Farthingstone

The population at the 2001 census was 179,{{NOMIS2001|id=34UC029|title=Farthingstone Parish|access-date=5 March 2020}} increasing to 193 at the 2011 census.

The parish church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, dates from the late 13th century and is now grade II* listed.{{NHLE|desc=Church of St Mary|num=1054931|grade=II*|access-date=5 March 2020}} 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.{{Genuki|county=NTH|Farthingstone}}{{cite book |last1=Pevsner |first1=Nikolaus |last2=Cherry |first2=Bridget |title=Northamptonshire |date=2002 |publisher=Yale University Press |location=London |isbn=0-300-09632-1 |page=213 |edition=2}} 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.{{cite journal |last1=Patrick |first1=Judith |last2=Bailey |first2=Bruce |title=Farthingstone: a Mecca for Edwardian Architecture and Art |journal=Northamptonshire Past and Present |date=2013 |issue=66 |pages=29–32 |publisher=Northamptonshire Record Society |location=Northampton |issn=0140-9131}} Since 2006, the parish has formed part of the Lambfold benefice, together with the parishes of Blakesley, Maidford, Litchborough and Adstone.{{cite web |title=Farthingstone Church - St Mary The Virgine - Lambfold Benefice |url=http://www.farthingstonechurch.co.uk/ |website=www.farthingstonechurch.co.uk |access-date=5 March 2020}}

The villages name probably means, 'Farthegn's farm/settlement'. Alternatively, perhaps less likely is, 'farm/settlement of Farndon's people'.{{Cite web|url=http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Northamptonshire/Farthingstone|title=Key to English Place-names}}

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.{{NHLE|desc=Castle Dykes motte and bailey castle |num=1010659 |grade=|access-date=5 March 2020}} 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".A History of Farthingstone, Farthinstone Parish Council, 1999{{cite book |last1=Ryland |first1=W Dent Adkins |title=The Victoria history of the county of Northampton |date=1902 |publisher=Constable |location=London |page=406|oclc=911848}}

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.{{cite web |title=Farthingstone {{!}} Domesday Book |url=https://opendomesday.org/place/SP6155/farthingstone/ |website=opendomesday.org |access-date=5 March 2020}}

The village, which is about {{convert|144|m|order=flip}} above sea level, lies at the headwaters of two streams that run east into the River Nene.{{cite web |title=Farthingstone {{!}} British History Online |url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/rchme/northants/vol3/pp84-88 |website=www.british-history.ac.uk |access-date=5 March 2020}} Farthingstone is {{convert|7|mi}} equidistant from both Daventry to the north west, and Towcester to the south east.{{cite web |title=Farthingstone Village Design Statement |url=https://www.daventrydc.gov.uk/EasySiteWeb/GatewayLink.aspx?alId=27837 |website=daventrydc.gov.uk |access-date=5 March 2020 |page=2 |format=PDF}} To the north of the village, towards the village of Everdon, there is extensive woodland.{{cite web |title=Current landscape character assessment Northamptonshire |url=http://www.rnrpenvironmentalcharacter.org.uk/data/4.1%20CLCA.pdf |website=rnrpenvironmentalcharacter.org.uk |access-date=5 March 2020 |page=136 }}

There used to be an 18 hole golf course but this was sold and then closed pending redevelopment into a high end lifestyle retreat.[http://www.farthingstone.co.uk/ Farthingstone Golf Course and hotel] 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.{{cite news |last1=Green |first1=Lucie |title=Walkers and runners put sole into Farthingstone Foot Fest |url=https://www.daventryexpress.co.uk/news/walkers-and-runners-put-sole-into-farthingstone-foot-fest-1-8533642 |access-date=5 March 2020 |work=Daventry Express |date=16 June 2018 |language=en}}

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{{Commons category|Farthingstone}}

{{Daventry District}}

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Category:Villages in Northamptonshire

Category:West Northamptonshire District

Category:Civil parishes in Northamptonshire