Old Stratford

Old Stratford is a village in the south of the English county of Northamptonshire. The population of the village (including Passenham) at the 2011 Census was 1,935. The 'Stratford' part of the village name is Anglo-Saxon in origin and means 'ford on a Roman road'. The Roman road in this sense is the Watling Street that runs through the middle of the village.

Old Stratford
Old Stratford
Location within Northamptonshire
Population2,077 [1]
1,996 (2011)[2]
OS grid referenceSP779411
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townMILTON KEYNES
Postcode districtMK19
Dialling code01908
PoliceNorthamptonshire
FireNorthamptonshire
AmbulanceEast Midlands
UK Parliament

Location

The village lies immediately north of where the Watling Street crossed the River Great Ouse; just south of this crossing point is the town of Stony Stratford in Milton Keynes. (The ford was replaced by a causeway and stone bridge many years ago). The Ouse forms the boundary of the civil parish with that of Stony Stratford and also that between Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire.[3] Originally located on the junction of the A5, the A422 and the A508, these roads now bypass the village on its northern edge.

History

The Buckingham Arm of the Grand Union Canal passed through the village but has been disused since 1964. There remains a "Wharf Lane" and signs of the path of the old canal through the village towards Buckingham.

Facilities

The village has a few local facilities (two motor dealers, a Chinese takeaway, an Indian restaurant and a corner shop), and relies on Stony Stratford and Milton Keynes for a broader range of shops as well as for its medical, financial and other professional needs.

There is a primary school[4] part of Northamptonshire County Council local education authority. The nearest secondary school is in Deanshanger.

Administration

The village has a parish council,[5] which also administers the nearby village of Passenham.

The village is administered by South Northamptonshire District Council, based in Towcester and also Northamptonshire County Council.[6]

The "Stony Stratford" Hoard
The Stony Stratford Hoard

The Stony Stratford Hoard was probably found in 1789, near Passenham in the parish of Old Stratford, across the River Ouse from Stony Stratford.[7] It is not known where it originally came from or how it got there. Even the location of the find-spot is somewhat speculative, since the only recorded information is "Windmill Field".[7]

References
  1. SNC (2009). South Northamptonshire Council Year Book 2009-2010. Towcester NN12 7FA. p. 39.CS1 maint: location (link)
  2. "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  3. Map of Old Stratford and Passenham
  4. "Old Stratford Primary School". Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2009.
  5. Old Stratford Parish Council
  6. "Northamptonshire County Council website". Retrieved 26 July 2009.
  7. "The Stony Stratford Hoard (Roman)". Northamptonshire County Council. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
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