Farthingstone
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox UK place Farthingstone is a village in West Northamptonshire in England. It is close to the major trunk routes of the M1 junction 16, M40 motorway, and A5 road, at the head of a valley and is Template:Convert south of Daventry and Template:Convert south west of Weedon Bec.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
DemographicsEdit
The population at the 2001 census was 179,<ref>Template:NOMIS2001</ref> increasing to 193 at the 2011 census.<ref name="NOMIS"/>
The parish church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, dates from the late 13th century and is now grade II* listed.<ref>Template:NHLE</ref> The church is constructed of ironstone, which was quarried locally, and the tower was added in the 13th century being located at the west end of the church.<ref>Template:Genuki</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The whole church renovated in the 1920s by the Agnew family, owners of Punch magazine, as a memorial to family members killed in World War I.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Since 2006, the parish has formed part of the Lambfold benefice, together with the parishes of Blakesley, Maidford, Litchborough and Adstone.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Early historyEdit
The villages name probably means, 'Farthegn's farm/settlement'. Alternatively, perhaps less likely is, 'farm/settlement of Farndon's people'.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
To the north-east of the village, south of Castle Dykes Farm, is evidence of a univallate hillfort and the buried remains of a Bronze Age barrow. This is a recorded national monument.<ref>Template:NHLE</ref> To the north of Castle Dykes Farm is Castle Dykes, a Norman motte castle with three baileys. In 1712, workmen digging on the site of the castle found a "room with a vaulted stone roof, and another room beneath and rudely carved stones with human figures on them".<ref>A History of Farthingstone, Farthinstone Parish Council, 1999</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Farthingstone was listed in the Domesday Book as Fordinestone. Other Medieval spellings include Fardenston, Ferdingstone, Fardingestun and Fardyngton. The village was given to the Earl of Moreton by his half-brother, William the Conqueror. The land belonged to the Fawsley Hundred.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
GeographyEdit
The village, which is about Template:Convert above sea level, lies at the headwaters of two streams that run east into the River Nene.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Farthingstone is Template:Convert equidistant from both Daventry to the north west, and Towcester to the south east.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> To the north of the village, towards the village of Everdon, there is extensive woodland.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
RecreationEdit
There used to be an 18 hole golf course but this was sold and then closed pending redevelopment into a high end lifestyle retreat.<ref>Farthingstone Golf Course and hotel</ref> Every summer, the Farthingstone Foot Fest takes place, which is a marathon and other shorter distance events, and aims to raise money for charity. The course takes walkers or runners over a number of stiles and through kissing gates in a figure of eight loop around the village.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>