
Since the 1960s, the building of the nearby M1 motorway has changed the village. Its population grew from about 2,500 to over 4,000 people. Long Buckby became more of a residential village where people live and travel to work in other towns.
Religious Life and Long Buckby Wharf
Being a Nonconformist was a strong tradition in the village. This means people followed Protestant churches that were not the Church of England. A chapel for the United Reform Church was built here in 1707. The building you see today was built in 1771.
The small hamlet of Long Buckby Wharf is part of the parish but separate from the main village. It is located next to the Grand Union Canal. It used to be a busy community with its own post office, church, and village hall.
Famous Residents and the Railway
The English comedian Stanley Unwin moved to Long Buckby in 1940. He worked for the BBC at a nearby radio station. He lived in the village until he passed away in 2002.
Long Buckby railway station opened in 1881. Until the mid-1960s, the station had a large area for sorting goods. This was very important for the village's economy. It helped bring in fuel and supplies for businesses and homes. It also delivered mail and newspapers. Local farm products and some animals were sent out from here.
Long Buckby railway station was the closest stop to Althorp. It was the final train stop for the then Prince of Wales, his two sons, and others after the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales. Many people around the world saw this on television.
Notable Buildings and Monuments
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The Historic England website lists 37 important buildings in Long Buckby. Most of them are Grade II, meaning they are of special interest. However, two are Grade II*, which means they are especially important.
- St Lawrence's Church, Long Buckby, Church Street
- Holly House, 22 High Street
There is also one scheduled monument in the parish. This is a nationally important historic site.
- Long Buckby Castle, ringwork and bailey
Transport in Long Buckby
The A5 road and M1 motorway are a short distance to the west of Long Buckby. The closest exits on the M1 motorway are junctions 16 and 18. Also, the A428 road runs a short distance to the east of the village.
Long Buckby railway station has train services provided by West Midlands Trains. It is on the Northampton Loop line. This line connects Birmingham New Street and London Euston.
Regular local bus services connect Long Buckby to nearby towns. These towns include Northampton, Rugby, and Daventry.
Schools in Long Buckby
Long Buckby has two schools for younger students. Long Buckby Infants School is for children in reception, Year 1, and Year 2. Long Buckby Junior School teaches pupils from Year 3 to Year 6. These students take their Key Stage 2 tests here.
The village is also in the area for Guilsborough School. This is a secondary school that takes local pupils from Year 7 to Year 9 (Key Stage 3). It also has Years 10 and 11 (Key Stage 4). Guilsborough School also offers a Sixth Form center. Here, older students can study for AS and A2 courses, which are advanced qualifications.
Sports in Long Buckby
Long Buckby has several sports clubs.
Football
Long Buckby A.F.C. plays football at Station Road. They are part of the United Counties Football League First Division. Their best achievement was reaching the second round of the FA Vase in the 1985–86 season. Some successful players from the club include Gary Mills, Darren Harman, Alex McKenzie, Dan Holman, and Richard Ryan. The football club shares a site with the rugby club. It has its own clubhouse and a second pitch for reserve teams and Sunday League teams.
Rugby
Long Buckby Rugby Football Club started in 1875. They have three senior teams, a colts team (younger players), and other junior teams. All teams get coaching from qualified rugby coaches. Club training nights are during the week. Youth rugby training is on Sundays. The club has a licensed clubhouse. Their team colors are green. Their emblem is a castle with an archway and a cross above it.
Tennis
The Long Buckby Tennis Tournament is an event that began in 1907. It is played every year in mid-July on the sports ground. It is a doubles tournament, where each team plays against all the other teams in their section.
Economy
Maclaren, a company that makes pushchairs (strollers), used to be based in Long Buckby. It was founded by Owen Finlay Maclaren. The company was in the village until 2000. After that, the company went out of business, and its manufacturing moved to China.
Notable Residents
- William Wadsworth (1594–1675) was probably born in Long Buckby. He moved to America and helped found Hartford, Connecticut.
- The comedian and inventor of "Unwinese," Stanley Unwin (1911–2002), lived in the village for many years. He is buried in the local churchyard.
Life in Long Buckby
The village offers many different services and places to visit. These include a doctor's surgery, two dentists, four churches, two schools, and a public library. There is also a veterinary surgery, a place for boarding cats, and a post office. The village has a community center, the Long Buckby Mill Park Nature Reserve, and Cotton End Park.
You can find three pubs in the village: The Pigeon, Old King's Head, and a small pub called Badger's Arms. A fourth pub, The Admiral Rodney, is now closed and has been changed into a hair salon and rented apartments. Local shops include two grocery stores, a butcher’s, several hairdressers, a card and gift shop, and a chemist. There are also many restaurants and take-away food places.
See also
In Spanish: Long Buckby para niños
