Ravensthorpe
Guilsborough Road, Ravensthorpe
Ravensthorpe is located in Northamptonshire
Ravensthorpe
Ravensthorpe
Location within Northamptonshire
Area0.3325 km2 (0.1284 sq mi)
Population646 (2011 census)
• Density1,943/km2 (5,030/sq mi)
OS grid referenceSP6670
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townNorthampton
Postcode districtNN6
Dialling code01604
PoliceNorthamptonshire
FireNorthamptonshire
AmbulanceEast Midlands
UK Parliament

Ravensthorpe is a village and civil parish in West Northamptonshire in England. The village lies approximately midway between Northampton and Rugby. The M1 motorway is six miles west and the nearest railway station is at Long Buckby. At the time of the 2001 census, the parish's population was 656 people,[1] including Coton but falling slightly to 646 at the 2011 census.[2]

The village's name means 'outlying farm/settlement of Hrafn'.[3] Services within the village include a shop, the 'Chequers' pub, a playing field, a small park and a woodland maintained by the Woodland Trust.

History

Iron Age and Roman pottery have been found around the village, indicating a possible settlement.[4] By the time of the Domesday Survey, a settlement of either Anglo-Saxon or Scandinavian origin was recorded.[5]

The St Denys Church was built in the 13th Century on a site believed to have been in use since the time of William the Conqueror.[6][7]

Mother Rhodes, who lived just outside the village, was alleged to be a witch during the Northamptonshire Witch Trials. During the trial, testimonies against Joan Vaughn and Agnes Brown alleged that they were seen with other ‘witches’, Katherine Gardiner and Joan Lucus, visiting Mother Rhodes, who was found dying according to The Witches of Northamptonshire: "It was credthly reported that some fort-night before their apprehension, this Agnes Browne, one Ratherine Gardiner, and one Ioane Lucas, all birds of a winge, and all abyding in the Towne of Gilsborough did ride one night to a place (not aboue a mile off) called Rauenstrop, all vpon a Sowes backe, to sée one mother Rhoades, an old Witch that dwelt there, but before they came to her house the old Witch died, and in her last cast cried out, that there were three of her old friends coming to sée her, but they came too late, Howbeit shee would méete with them in another place within a month after. And thus much concerning Agnes Browne, and her daughter".[8][9][10][11] Vaughn and Brown were executed on 22 July 1612.[9][10]

Geography

The civil parish of Ravensthorpe includes nearby Coton. Nearby tourist attractions include Coton Manor Garden, Althorp House, and Holdenby House.

A village of the same name is present in the 2020 video game Assassin's Creed Valhalla, although the fictionalised Ravensthorpe is in a different location of Ledecestrescire, meaning Leicestershire which features prominently as the protagonist's home. According to the game's narrative director, Darby McDevitt, the fictional version was created without knowledge of the real location, and a Reddit user made the connection on 13 November. McDevitt claimed the development team only found out about the similarity a few months prior.[12][13] Lord of the Manor Charlie Reeve declared a week-long commemorative event for the release of an in-game Yuletide festival, coinciding with local pub The Chequers releasing a special takeaway menu.[14] By comparing in-game maps with actual geography, the real-life village is immediate proximity of the fictional one. Perhaps, although it is unconfirmed by the development team, the fictional Ravensthorpe's history and location could be based on the real-life city of Northampton, approximately 10 miles away on the north shore of the River Nene.

Notable people

References

  1. ↑ Office for National Statistics: Ravensthorpe CP: Parish headcounts. Retrieved 18 November 2009
  2. ↑ "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  3. ↑ "Ravensthorpe". Key to English Place Names. University of Nottingham. Retrieved 22 April 2020. Hrafn's outlying farm/settlement
  4. ↑ An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in the County of Northamptonshire. Vol. 3. Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 1981. pp. 168–169. ISBN 0117009008 – via British History Online.
  5. ↑ "The Very Early Years - East Haddon in pre-Domesday times". East Haddon History Society. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  6. ↑ Pevsner, Nikolaus; Cherry, Bridget (1973). The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire. Penguin Books. p. 384. ISBN 0300185073 – via Historic England.
  7. ↑ "St. Denys, Ravensthorpe". Uplands Group Churches. Diocese of Peterborough. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  8. ↑ The Witches of Northamptonshire. London: Tho: Purfoot. 1612. OCLC 316394491 – via University of Michigan Library.
  9. 1 2 Renton, Ethel; Renton, Eleanor (1929). Records Of Guilsborough, Nortoft And Hollowell, Northamptonshire. Kettering, T.B. Hart, Ltd. OCLC 762222738.
  10. 1 2 Hillery, Megan (4 November 2020). "The Northamptonshire Witch Trials: The terrible tales of five people who were hanged on the same day for witchcraft in 1612". Northampton Chronicle & Echo. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  11. ↑ McBride, Paula (27 October 2019). "Witchcraft in the East Midlands 1517-1642". Midland History. 44 (2): 222–237. doi:10.1080/0047729X.2019.1667109. S2CID 211666074. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  12. ↑ Phillips, Tom (13 November 2020). "Assassin's Creed Valhalla's Ravensthorpe is a real place, and a complete coincidence". Eurogamer. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  13. ↑ Purslow, Matt (13 November 2020). "Assassin's Creed Valhalla's Main Location Is a Huge Historical Coincidence". IGN. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  14. ↑ Maguid, Youssef (17 December 2020). "Assassin's Creed Valhalla – Real-Life Ravensthorpe Celebrates With Themed Pub Menu". Ubisoft. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
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