Roade

Roade straddles the busy Northampton to Milton Keynes A508, ca. {{convert|2|mi|km|0}} south of junction 15 of the M1 motorway, {{convert|5|mi|km|0}} south of Northampton and {{convert|12|mi|km|0}} north of Milton Keynes. The road bisects the village into the eastern, older part, and the western part, which is mostly 20th-century housing.

The 2001 census{{cite web|title = UK census 2001 – data|url = http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadDatasetList.do?a=3&b=797376&c=Roade&d=16&g=473786&i=1001x1003&m=0&r=1&s=1222954570875&enc=1&domainId=15|access-date = 2 October 2008}} shows 2,254 people living in the parish, 1,117 male and 1,137 female, in 962 dwellings. In 2011 the population had increased to 2,312.{{cite web|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11127971&c=Roade&d=16&e=62&g=6452328&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1468057972338&enc=1|title=Civil Parish population 2011|access-date=9 July 2016|publisher=Office for National Statistics|work=Neughbourhood Statistics}}

File:Roade cutting.JPG Pendolino travelling south on the fast lines with the Northampton loop lines on the right]]

Four tracks of the West Coast Main Line from London Euston to Manchester and Scotland go through the village in a deep cutting. The cutting bisects the village into the older part on the east side and the more recent west side. However, there are two main road bridges and four others for pedestrians, some for minor traffic and farm vehicles. The line dates from 1838 and was electrified in the 1960s.

The cutting is a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) listed by English Nature.[http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1002811.pdf English Nature site with details of Roade cutting]

Roade railway station was situated at the southern end of the village and the cutting, but closed in 1964. The four lines split at the north end of the cutting, with the two 'slow' lines forming the slower Northampton loop via {{rws|Northampton}} and {{rws|Long Buckby}}, and the other two 'fast' lines heading directly north via {{rws|Rugby}}. There was a campaign in the 1990s to have the station re-opened for commuter traffic to London, Milton Keynes and Northampton, but there are no current plans to do so.

An accident occurred at the northern end of the cutting, at the junction, on 31 December 1969 when a northbound goods train on the slow lines derailed. A southbound passenger train from Northampton was passing at the time at about 75 mph and collided with the derailed wagons and was partly derailed itself. The driver of the passenger train was killed.[http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/DoE_Roade1969.pdf Report on the Derailment and subsequent Collision that occurred on 31 December 1969 near Roade Junction – official report of the accident, accessed 23 July 2011] The cause of the derailment was the failure of a main bearing spring on an empty 16-ton mineral wagon, and very similar to a previous incident on the Northampton loop in 1967.

In January 2021, work began on a rail freight terminal at Roade, taking advantage of its connection to the railway and proximity to the M1. The facility is anticipated to become fully operational by the end of 2023.{{cite news|last=Walton|first=Simon|date=20 January 2021|title=Construction begins on latest UK terminal|work=RailFreight.com|url=https://www.railfreight.com/business/2021/01/20/construction-begins-on-latest-uk-terminal/ |publisher=ProMedia Group}} "Work about to get underway includes incorporating major upgrades to Junctions 15 and 15a on the M1, a new bridge over the West Coast Mainline, the construction of a[n A508] bypass around Roade and improvements to the A45 and safer junctions along the A508".{{cite magazine |title=Main work begins on huge logistics hub and rail freight interchange |url=https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/main-work-begins-on-huge-logistics-hub-and-rail-freight-interchange-05-01-2021/ |date=5 January 2021 |first=Rob |last=Horgan |magazine=New Civil Engineer}}

The local secondary school, Elizabeth Woodville School is the one of two Sports Colleges in Northamptonshire, the other being Kingsthorpe College. The school is on the A508 Stratford road at the south-west end of the village and has around 1,150 pupils.[http://www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/en/councilservices/EducationandLearning/schoolsdir/Pages/schoolsdirectory.aspx?SchoolDetail=9284033|Secondary Elizabeth Woodville School at the northamptonshire County Council website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327030046/http://www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/en/councilservices/EducationandLearning/schoolsdir/Pages/schoolsdirectory.aspx?SchoolDetail=9284033%7CSecondary |date=27 March 2012 }} The catchment area extends to Grange Park, Blisworth, Stoke Bruerne and several other villages in the area. The school opened in 1956 as Roade Secondary Modern School changing to a Comprehensive School in 1975.[http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=22790#s1 A History of Roade, from Volume V of "A History of Northamptonshire" at British History Online] The School merged with Kingsbrook Business and Enterprise school in Deanshanger in September 2011.Northampton Chronicle & Echo, 13 June 2011 The merged school was renamed Elizabeth Woodville School. Woodville was born in Grafton Regis which is halfway between the two schools and was Queen consort of King Edward IV.

Roade Primary School in Hartwell Road has about 166 pupils[http://www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/en/councilservices/EducationandLearning/schoolsdir/Pages/schoolsdirectory.aspx?SchoolDetail=9282079|Primary Roade Primary School at the Northamptonshire County Council website] and the original school was built in 1876.

There is a main post office in the High Street offering most services including the payment of Vehicle Excise Duty.

The village pub is The Cock Inn, at the junction of the High Street with Hartwell Road.

The village has its own football team who play in the Premier Division of the Northamptonshire Combination Football League, known as Roade FC.

• Glenys Kinnock (1944–2023), Labour Party politician, was born in Roade{{cite web|title = Spin profile of Glenys Kinnock|url=http://www.spinprofiles.org/index.php/Glenys_Kinnock|access-date = 6 October 2009}}
• Bernard Donoughue (born 1934), Labour Party politician{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}
• David Capel (born 1963), cricketer{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}
• Joe Stockdale (born 1999) equestrian{{Cite web|url=https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/people/northamptonshire-equestrian-rider-part-of-bronze-winning-team-gb-at-world-champs-for-first-time-in-24-years-3807992|title=Northamptonshire equestrian rider part of bronze-winning Team GB at World Champs – for first time in 24 years|journal=Northampton Chronicle & Echo|first=Katie|last=Wheatley|date=17 August 2022|accessdate=19 April 2024}}

The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the Parish of Roade.

{{Incomplete list|date=February 2024}}

• Cecil Bottomley: 8 May 2014.
• Shamsher "Sam" Chatur: 19 November 2022.
• Nilufa "Lucy" Chatur: 19 November 2022.{{cite web |url=https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/people/roade-parish-council-to-award-the-title-of-honorary-freedom-to-post-office-pair-3920398 |title=Roade parish council to award the title of Honorary Freedom to Post Office pair |last=Murphy |first=Debbie |date=16 November 2022 |website=The Northampton Chronicle and Echo |access-date=21 November 2022 }}
• William John McLaren Marshall: 26 November 2022.

{{cite web |title=Freedom of the Parish |url=https://www.roadeparishcouncil.gov.uk/honorary-freeman-of-the-parish-o |publisher=Roade Parish Council |date=3 February 2024 |access-date=3 February 2024 |language=en}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category-inline|Roade}}{{Portal|England}}

• [https://www.roadeparishcouncil.gov.uk/ Roade parish council web site]
• [http://www.webteams.co.uk/Home.aspx?team=roadefootballclub Roade football club website]
• [http://www.roadehistorysociety.org.uk/index.html Roade History Society]

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Category:Villages in Northamptonshire

Category:West Northamptonshire District

Category:Civil parishes in Northamptonshire