Long Buckby

Infobox UK place
country = England
official_name= Long Buckby
latitude= 52.30024
longitude= -1.08049
civil_parish= Long Buckby
population = 4,000 (2001 Census)
shire_district= Daventry district
shire_county= Northamptonshire
region= East Midlands
constituency_westminster= Daventry
post_town= NORTHAMPTON
postcode_district = NN6
postcode_area= NN
dial_code= 01327
os_grid_reference= SP628673

Long Buckby is a village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England, situated midway between Northampton and Rugby. In the 2001 census the parish of Long Buckby (which includes the hamlet of Long Buckby Wharf) had a population of exactly 4,000 [http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/viewFullDataset.do?instanceSelection=03070&productId=779&$ph=60_61&datasetInstanceId=3070&startColumn=1&numberOfColumns=4&containerAreaId=790470] . It is a part of the Daventry district. In the local elections of 2007 the Conservatives retained the seat but with a lesser majority than previous elections.

History

Long Buckby has a history going back approximately 1200 years and the Vikings when all of northern, central and eastern England came under Danelaw. The mound remaining of a castle built by Sahir de Quincy in the 12th century remains. The village name is of Nordic origin, with 'by' meaning settlement or village while 'Buck' is derived from 'Bec' (pronounced 'becker' in old Norse) for stream/brook. The village is recorded in the Domesday Book as "Buchebei", its affix possibly coming at a later date in reference to the length of the village.

The village once had a thriving shoemaking industry, but is now mainly a residential village. One of the buildings that was a factory has recently been regenerated into a set of flats. The village offers a wide range of amenities and services to its residents, including a doctor's surgery, 2 dentists, public library, a veterinary surgery, a boarding cattery, post office, a community centre and Long Buckby Mill Park Nature Reserve. There are three pubs in the village, as well as four churches. Local shops include two grocery stores, a butcher, several hairdressers, a newsagents, card and gift shop, and a pet shop, and a wide range of restaurants and take-aways. Once a small and somewhat insular rural Northamptonshire community Long Buckby is now an example of urban sprawl and over development.

The comedian Stanley Unwin moved to Long Buckby in 1940 when he got a job with the British Broadcasting Corporation at the nearby Borough Hill transmitting station. He stayed as a resident until his death in 2002.

Long Buckby station had a brief moment of fame in 1997 when, as the nearest stop to Althorp, it was the final stop on the journey by the Prince of Wales and his two sons during the funeral of the Princess of Wales, and was seen on television screens across the world as they got off the train. Prince Charles and his sons took a different route to Althorp using Brington Road as the rest of the Royal Family and guests drove through the village of Long Buckby leaving the village via East Street to follow the main road to Northampton which Althorp lies on.

In 2007 one of the villages shops celebrated its 150 year of running since it first opened on the High Street in 1858.

Until the mid 1960's Long Buckby boasted it's own goods marshaling yard which played a very significant role in the once thriving village economy providing for the import of fuel and consumables for local business and residents as well as delivering the mail and packages to the village post office and newspapers to the village newsagents. Local agricultural produce and to a lesser extent livestock where exported from the facility.

Transport

Long Buckby railway station is served by London Midland. It lies on a loop of the West Coast Main Line running between Birmingham New Street and London Euston. Plans were made to expand the station facilities from a portable cabin temporary shelter to a more permanent facility.Fact|date=September 2008

Regular local bus services connect Long Buckby to the nearby towns of Northampton, Rugby and Daventry.

Schools

Long Buckby has two schools, Long Buckby Infants School for reception, Year 1 and Year 2, and Long Buckby Junior School which takes pupils from Year 3 to Year 6, leading up to the Key Stage 2 tests.

The village is within the catchment area of Guilsborough Secondary School which takes local pupils on to Key Stage 3, (Year 7 to Year 9), followed by Key Stage 4 for Years 10 and 11. Guilsborough School also offers a Sixth Form centre for students wishing to take AS and A2 courses.

Sport

Long Buckby A.F.C. currently plays at Station Road stadium. They are members of the United Counties Football League Premier Division. The club's highest achievement was reaching the 2nd Round of the FA Vase in 1985-86. The clubs most successful players include Gary Mills, Darren Harman, Dale Haynes and Alex McKenzie. The Football Club although situated on the same site as the Rugby Football Club has its own facilities including changing rooms and a second pitch which the Sunday League side uses.

Long Buckby Rugby Football Club was founded in 1875. The club fields three senior sides, a colts team and other junior teams which. All are given coaching by qualified rugby coaches. Club training nights are Tuesdays and Thursdays. Youth rugby is on Sundays. The club has a licensed clubhouse which is open on a daily basis, new playing or social club members are always welcome. The clubhouse is situated above the changing rooms. The Rugby's home strip is a green coloured shirt. The club badge is of a castle with an archway with a cross above it.

Long Buckby Tennis Tournament can trace its history back to 1907 making it one of the longest running tennis tournaments in the country. It is played annually in mid July on the Sportsground, where a dozen or more grass courts are marked out and netting erected on the cricket outfield. Around two hundred and fifty people of all ages and standards take part over two days. It is an American style doubles tournament with each couple playing all the others in their section. Profits from the Tournament are donated to the Sportsground and to the other sports organisations which use the ground. 2007 was the Centenary year of the Tournament.

External links

* [http://www.longbuckby.net Official website]
* [http://www.guilsboroughschool.com Guilsborough School]
* [http://www.lbrfc.co.uk Long Buckby Rugby Football Club]