Silverstone
{{Short description|Village in Northamptonshire, England}}
{{About|the village|the motor racing circuit|Silverstone Circuit|other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2014}}
{{Infobox UK place
|official_name= Silverstone
|coordinates = {{coord|52.090|-1.024|display=inline,title}}
|os_grid_reference= SP670440
|civil_parish= Silverstone
|population = 1,989
|population_ref= (2001 census){{cite web |url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=797379&c=Silverstone&d=16&e=15&g=473879&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1287439040894&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 |title=Area: Silverstone CP (Parish): Parish Headcounts |work=Neighbourhood Statistics |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=18 October 2010}}
2,176 (2011 census)
|unitary_england= West Northamptonshire
|lieutenancy_england= Northamptonshire
|region= East Midlands
|country= England
|post_town= Towcester
|postcode_district = NN12
|postcode_area= NN
|dial_code= 01327
|constituency_westminster= Northamptonshire South
|website= [http://www.silverstonevillage.org/ Silverstone Village]
}}
Silverstone is a village and civil parish in the West Northamptonshire unitary authority area of Northamptonshire, England.{{cite web |title=List of settlements |url=https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/neighbourhood-planning/list-settlements |publisher=West Northamptonshire Council |access-date=8 March 2025}} The village is about {{convert|3.5|mi|km}} south-southwest of Towcester and {{convert|6.5|mi|km}} northeast of Brackley, both accessed via the A43 main road which now bypasses Silverstone to the south and east. The village is also about {{convert|11.5|mi|km}} south-southwest of Northampton, {{convert|12|mi|km}} west-northwest of Milton Keynes, and {{convert|13.5|mi|km}} east-northeast of Banbury. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 2,176.{{cite web|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11128527&c=Silverstone&d=16&e=62&g=6452418&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1468068942277&enc=1|title=Civil Parish population 2011|access-date=9 July 2016|publisher=Office for National Statistics|work=Neighbourhood Statistics}}
The village's name probably means 'farm/settlement of Saewulf/Sigewulf'.{{Cite web |url=http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Northamptonshire/Silverstone |title=Silverstone |work=Key to English Place-names |publisher=University of Nottingham}}
The Silverstone Circuit, the current home of the British Grand Prix, is located nearby; it straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border.
The village is listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Silvestone and Selvestone.
Parish church
File:St Michael's, Silverstone - geograph.org.uk - 143165.jpg
Silverstone had a chapel by 1200 CE.{{cite web |url=https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/16509/about-us/ |work=A Church Near You |publisher=The Church of England |access-date=21 May 2025 |title=St Michael's Church }} In about 1780 the medieval building was replaced by a Georgian one, which was enlarged by the addition of a chancel in 1841 and a north aisle and vestry in 1852. The entire church was demolished in the 1880s and replaced by the present Church of England parish church of Saint Michael, which is a Gothic Revival building designed by James Piers St Aubyn and completed in 1884.Pevsner & Cherry, 1973, page 404
On the north side of the parish churchyard are the remains of medieval fish ponds.
Facilities
The village has one public house: the White Horse Inn.
About {{convert|1/2|mi|km|0|abbr=off|spell=on}} south of the village is the Silverstone Circuit, a former Royal Air Force World War II bomber base and now the traditional home of the British Grand Prix, a Formula One race that attracts around 480,000 visitors each year.{{cite web|url=https://www.silverstone.co.uk/news/2024-british-grand-prix-numbers|title=The 2024 British Grand Prix in numbers|date=8 July 2024|access-date=31 May 2025|website=Silverstone}}
Silverstone University Technical College opened at the circuit in September 2013.
Adjacent to Silverstone Circuit is Silverstone Park, a business park operated by MEPC plc, with a focus on engineering and high-tech activities. The site is home to over 80 organisations, including David Brown Automotive, Delta Motorsport, Ducati UK Ltd, National College for Motorsport, Danecca Limited, Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, ELMS team Vector Sport,{{Cite web |last=Lloyd |first=Daniel |date=2022-02-24 |title=Holland: Vector Sport Formed on "Blank Piece of Paper" – Sportscar365 |url=https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/holland-vector-sport-formed-on-blank-piece-of-paper/ |access-date=2025-05-31 |website=sportscar365.com |language=en-US}} and Formula E teams Envision Racing and Cupra Kiro.{{cite web|url=https://www.fiaformulae.com/en/teams/5d9905e8-5348-441c-a3be-b14e145c127d/cupra-kiro|title=CUPRA KIRO|date=20 March 2025|access-date=10 May 2025|website=Formula E}} It also features the UK's only dedicated sub-contract inspection metrology facility, managed by Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, a technical partner to Red Bull Formula 1.
Silverstone is also the base of the Formula One constructor Aston Martin—formerly known as Racing Point, Force India and Jordan—and is set to be the British base of Cadillac.{{cite web|url=https://news.gm.com/home.detail.html/Pages/news/us/en/2024/nov/1125-f1.html|title=General Motors launches Cadillac Formula 1 Team and power unit|date=25 November 2024|access-date=25 November 2024|website=General Motors}}
In the Middle Ages, the village trade was primarily in timber from the surrounding Whittlewood forest through the use of coppicing. Linnell Brothers still operate a woodyard to this day.{{cite web|url=https://linnellbros.co.uk/contact/|title=Contact Us|access-date=31 May 2025|website=Linnell Brothers}}
References
{{reflist}}
Further reading
- {{Cite book |last1=Pevsner |first1=Nikolaus |author-link1= Nikolaus Pevsner |last2=Cherry |first2=Bridget |title=The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire |year=1973 |publisher=Penguin Books |location=Harmondsworth |page=404}}
External links
{{Commons category-inline|Silverstone}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Villages in Northamptonshire