History of Woodford Halse

Woodford Halse is a historic village in Northamptonshire, England, with roots stretching back to Saxon times. The name "Woodford" could come from the ford near the woodland, which was investigated in this dig. Throughout the centuries, the village remained a quiet agricultural settlement until the late 19th century, when the arrival of the Great Central Railway transformed it into a bustling railway hub. 

Though the railway closed in the 1960s, traces of its influence remain. Now, Woodford Halse is again a somewhat quiet village, however has expanded to a population of around 4200 in 2021.

Current map of Woodford Halse

Current landscape of Woodford Halse

Records of a village in what is now Woodford Halse date back to the Saxon Period, however the most reliable evidence mentions the villages of Woodford Halse 'Wodeford', Hinton 'Hintone' and West Farndon 'Farendone' in the late 10th century as part of the Wardedone Hundred (a unit of land used for Danegeld tax collection systems) in the kingdom of Mercia. The Domesday Book mentions the village as a location for a Saxon mill.