Princethorpe

Infobox UK place
country = England
official_name= Princethorpe
latitude= 52.32664
longitude= -1.41449
civil_parish = Princethorpe
population = 382 (2001)
shire_district= Rugby
shire_county= Warwickshire
region= West Midlands
constituency_westminster= Rugby and Kenilworth
post_town= RUGBY
postcode_district = CV23
postcode_area= CV
dial_code= 01926
os_grid_reference= SP4068

Princethorpe is a village and civil parish in the Rugby district of Warwickshire, England. In 2001 the parish had a population of 382.

Princethorpe is located roughly halfway between the towns of Rugby and Leamington Spa and is at a crossroads between the A423, B4453 and B4455 (Fosse Way) roads. The village contains a pub called the Three Horse Shoes.

Situated on Leamington Road in the village is Our Lady's Primary School. It is a primary school with around 100 children between the ages of 4 and 11.

Just outside the village is Princethorpe College, a Roman Catholic school. The school incorporates the buildings of the former St. Mary's Priory, which was founded by French Benedictine nuns from Montargis who sought asylum from the French Revolution. The college chapel was designed and built by Pugin. There is also an independent retreat centre close to the college.

The area surrounding the college is heavily wooded. There is a small, well-stocked pond among the trees called Little Switzerland

In the 1950s, a number of Roman coins were found in Princethorpe. This is related to the fact that the Fosse Way, an old Roman road, runs through the village. There is also what seems to be an ancient burial or signal tower mound on the outskirts of the village (on the road to Marton), but not much else is known about it.

Its name came from Anglo-Saxon "Prnesþorp" = Prn's outlying farmstead or hamlet.

There is also a small hamlet north west of the college called Burnthurst and there are roughly 12 dwellings.

External links

* [http://www.princethorpe.co.uk/ Princethorpe College website]
* [http://www.princethorperetreatcentre.org/ Princethorpe Retreat Centre website]