About Blakesley
The village is now rural and quiet but has had a railway, since removed, and Blakesley Hall was famous for its miniature (steam) railway, described in the book “Blakesley Hall and its miniature Railway’ by P B Kingston. One of the engines, ‘Blacolvesley’, survives (but not in Blakesley!). The location of the old Blakesley hall is given by the Google placemark Blakesley Hall Site.kmz.
The forest in which the supposed clearing was has largely gone, to be replaced by fields, although Plumpton wood, Maidford Wood and Seawell woods remain in the area. Agriculture is mixed with arable and sheep farming.
The village has broadband, and Orange mobile phones work reliably (others are marginal).
Population: <~500
Location:-
52° 8'49.98"N
1° 5'14.04"W
elevation 130m (427’)
OS map ref: SP625502
1:25000 ‘Explorer’ 207
Origin of name:
likely to be derived from an Old English place-name meaning "Blaecwulf's wood or clearing" (or "black wolf's wood/clearing"), although many believed that the stream running through the village called the Black Ouse was the origin.
Blakesley_Conservation plan.pdf
Blakesley Confines map Sept 2013R.jpg
(this is currently blank, but will
be at this location)
This is a general website about the railway that went through Blakesley has a lot of information, pictures and stories!
Blakesley-specific Railways Here. Contributed by Andy Thompson.
A Youtube video of the Blakesley Hall site (Andy Thompson www.smjr.info)