History of Earls Barton

EARLS BARTON - EARLY HISTORY

The original Saxon Village was one of a number of spring-line settlements set up on the North bank of this stretch of the River Nene. Situated on a spur of land above the flood plain, the original Saxon village, before 600AD, was known as Bere-tun "a place for growing barley". The village economy was based on growing grain, barley, wheat and rye.

In the Doomsday Survey of 1085/86 the village is called Buarton(e) and Countess Judith, neice of William the Conqueror, is listed as a land and mill owner. She married Waltheof, Son of Siward, Earl of Northumbria who in 1065AD became Earl of Northampton. A succession of such noblemen gave the village its prefix "Erles" by 1261AD.

In the 14th and 15th Centuries a dramatic change occurred when sheep rearing made the manufacture of woollen cloth a major occupation as cottage industries until the woollen cloth-making shifted to the industrial north. Rush mat weaving, basket making, chair bodging and lacemaking were crafted with the manufacture of wool.

In the 13th Century shoes were made from leathers bought from Northampton and the village had its own tanyard, which continued up until 1984. By 1801 the population had grown to 729, many of which were employed in the first workshops of 1802. By 1850 only Northampton and Daventry were producing more footwear and the population trebled.

From 1913-1921 opencast ironstone minig was carried out - ore was transferred either by two locomotives or by aerial ropeway.

Today, many inhabitants of the village are still employed in shoemaking, but new industries have also been established in more recent years.

Earls Barton is a large village in Eastern Northamptonshire - it has a population of about 5,353.

The village is famous for:

• its Saxon church - which is one of the most famous remaining examples of its type in the country - another example being at nearby Brixworth.
• its shoe-making heritage.
• its pig farming which is regonised all over Enlgand for its bacon - Fieldy's farm.

The village was the inspiration for the film Kinky Boots and part of the film was shot here. It is based on the true story of a local boot maker who turns from traditional boots to producing fetish footwear in order to save the ailing family business and the jobs of his workers.