KEY DATES IN THE HISTORY OF OLD (and FAXTON).
| DATES | EVENTS |
|---|---|
| Romano-British period | Northamptonshire Sites & Monuments Index lists possible Romano-British finds in Old (Potsherds and part of a Quernstone). |
| Early medieval period (ca 9th to 15th century) | Settlements (“tofts”) located to north-west of present village in an arc from the Scaldwell Road, across present day allotments and playing field and on into “Castle Ground” field. |
| 1086 | “Wold” mentioned in Doomesday book (Wold and Walgrave are then part of Faxton Manor). |
| 11th Century | Faxton Chapel Built. |
| 1191 | “Wold” Mentioned in the Pipe Rolls. (Pipe rolls – Wikipedia) |
| 12th – 16th Century | Various records relating to land in Wold changing hands. |
| 1235 | First mention of St Andrews Church, Old. |
| 1238 to 1274 | First record of a Rector at Old Church : Simon de Berrcotes. (Bircotes in Yorkshire ?) |
| 13th Century | Faxton Chapel Incorporated into the Church of St Denys. |
| Late 15th Century | Church building largely complete. |
| Early 16th century | Notable leaded church-window with inscription. |
| Mid 16th century | Registers of births, deaths and marriages set up. |
| 1558 | Manor passed to the Isham family. |
| 1606 | Faxton Manor House built. |
| 1607 | Old Manor House built. |
| ca 1616 | Old Rectory built. |
| 1639 | First church bell founded (in Leicestershire). |
| 1668 | Townson Charity set up. |
| 1703 | First record of malting and brewing in Old (possibly at The Chequers. (PH ?) |
| 1707 | Ward Charity set up. |
| 1758 | Wold Farm constructed. |
| 1759/60 | Brewery House constructed. |
| 1767 | Common fields of Old Enclosed by Act of Parliament. |
| 1774 | Parr Charity set up, including monies to pay for “a Schoolmaster”. |
| 1779/80 | Old Post Mill appears on the Eyre & Jeffery’s Map of Northamptonshire, half a mile north of the village. |
| 18th & 19th centuries | 18th and 19th centuries : Stone-quarrying in “Water Furroughs” field (now on Grange Farm) and Brick-Making in “Kiln Close” field and Clay-quarrying in the field now used as the Playing Field. |
| 1809 | Independent Chapel built |
| 1841 Census | 1. First reference to The White Horse beerhouse. 2. Population of Faxton peaked at 108. |
| 1850 s | Tomblin’s Brewery established (behind Brewery House) |
| 1851 Census | First reference to William Busby’s Bakehouse (on Harrington Rd ?) |
| 1865 | Start-up of the transport company later to be known as “Knights of Old” (according to their web-site). From the early 20th century Horace Knight operated from a site behind “The Poplars”, initially carrying milk from local farms to dairies, then later, potatoes to London markets. |
| 1870’s | 1. William Busby recorded as running the Post Mill on Mill Lane. 2. Old Cricket Club is formed, playing at “Cricket Field” before crossing over the brook to play at the filed called “Corner Piece”. |
| 1874 | St Andrew’s Church renovated |
| 1879 | Northampton Mercury Account of “A Shocking Occurrence at Old” (death by shooting in Spinney behind Brewery House.) |
| 1881 Census | Northampton Mercury Account of “A Shocking Occurrence at Old” (death by shooting in Spinney behind Brewery House.) |
| 1885 | Installation of a steam engine at the flour mill behind White Horse |
| 1905 | Old Manor House Fire |
| 1907 | Tomblins sell the brewery to the Mannings of Northampton, in a sale that includes The Chequers PH, The Fox beerhouse in Scaldwell and the Firtree at Spratton. Brewing is transferred to Northampton and only Malting remains. |
| ca 1910 | Old Post Mill struck by lightning and destroyed by fire. |
| 1911 Census | Steam engine at flour mill behind White Horse replaced by diesel engine. |
| 1914 | Mr Hector Beers takes over the Maltings at brewery House. |
| 1921 Census | Faxton Population down to 37 |
| 1929 | Joseph Hamson starts-up his transport business, initially carrying cattle and timber. |
| 1939-43 | Evacuee children from London housed with Old families |
| 1940’s | Malting at the Old brewery ceases. |
| 1942 | Villagers help three Canadian airmen escape from a crippled RAF plane attempting to land at Harrington Airfield which crashed in a field near the village, believed to be “Plank Meadow”. |
| 1944/45 | USAF operate from Harrington Airfield and regularly pay off-duty visits to Old village, including on one occasion bringing Bing Crosby to the Saturday night dance in the Village School. |
| 1947 | Mains water supply comes to Old. |
| 1950’s | Milling behind White Horse ceases; the engine house is pulled down and access to the mill from Church Lane is closed-off. The White Horse is extended back into the old mill-room. |
| 1953 | Last service at St Denys, Faxton. |
| 1955 | The now unused Non-Conformist chapel sold at auction to Mr Hamson, haulier and coal-merchant. |
| Late-1950’s | St Denys Church, Faxton razed to the ground. A memorial stone is erected on the site. |
| 1957 | The Chequers PH closes and its spirits licence is transferred to White Horse. |
| 1960 | The last resident of Faxton leaves and moves to Old |
| 1964 | Old village school closes |
| 1971/72 | Old Parish Charities benefit from the sale of land in Duston to the Northampton Development Corporation and fund the building of the Charity Bungalows, Community Centre and the Playing Field. |
| 1974 | Old Cricket Club move to their present home at the Playing Field |
| 2000 | Knights of Old relocate to Kettering and their Cherry Hill site is redeveloped for housing |
| Last update 1st November 2026 |