| Ecton | |
|---|---|
 Parish Church of St. Mary Magdalene | |
.svg)  Ecton Location withinNorthamptonshire | |
| Population | 466 (2011 census) |
| OS grid reference | SP827637 |
| Civil parish |
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| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Northampton |
| Postcode district | NN6 |
| Dialling code | 01604 |
| Police | Northamptonshire |
| Fire | Northamptonshire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | Ecton Village |
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Ecton is a village andcivil parish inNorth Northamptonshire, England. The village is just east ofNorthampton, just off theA4500 road. It was one of the first villages in Northamptonshire to be given conservation status.[citation needed][clarification needed] Thetoponym is derived from theOld English wordsEcca andtun, meaning "Ecca's farm/settlement."[1]
The2011 census recorded 466 people living in the village: 231 male, 235 female, in 211 households.[2]
Ecton is a place ofpilgrimage for many Americans.Benjamin Franklin's ancestors lived here for over 300 years, many generations of them being the villageblacksmiths, on a site where now stands the Three Horseshoes Inn. There are still headstones for members of the Franklin family in the village churchyard; inside the church there is abronze plaque, provided by a group of American visitors in 1910, which has a quotation from one of Benjamin Franklin's speeches.[3]
Ecton is served by the A4500 which runs east–west past the top of the village. The road connects Ecton toNorthampton andWellingborough, as well as a number of other villages. To the south of the village is the A45. There are no public transport services that run through the village itself, althoughStagecoach United Counties provides regular bus services that stop on the A4500. Bus services run from early morning to late evening with a reduced service on Sundays and Bank Holidays.[4]
TheChurch of England parish church of SaintMary Magdalene is just off the High Street. It dates from the 13th century.[5] Graves of the Sotheby family of Ecton Hall and the Franklin family are in the churchyard. The stained glass in the east window of St Mary Magdalene's Church is dedicated to the memory of Major General Frederick Edward Sotheby of Ecton Hall. It depicts The offering ofKing David at theCave of Adullam, and was executed in 1912 byPercy Bacon & Brothers.[6]
The church is in theDiocese of Peterborough.
Two former chapels, one off the High Street and the other in West Street, have been converted to residential properties.
From about 1687 to 1703 Henry Bagley ran abell foundry in Ecton.[7] Bagley is buried in the parish churchyard.[7] The Bagley family also ran a bell-foundry inChacombe.[8]
Ecton has twopublic houses: The World's End which was refurbished and extended in 2006, and The Three Horseshoes, also refurbished in April 2011. The World's End is at the edge of the village on the A4500, and The Three Horseshoes is in the centre of the village. The Three Horseshoes offers traditional pub games including skittles, darts andcribbage.[9]
Ecton no longer has any shops. In the past the village had a post office and numerous shops but the last post office and shop closed in 1989. The village has also been home to many different trades, including a baker, blacksmith, tailor and abell foundry. There are many self-employed people operating in the village offering services such as hairdressing, building, and odd-job persons.
The village primary school educates children up to the age of 11 from the village and surrounding area.[10]
The village has a playing field which is adjacent to The World's End pub and The Shrine which has swings, a roundabout, slide and climbing equipment for young children. The villagecricket club plays on a pitch located behind the village club. The pitch used to be located in a field off the A4500 until the mid-1990s when it moved to its current location.
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