Daventry is a small market town in the west of the Country of Northamptonshire, close to the border with Warwickshire and is the sixth largest town in the county.
Daventry is very convenient for getting anywhere in the country in a respectable time which is why it is so popular with commuters.
The team at Campbells always relish the opportunity to tell anybody that is planning to move to Daventry and its surrounding villages about all the amazing facilities and social opportunities there are going on in and around Daventry, and we could have listed about a hundred reasons why it’s a great place to live, but for the purpose of this blog, we have cut it down to just 8 very good reasons to give anyone then out of town an overall picture of the wealth of benefits available.
-
Shopping
As an historic market town, Daventry holds a chartered market every Tuesday and Friday -with market stalls selling fresh produce plants, clothes, and household goods, all along the High Street heading from the original market square. Occasionally there are dedicated farmer’s markets selling fresh local produce and other community events will attract hot food takeaway stalls and artisanal craft stalls.
There are plenty of annual events that take place on the High Street too such as the Farmers Market, Easter Market, Christmas Market and Motor Bike Festival as you can see in the photo here.
Likely many rural towns, our beloved town centre and its businesses have struggled recently with restrictions, reduced footfall and rates but our local Daventry businesses can always see opportunities and there are now many – small independent retailers opening up businesses along the High Street as well Sheaf Street and both the High Street and Sheaf Street have attractive historic buildings that give a sense of history.
Bowen Square and the surrounding area is home to a number of household brand names, Boots, Specsavers, Aldi and Waitrose, for example, and very close by is a large Tesco.
There is a healthy mix now of big brands and independent retailers populating the town centre. One distinct advantage of shopping, in Daventry is the availability of free parking, compared to other towns, we think it is very generous, and just makes shopping here more convenient. Discover Daventry is a fantastic page to follow to keep up with the local businesses in the town: CLICK HERE
2. Eating Out and Entertainment
The choice and variety of places to eat in Daventry has never been better, in our opinion.
Daventry is fast becoming known for our café culture, with again a choice of well-known café brands as well as many smaller independent cafes each with their own unique selling points. And there are just as many takeaways only, with home delivery establishments to choose from as well.
One of the most exciting things to happen in Daventry recently is the opening of a multiplex cinema right in the heart of the town. With luxury reclining seating in each of the four screens, it’s the perfect place to go after enjoying a meal or drinks at one of the many restaurants and pubs.
Recently opened in the town centre are a Turkish restaurant, a Turkish take away, an Italian, a new fish and chip shop, an artisanal bread shop and one of the old public houses is now a trendy restaurant and cocktail bar. Let’s not forget the popular pubs in the town centre as well, catering for all sorts of preferences. There are places for those that like a lively Friday or Saturday night out, as well as more sedate spots for a quiet pint and family-oriented pubs with activities for the kids
Out of town we are blessed with some gorgeous quintessentially English country pubs that are both dog, kid and muddy boot friendly.
If you are planning an event at home, or need a larger party space there are a number of hotels with banqueting facilities, as were as a many smaller catering and cake companies for those special occasions.
3. Sport and Leisure
For the sporting population of Daventry, there is lots to choose from, we are lucky enough to have a great leisure centre and swimming pool right in the centre of town, offering lots of gym classes.
There are plenty of smaller gyms offering personal training services. There is a lovely municipal golf course as well as a member’s golf club in nearby Staverton. As well as the usual Football, Rugby, Cricket and Bowls Clubs, there is also a small water sports centre at the smaller of Daventry’s two reservoirs, Drayton Reservoir.
The larger reservoir encompasses Daventry Country Park which, as well as being a haven for wildlife and attracting several migrating bird species, there are lots of activities available to enjoy for every age. There is a recently refurbished adventure playground, open water swimming events, nature trails, orienteering, paddle boarding, birdwatching, fishing facilities and trendy new sport, geocaching, and when you’ve worked up an appetite there’s a recently renovated onsite cafe as well.
Daventry is blessed with a good number of green spaces in around the many residential
Developments, so no excuse for not getting out and enjoying the fresh air! You can’t talk about Daventry without mentioning its proximity to several branches of the Grand Union Canal network.
As well as being a wonderful place to walk along the towpath, just up the road in the village of Braunston is one of the largest inland marinas on the canal network where you can hire a traditional narrow boat for a day trip or longer.
If you are planning an event at home, or need a larger party space there are a number of hotels with banqueting facilities, as were as a many smaller catering and cake companies for those special occasions.
4. Country Walks
The town planners in Daventry certainly got things right here and have provided many footpaths and underpasses, connecting the town centre with the outlying residential developments.
There are leafy footpaths leading from these developments to each other and connecting to the country park as well, making dog walking or jogging pretty safe as well as an absolute pleasure.
The canal towpaths provide relaxing waterside walking on the flat, perfect for gentle strolls to one of the Canalside pubs.
Borough Hill, a short distance from the town centre dominates the landscape at over 200ft above sea level is also very popular with dog walkers and hikers alike. Being so high up, it has been the perfect spot for several historic civilization’s lookout posts and many excavations have uncovered bronze age, iron age and Roman fortifications. One of the first BBC aerials was erected here in 1925.
Daventry is surrounded by the beautiful rolling hills of West Northamptonshire and there are many well marked foot paths and bridleways. There are lots of online resources providing walking and cycling routes for all abilities such as https://northamptonshirewalks.co.uk
There are several stunning managed woodlands, where it is wonderful to escape from the sizzling summer sun under the shady canopies. Carpets of Bluebells abound in the late spring, and dozens of species of woodland mushrooms can be hunted for in the autumn.
5. Rural Villages
Head out of Daventry in any direction and in a very short time you will find yourself passing roadside signs poking out of the verge, usually along with a trough planted with colourful flowers saying “Welcome to …..”
Then suddenly you are enveloped by cozy-looking village houses lining narrow streets, usually built of the local Northamptonshire Ironstone, sometimes thatched and with the homeowner’s favourite animal rendered in thatch stalking the roofline.
Some cottages are whitewashed or half-timbered, covered in wisteria or honeysuckle with a little green patch in front. If it were not for the homeowners’ cars parked on the street or lane (this is the compromise for getting to live in a quaint village) you would think you’d stepped back in time.
Usually there is an elegant former Georgian rectory or 17th Century manor house, sitting handsomely on the outskirts of each village, with a sweeping gravel drive or surrounded by high stone walls and the obligatory ancient oak or cedar of Lebanon gracing the front garden.
There is definitely a village pub, hopefully with a beer garden, a village green that is home to a fete every summer, a local well attended church and of course a village hall or community centre catering for local events.
The description above could be a huge generalization, but honestly, most Northamptonshire villages are just like that, quintessentially picturesque, full of historic listed buildings and an active and well-connected community.
Just walking around these villages is a relaxing pleasure. Taking time to chat to the villagers tending their window boxes or front gardens can lead to interesting conversations and snippets of village life you would otherwise miss just driving through it.
So, when you come across a Northamptonshire village, park up (considerately!) walk slowly around the lanes, appreciate the warmth coming from the stone walls and the scent of the flowers in the cottage gardens and stop for a drink in the local pub!
6. Heart of the Shires Shopping Village
About ten minutes’ drive from Daventry, right on the A5 is The Heart of the Shires Shopping Village and it’s an absolute delight! This once Victorian farm has been sympathetically renovated and converted into an out-of-town shopping destination.
The handsome red brick farmhouse and outbuildings now house a varied selection of independent retailers, which include, a fine Art Gallery, photographic studio, interior design shop, kitchen wear shop, several ladies’ boutiques, bridal shop, card and gifts shops, antique centre, old fashioned sweet shop, leather goods boutique, a jewelers’ and watch repair shop, a garden shop and delicatessen, a hairdresser’s salon and a beauty salon. And not forgetting of course is our own showroom for Country Homes for sale within a 10-mile radius.
In the repurposed old farmhouse is a very popular tearoom and restaurant, which is a destination in itself, and is a great place to relax with a coffee and a cake after a shopping session, or a husband creche for the ladies who prefer to wander round the shops in peace and quiet!
The tearoom and shops surround a central courtyard, which was clearly the old farmyard, that now houses a traditional bandstand, which is available to hire for an outside event in the summer months.
A real bonus is the generous free car parking that’s available, and once you’ve shopped and had tea you can access the tow path on the Grand Union Canal which is a very close by for a gentle stroll.
7. Property Value For Money
In a recent Daily Mail article and the end of 2021, a leading London Estate Agent declared that Daventry was the “No 1 Hotspot” for property owners moving out of London and its surrounding suburbs.
Since the advent of covid and the need to change from commuting to working from home, rural towns and villages have never been more popular and desirable locations for city dwellers, and not least because of the great value for money buyers, from the South of England certainly, can achieve.
In general, one would expect house prices in the middle of England counties to of course be a lot less than those of central London boroughs, or some commuter towns in the home counties, but on top of that, Daventry can claim to be cheaper than the following towns in Bedfordshire, Warwickshire and Oxfordshire:
- Milton Keynes – approx 10% cheaper
- Leamington Spa- approx. 8% cheaper
- Banbury- approx 15 % cheaper
- Oxford- approx 20% cheaper
(Statistics based on Rightmove Average house prices per postcode areas as of Dec 2021)
Considering Daventry’s abundant amenities, central position in England, relatively low unemployment and proximity to all the major commuter networks (see section below) it does make Daventry a very desirable place to invest in property indeed!
8. Commuting
As alluded to in the above section, Daventry is well placed for those that need to commute, either by road, train, or plane or even canal boat!
You can on the A45, A5 or M1 within ten minutes, the M6 within 15 minutes and the M40 in 25 minutes.
If you need to travel by train, Long Buckby railway station is 15 minutes away, with direct connections to London Euston and Birmingham. Rugby Station is also 25 minutes away for direct connections to northwest destinations as well as London Euston and Birmingham.
There is a choice of airports a comfortable distance away; Birmingham Airport is approximately one hour away, Luton and East Midlands are both approximately one hour and 25 minutes away.
And seriously, if you do need to travel by narrowboat, access to the Grand Union canal and several of its branches are really easy, with major inland marinas at Braunston, Crick and Whilton, all within 15-20 minutes.
Daventry has the most fantastic community spirit too with lots of help from the local businesses who run Discover Daventry. There are plenty of Facebook Groups too that discuss the town.
Discover Daventry’s most recent video really shows the wonderful things our little market town has to offer:
