Ringstead, Northamptonshire
| Ringstead | |
  Ringstead |
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| Population | 1,461 (2011 census) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | SP9875 |
| District | East Northamptonshire |
| Shire county | Northamptonshire |
| Region | East Midlands |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Kettering |
| Postcode district | NN14 |
| Dialling code | 01933 |
| Police | Northamptonshire |
| Fire | Northamptonshire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| EU Parliament | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament | Corby |
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Coordinates: 52°22′07″N 0°33′17″W / 52.3687°N 0.5547°W
Ringstead is a small village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England, forming part of the East Northamptonshire district. It is located approximately 15 miles north-east of Northampton. At the time of the 2011 census, the parish's population was 1,461 people.[1] The local primary school is situated next to St Mary's church, which is host to the Ringstead flower festival.
History
Ringstead was the birthplace of:
- William Tuttle, who settled in Charlestown, Massachusetts in 1636. His descendants number in the tens of thousands today. Notable among them are: Ernest Hemingway, Bob Newhart, Sinclair Lewis, Humphrey Bogart, Winston Churchill, Gerald Ford, Lester B. Pearson, Jonathan Edwards, O. Henry, Margaret Warner, Drew Gilpin Faust, Norman Rockwell & Annette Bening
- Alfred Roberts, the father of Margaret Thatcher.
According to tradition, the entrance to St Mary's churchyard has been haunted by the ghost of a village girl, Lydia Atley, who disappeared in 1850. What were thought to be her skeletal remains were unearthed in 1864 in a local orchard; the village butcher, Weekly Ball, was tried for Lydia's murder but acquitted because it proved impossible to conclusively identify the skeleton as that of the missing girl.[2]
During the 1980s, major sand and gravel excavations took place all around Ringstead leaving many man-made lakes and islands.
In 2007, Ringstead, Hargrave, Raunds and Stanwick were legally united as "The 4 Spires Benefice", with each village retaining its own church.[3]
Sport
Football
The village has a relatively successful sporting tradition in football. They have had a team representing the village for over 100 years since it was established in 1896. Ringstead Rangers includes a men's team, a men's reserve team, an under 17s, under 14s and an under 9s team. All the teams play their home matches at Ringstead recreational ground and their traditional strip colours consist of red and black. The teams have been known to sport various other strip colours, especially in their away strips, including orange, blue and pink.
Social Club
Activities at the Village Social Club include pool; the team currently plays in Division 3 of the East Northants league. It also has a skittles team and facilities for darts, bingo and dominoes.
Water-related activities
The River Nene runs past the village in a series of locks. A National Lottery funded cycle, bridal and footpath track runs between Stanwick Lakes and Islip, the Nene Way running through the area and the Kinewell Lakes nature reserve all offering easy walking. Ringstead has a very large boating community and features over 250 river craft moored at Willy Watt Marina and Blackthorn Lake Marina.
References
- ↑ Office for National Statistics: Ringstead CP: Parish headcounts. Retrieved 15 July 2015
- ↑ Codd, Daniel. Mysterious Northamptonshire (2009). Breedon Books Publishing Company. p.28. ISBN 9781859836811.
- ↑ "4 Spires Benefice". Retrieved 2015-09-11.
External links
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