# Moulton, Northamptonshire

Moulton is a large village in West Northamptonshire. The population of the civil parish at the 2021 Census was 5,491.
The villages name is thought to be derived from 'town of the mill', or perhaps 'Meleton' - meaning protected town, since the church, manor house and castle were all within bowshot. In the Domesday Book of 1086 it is spelt 'Moltone'.
Moulton Parish Council won the Local Council Award Scheme Gold in 2024.

## Education

There are many pre-school facilities in the village including playgroups and nurseries. Primary education in the village is provided by Moulton Primary School, although it is not uncommon for children to attend other primary schools in the local area, for example Overstone, Pitsford or Parklands primary schools.
Moulton School and Science College is a comprehensive school providing education for 11- to 18-year-olds, not only to those from Moulton but also to students from the surrounding villages - primarily Brixworth, Walgrave, and Overstone.
Moulton is home to Moulton College, an agricultural and trade orientated college.

## History
### Roman Times

Moulton (or "Multone", "Muletone", or "Moltone"; see #Toponymy) has origins in Roman times. To the south of the village, a Roman Villa was excavated, and there are signs of earlier settlements at Round Spinney, where a stone circle was found. Two flint arrowheads, a scraper, and a few roman shards have been found in the parish. There are no Roman names for the village recorded - this shows it may have been a small farming settlement, part of a bigger district.

### Pre-Norman Period (Before 1066)

Moulton was an established settlement before the Norman Conquest. The principal estate in Moulton was held by 'Aliric', a Saxon landowner. The village had arable land, villeins (peasant farmers), and bordars (smallholders), indicating a well-functioning agricultural community. A mill is mentioned in the Domesday book, valued at 8d yearly. This mill was most likely situated in stream that runs through Moulton village (pictured), since it is described as 'a small rivulet which rises in Overstone parish', and runs into the River Nene 'a few hundred yards above Boughton Mill'. This mill still survives today; halfway up spectacle lane, to the right, stands the mill house and stream.

## Toponymy

The name "Moulton" likely derives from Old English settlements, with "Mul" possibly referring to a stream or mill, and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "settlement". This means that the name 'Multon" literally meant "Settlement by the mill (or stream)". In the domesday book, Moulton occurs as "Multone", "Muletone", and "Moltone".

## Archeological Findings
### Possible Manor House (SP 78606715)

Some 500m north of Manor Farm, on the right of Moulton Road, or 1km north-east of The Church, on clay at 114m above OD. The area is traditionally known as 'Castle Hill' and may have been the site of the Manor House of the Fitz John family, who held land in Moulton in the 13th Century. Today, any remains have been destroyed by modern farming.

## Church

The Church of England parish church is dedicated to St Peter and St Paul. It is within the Conservative Evangelical tradition of the Church of England, and it has passed resolutions to reject the ordination of women. There has been a small church building in Moulton since the early 7th century, built of wood, but this was burnt down by invading Danes, was rebuilt, but again suffered the same fate. The invading Normans erected a building of stone, the beginning of today's building. During the 19th century, during church renovation, the shaft of a stone Saxon preaching cross was discovered under the floor, which is now displayed in the south aisle. Moulton has a peal of twelve bells, one of three others within Peterborough Diocese, and one of about only one hundred or so in the world. During the 15th century there were four bells and in the succeeding centuries more were added, the latest two making up the twelve in 1993. Two of Moulton's peal, hung in 1934, commemorate William Carey's pastorate and residence in the village 1785–1789.

## Notable residents

John Sanderson (1578/9-c.1653) was living at Moulton in 1606/7. He purchased a substantial quantity of land in the parish in 1629 and apparently remained there for much if not all of the rest of his life.
The village was the 18th-century home of William Carey. The church where he ministered, and the cottage in which he lived, are located at the west end of West Street.
The village also has links with John Jeyes (of Jeyes Fluid fame) as Holly Lodge is found on the road from Moulton to Boughton (a building associated with the family). Holly Lodge has the 'Implement gate' (c. 1955), which is iconic of the rural beginnings of Moulton.

## Amenities

The stone-built Gothic Revival Style Methodist Chapel of 1835 with arched windows is next to the old school of 1878, now used by the Moulton Theatre.
Moulton Community Centre is a recent development consisting of a library, cafe, a pre-school, and halls for hire, with their largest room hosting up to 120 people.
The centre of Moulton houses the parish church, a shop and a number of parks, "The Public Gardens", "Busby's Meadow" and "Crow Fields Common, a nature reserve managed by Moulton Parish Council. The latter being a popular dog-walking route.
The local Co-Op store was run by the Moulton Co-operative Society, an independent society and one of Britain's smallest until its merger with Midlands Co-operative Society in 2009.
Moulton is home to a number of pubs including the iconic Cardigan Arms, The Telegraph, The Artichoke, and a working men's club.
Moulton also contains, on its fringe, the Northampton Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters, located on Moulton Way next to Smurfit Kappa and near Moulton Park.

## Geology

The geology of Moulton is based on sedimentary rocks known as Oolite. Cornbrash, Inferior and Great Oolite rocks have dictated that the soils of Moulton are predominantly sands and clays, but small quantities of ironstone may be found. This ironstone was used extensively for construction of buildings in and outside of Moulton. Moulton's elevation lies at 400–600 ft above sea level and the nature of the soil means that it is relatively free of flooding and drains well without becoming too dry. The alluvial nature of the soil means that it is fertile and can be used to grow a wide range of plants.

## Geography

Moulton has a population of over 5,000, and ever growing with new developments along the outskirts of the village. It is situated about 4 miles (6 km) north of Central Northampton. Moulton has been affected by the expansion of Northampton, new build developments and expanding borders, yet retains a village identity.
The boundaries of Moulton extend from Pitsford reservoir in the north to Moulton Lane in the south. In the east, the A43 (Kettering Road) is the border, with a small quantity of land that adjoins the east side of the A43 near Ashley Lane. The western fringe corresponds with all land east of Spectacle Lane.
The topography of Moulton is generally flat, but the gradient of land runs from a higher southern elevation in towards lower parts, in the village centre, and then elevates again in a northern direction. At the northern boundary the lower elevations of the reservoir are separated from the village by a strip of high ground.
In the village centre, a tributary of the Nene river flows from the east of the village in a westerly direction where it joins the Nene near Chapel Brampton. Medieval fish ponds in the village were fed from this tributary.
Crowfields Common is part of Moulton village and boasts a range of wildlife and plants. Boughton Lane Pocket Park on the southern end of Moulton is another source of animal and plant biodiversity.
The A43 Moulton Bypass provisionally opened on 6 February 2020, removing through traffic from the village. Travelling northbound, you get views of Overstone Hall and Overstone School.

## Moulton Festival

Moulton Festival is an annual festival (or fete) held in the summer of every year by Moulton Parish Council. The first festival took place in 1972, and was originally held to raise funds for refurbishment of the bells at the parish church. The vicar at the time, Reverend Roy Cattell, and the captain of the bellringers, Barry Care, planned a new village festival that combined three of the existing village traditions: The May Queen, The Carnival Parade, and the annual Church Fete.
In modern times, the festival has grown into an event that brings in people from around Northamptonshire, including adjacent villages such as Overstone, Sywell, and Holcot. The local Morris Men take part in a dance at the festival.