Rushden
The Village of Rushden consists of about sixty houses spread out over several Greens, Southern Green, Shaw Green, Offley Green and several Ends, Church End, Mill End and Wood End. It is a village that keeps itself secret, partly due to the fact that itıs on a no through road and people are regularly surprised to find it. Many of the houses are thatched and weatherboarded dating from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It lost its school in the 1940s and the last shop closed in 1975, but the pub, the Moon and Stars remains and is popular with darts and petanque players and the local bellringers. Next to the pub is the house where Harry Boot, inventor of the magnetron and also a man who was involved with the development of radar lived. Other houses near the pub housed the blacksmith and a Dameıs School. It was at the blacksmithıs that Wellington once had his horse shoed. The largest house of the village is Julianıs, originally built by Adolphus Meetkerke, Dutch Ambassador to Elizabeth 1st. In front of it can still be seen the house platform of the original mediaeval manor house.
The centre of the village is St Maryıs Church dating from the fourteenth century and the Village Green next to the former school, now the Village Hall, which is used for a host of events from lace making to WI , parties, quizzes, talks, fetes and bazaars. Rushden prides itself on being a very active village with a wonderful community, something frequently remarked on by visitors. It is still a haven of rural tranquillity in an ever more frenetic world, but with plenty going on. We have a popular nursery at Mill End, an award winning recycling centre and recently a chance to buy newly flown in Italian meats and cheeses from Eat and Drink Ideas whose owner has also introduced villagers to Slow Food. We have some pleasant walking country around with some fascinating wildlife and even our own SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest.) . Most villagers work fairly locally and all work hard at making the village an ideal place to live.
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