Ecton, Northamptonshire

Ecton
Ecton
Population	Expression error: "439 (2001 Census)" must be numeric
OS grid reference	SP827637
District	Wellingborough;
Shire county	Northamptonshire;
Region	East Midlands;
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	NORTHAMPTON
Postcode district	NN6
Dialling code	01604
Police	Northamptonshire
Fire	Northamptonshire
Ambulance	East Midlands
UK Parliament	Wellingborough;
	List of places UK England Northamptonshire

Ecton is a village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is in the Borough of Wellingborough and according to the 2001 census had a population of 439. The village is just east of Northampton just off the A4500. It was one of the first villages in Northamptonshire to be given conservation status.

Ecton is a place of pilgrimage for many Americans. Benjamin Franklin's ancestors lived here for over 300 years, many generations of them being the village blacksmiths, on a site where now stands the Three Horseshoes Inn. There are still headstones for members of the Franklin family in the village church yard and there is a bronze plaque inside the church with a quotation from one of Benjamin Franklin’s speeches, which was provided by a group of American visitors in 1910.^[1]

Transport

Ecton is served by the A4500 which runs from East-West past the top of the village. The road connects Ecton to Northampton and Wellingborough, 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, although Stagecoach United Counties provide 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.^{[citation needed]}

Church

Dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, the parish church of Ecton lies just off the High Street. (Nikolaus Pevsner, The Buildings of England, Northamptonshire, 1961)

Pubs

Ecton is served by two public houses - The World's End which has recently been refurbished and extended, and The Three Horseshoes. The World's End is located at the entrance to the village on the A4500, and The Three Horseshoes is located in the centre of the village. The Three Horseshoes offers traditional pub games including skittles, darts and cribbage.^{[citation needed]}

Shops

Ecton no longer has any shops. In the past the village has had numerous post offices and shops with the last post office and shop closing in 1989. The village has in the past been home to many different trades, including a baker, blacksmith, tailor and a bell foundry. The only business remaining in the village is a hair salon.^{[citation needed]}

Village School

The village school provides an education for children up to the age of 11 from the village and surrounding area.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ Janet Benge, Geoff Benge (2005). Benjamin Franklin: Live Wire. YWAM Publishing. ISBN 1932096140.

External links

There is a website about the village at http://www.ectonvillage.co.uk and a discussion forum at http://www.villageforum.co.uk/ecton.

The village school website can be found at http://www.ecton-village-school.co.uk.

[1] Janet Benge, Geoff Benge (2005). Benjamin Franklin: Live Wire. YWAM Publishing. ISBN 1932096140.

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