History of Princethorpe, Warwickshire
Princethorpe is a village and civil parish in the Rugby district of Warwickshire, England, with a rich history spanning from Roman times to the present day. Located roughly halfway between Rugby and Leamington Spa at the intersection of the A423, B4453, and B4455 (Fosse Way) roads, this small community has played a significant role in English rural history.
Ancient Origins and Roman Period
The village’s history extends back to at least the Roman period, intimately connected to the Fosse Way, the ancient Roman road that runs directly through it. Archaeological evidence reveals extensive Roman settlement activity in the area, with two Roman settlements documented just south of the current village. During the 1950s, numerous Roman coins were discovered in Princethorpe, confirming the significance of this location during Roman occupation.
Recent archaeological excavations have uncovered substantial evidence of Romano-British activity, including pottery, coins, brooches, and structural remains. The settlement appears to have been most active during the second century, with evidence of timber-framed buildings running in ribbon development adjacent to the Fosse Way. Excavations revealed hearths, some associated with iron slag fragments, suggesting metalworking activities.
Anglo-Saxon Heritage
The village’s name derives from Anglo-Saxon origins, specifically Prǣnesþorp, meaning “Prǣn’s outlying farmstead or hamlet”. This indicates that an Anglo-Saxon farmer named Prǣn established a settlement here during the early medieval period. Archaeological evidence supports Anglo-Saxon presence in the area, with finds including bronze brooches, iron spearheads, and pottery discovered at what appears to be an Anglo-Saxon cemetery site approximately 400 meters south of Priory Farm.
Medieval Development
Princethorpe was first officially recorded in historical documents around 1275-6. During the reign of Edward I (1272-1307), the village was known as Prenesthorpe. The medieval period saw significant changes in land ownership patterns that would shape the village’s future.
In the reign of Henry VI (1422-1461), Princethorpe came into the possession of the Hugford family of Emscote. The Hugfords maintained control of the estate for several generations until the reign of Henry VII (1485-1509), when John Hugford sold the property to Sir William Compton.
Sir William Compton (c.1482-1528) was one of the most prominent courtiers during the reign of Henry VIII, serving as Groom of the Stool and controlling access to the king. Compton was knighted in 1513 following the Battle of the Spurs and acquired significant wealth through royal favor, building up a substantial landed estate centered in the south midlands.
Parish Formation and Administrative Changes
Originally, Princethorpe was part of the parish of Wolston, but for administrative convenience, it was established as a separate parish combined with Stretton by an Act of Parliament in 1694 during the reign of William III. The new parish was designated as the “Parish of All Saints,” with the vicar, Francis Hunt, residing in Stretton.
Agricultural Innovation: Joseph Elkington
One of Princethorpe’s most significant contributions to agricultural history came through Joseph Elkington (baptized 1740, died 1806), a pioneering farmer who revolutionized land drainage techniques. Around 1760, when Elkington inherited Manor Farm in Princethorpe at age twenty, the local land was extremely boggy, causing his father to lose many sheep to liver rot and making crop cultivation nearly impossible.
Through careful observation and experimentation, Elkington discovered that water was traveling upward through porous ground but was sometimes blocked by clay strata. He developed an innovative method using augers to create strategic boreholes that redirected water flow, effectively draining the bogland. His success was so remarkable that by the 1790s, thousands of acres of previously unusable bogland had been made productive using his techniques.
Concerned that Elkington’s poor health might result in the loss of his knowledge, Parliament awarded him £1,000 and a gold ring in 1795. The Board of Agriculture commissioned John Johnstone to document Elkington’s methods in a detailed publication, ensuring the techniques would be preserved for future generations.
The French Benedictine Legacy
Princethorpe’s most distinctive historical feature is St. Mary’s Priory, established in 1832 by French Benedictine nuns from Montargis. These sisters had fled France during the French Revolution in 1792, initially seeking refuge in Flanders but instead traveling to England due to dangerous overland conditions.
The nuns’ journey was particularly dramatic – forty-three sisters arrived at Shoreham in Sussex with only four pennies to their name after a treacherous twenty-four-hour Channel crossing. Fortunately, the Prince Regent (later George IV) was in nearby Brighton with Mrs. Fitzherbert, who had been alerted to their plight. The Prince arranged accommodation and eventually convinced them to remain in England rather than risk traveling to Flanders.
After a peripatetic existence spanning forty years and several temporary locations – including London, Norfolk, Yorkshire, and Lancashire – the community finally settled at Princethorpe in 1832. They chose this location for its attractive features: elevated position, surrounding woodland and hills providing seclusion, natural springs for fresh water, good farmland, and available clay for construction.
The priory was the first purpose-built monastery in England since the Reformation. Construction began in earnest in 1833, employing around 500 men. The clay for the bricks was dug from local fields known as ‘Wood Close’ and ‘Wood Wallis’, with the bricks fired in ‘Brick Lane Close’.
The architectural development involved several notable figures. John Russell of Leamington designed the original buildings (1832-5), followed by Joseph Aloysius Hansom (inventor of the Hansom Cab) who accelerated construction progress from around 1837. The complex centered around a church consecrated in 1843, featuring a square turret with clock and three specially commissioned bells.
The most significant addition came with the construction of a new chapel designed by Peter Paul Pugin (son of A.W. Pugin). Begun in 1897 and consecrated in 1901, this Gothic Revival church dedicated to ‘Our Lady of the Angels’ dominates the skyline with its imposing tower and represents some of Pugin’s finest work.
Modern Educational Development
The religious community operated a girls’ boarding school alongside the priory, typically accommodating around fifty pupils. However, with declining numbers of both nuns and pupils, the sisters departed Princethorpe in the mid-1960s, moving to Fernham in Oxfordshire.
In 1966, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart purchased the site and established Princethorpe College, initially as a boarding and day school for boys only. The first girl was admitted to the Sixth Form in 1976, and the college became fully co-educational in 1995. Boarding ended in 2004, converting that space for additional teaching facilities.
The college has grown dramatically from approximately 180 pupils when it opened to nearly 900 today. In 1998, it joined with St Joseph’s in Kenilworth to form the Warwickshire Catholic Independent Schools Foundation, later renamed The Princethorpe Foundation in 2010.
Community Heritage
The Three Horseshoes pub has been a continuous presence in village life since at least 1816, when Anthony Warwick was recorded as the publican. Originally constructed from three late 18th-century cottages, the inn has served as a social center for the community, hosting everything from tenant dinners organized by Joseph Elkington to Home Guard meetings during World War II.
The village also maintains strong historical research traditions through the Princethorpe History Group, formed in 2016, which has digitized Parish Council records dating back to 1894, providing valuable insights into late 19th and early 20th-century rural life.
Today, Princethorpe remains a thriving village community, its history preserved in the magnificent Gothic Revival architecture of the former priory, the continuing educational mission of Princethorpe College, and the archaeological remains that testify to over two millennia of continuous human habitation at this strategically important crossroads in the heart of England.
