DiD you Know?Borough Hill in Daventry was the BBC’s first National Broadcasting Service, later the World Broadcasting Service with the world renown “Daventry Calling” call sign. The BBC site was also involved with the first-ever practical demonstration of Radar.

1. Daventry Town Council Museum located in the Daventry Town Council offices in New Street. The museum contains an extensive collection of photographs and local history artefacts alongside memorabilia of Daventry past. It is open on the first Saturday of each month from 10am to 1pm for viewings or research, at other times by appointment.

2. The Old Grammar School founded in 1576. William Parker settled with the School Master £20 a year to teach 50 pupils Latin free of charge; later money was raised in Daventry to erect this school house which opened in 1600. The inscription above the door reads Anno Dni 1600, and on the front Restavrata (restored) Anno Dni 1857.

3. Holy Cross Church the only 18th century church built in Northamptonshire; it was built of iron stone between 1752 and 1758. Next to the church is the Abbey Buildings (now Casey’s Club), a Victorian reconstruction of the old Cluniac Priory buildings which once stood on the site. The Priory was established in 1108 and closed by Cardinal Wolsey in 1526.

Discover Daventry’s long and diverse history; from an Iron Age hill fort to an important cross roads for coaching until the coming of the railways. Later, the main employment in the town was the Boot and Shoe Industry and the BBC. Today, many historical buildings, old Coach Houses and inns remain.

Daventry Heritage Trail

From the museum turn left to:

Turn left into Little Lane then left into Church Walk and this will bring you to:

Walk down to the Market Square. First evidence of a market held here is 1203. Notice the old buildings on the left and the new buildings on the right which reflect the old design. Walk across the road to:

4. Moot Hall (next to the Plume of Feathers) built in 1769 with an iron stone frontage as a private house. It has had many uses over the years, as the Borough Council offices, Courtroom with cells, a woman’s prison and later as the Daventry District Museum and Tourist Information Centre.

5. Burton Memorial built in 1911 in remembrance of Edmund Charles Burton M.A. on the original site of the old Moot Hall which was demolished in1806.

7. Saracens Head Inn formerly known as The Keyes before 1642, the first mention of an Inn on the site was in 1571.

6. The Dun Cow is an excellent example of a Coach House. It could accommodate 60 horses in its heyday, when Daventry was a staging stop and cross roads on the main London to Holyhead turnpike. A thriving whip manufacturing industry flourished until the coming of the railways in the mid 1800’s.

Walk down High Street, note the many old buildings and alleyways. The poet Mrs Felicia Dorothea Hemans who was renowned for the poem Casabianca (more commonly know by the first line “the boy stood on the burning deck”) once lived at 17 High St. Turn right into Brook St.

On the other side of the street is:

Walk across the road to the building opposite on the right hand corner of Sheaf Street, built in the style of a castellated folly, it was at one time the BBC Social Club.

At the top of High Street is:

HIGH STREET

NEW STREETOXFORD STREET

BRO

OK

STREET

ABBEY ROAD

CHU

RCH

WA

LK

MARKETSQUARE

BOWENSQUARE

LITTLE LANE

FOU

ND

RY PLA

CE

SHEA

F STREET

LON

DO

N R

OA

D

NEW

STR

EET

1. Daventry Town Council Museum located in the Daventry Town Council offices in New Street. The museum contains an extensive collection of photographs and local history artefacts alongside memorabilia of Daventry past. It is open on the first Saturday of each month from 10am to 1pm for viewings or research, at other times by appointment.

2. The Old Grammar School founded in 1576. William Parker settled with the School Master £20 a year to teach 50 pupils Latin free of charge; later money was raised in Daventry to erect this school house which opened in 1600. The inscription above the door reads Anno Dni 1600, and on the front Restavrata (restored) Anno Dni 1857.

3. Holy Cross Church the only 18th century church built in Northamptonshire; it was built of iron stone between 1752 and 1758. Next to the church is the Abbey Buildings (now Casey’s Club), a Victorian reconstruction of the old Cluniac Priory buildings which once stood on the site. The Priory was established in 1108 and closed by Cardinal Wolsey in 1526.

Discover Daventry’s long and diverse history; from an Iron Age hill fort to an important cross roads for coaching until the coming of the railways. Later, the main employment in the town was the Boot and Shoe Industry and the BBC. Today, many historical buildings, old Coach Houses and inns remain.

Daventry Heritage Trail

From the museum turn left to:

Turn left into Little Lane then left into Church Walk and this will bring you to:

Walk down to the Market Square. First evidence of a market held here is 1203. Notice the old buildings on the left and the new buildings on the right which reflect the old design. Walk across the road to:

HIGH STREET

NEW STREETOXFORD STREET

BRO

OK

STREET

ABBEY ROAD

CHU

RCH

WA

LK

MARKETSQUARE

BOWENSQUARE

LITTLE LANE

FOU

ND

RY PLA

CE

SHEA

F STREET

LON

DO

N R

OA

D

NEW

STR

EET

1. Daventry Town Council Museum located in the Daventry Town Council offices in New Street. The museum contains an extensive collection of photographs and local history artefacts alongside memorabilia of Daventry past. It is open on the first Saturday of each month from 10am to 1pm for viewings or research, at other times by appointment.

2. The Old Grammar School founded in 1576. William Parker settled with the School Master £20 a year to teach 50 pupils Latin free of charge; later money was raised in Daventry to erect this school house which opened in 1600. The inscription above the door reads Anno Dni 1600, and on the front Restavrata (restored) Anno Dni 1857.

3. Holy Cross Church the only 18th century church built in Northamptonshire; it was built of iron stone between 1752 and 1758. Next to the church is the Abbey Buildings (now Casey’s Club), a Victorian reconstruction of the old Cluniac Priory buildings which once stood on the site. The Priory was established in 1108 and closed by Cardinal Wolsey in 1526.

Discover Daventry’s long and diverse history; from an Iron Age hill fort to an important cross roads for coaching until the coming of the railways. Later, the main employment in the town was the Boot and Shoe Industry and the BBC. Today, many historical buildings, old Coach Houses and inns remain.

Daventry Heritage Trail

From the museum turn left to:

Turn left into Little Lane then left into Church Walk and this will bring you to:

Walk down to the Market Square. First evidence of a market held here is 1203. Notice the old buildings on the left and the new buildings on the right which reflect the old design. Walk across the road to:

Walk on up Sheaf Street to Princes Court. Formerly on the right of the court stood the Wagon and Horses on the left the Prince Regent public houses. In 1892 there were 5 pubs in Sheaf Street. As you walk up the street notice the several alley ways and old buildings. At the top on the left is:

At the top of Sheaf Street on the right is:

8. The BBC Social Club the former BBC Social Club used by BBC employees, the BBC station was situated on Borough Hill from 1925 to 1992. Broadcasts started with the National Service 5xx. In 1932 the Empire Service started which later developed into the World Service. “Daventry Calling” was the call sign. In 1935 the first practical demonstration of radar was relayed from Borough Hill.

9. Congregational Church built as a meeting house for the Dissenter movement; the inscription above the arch reads Independent Chapel erected 1722. The Church has been the United Reformed Church since 1972. The Non Conformist Academy was built in 1752; see dated plaque on the wall which commemorates Dr Joseph Priestley a celebrated Theologian and Scientist in Chemistry.

10. The Wheat Sheaf Hotel originally a Coaching Inn first mentioned in the Dragge Book of 1571. During the English Civil War King Charles I stayed here for 6 nights before the battle of Naseby which took place on 14th June 1645. The Kings army of 5,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry was camped on Borough Hill as the hill was easy to defend.

Other places of interest are Borough Hill (now public parkland) with its walks, history and magnificent views of the surrounding countryside. And Daventry Country Park with a walk around the reservoir, and habitats for water birds and other wildlife.

For further information on Northamptonshire and its heritage please visit www.letyourselfgrow.com/heritage