4 miles south-west of Oundle
Instead of one of the lofty spires for which Northamptonshire is noted, Wadenhoe’s parish church of St Michael and All Angels has a saddleback - or gable-roofed - tower. The church dates from Norman times, and stands on an escarpment above the village. From the churchyard gate there is a fine view of the willow-fringed banks of the River Nene as it flows towards a weir and mill-stream. The remains of a medieval ridge and furrowed field surround the church.
Wadenhoe’s main street is lined with well-built old farmhouses and thatched stone cottages. A lane leads to the river and to the 17th-century King’s Head Inn, whose garden sweeps down to the waterside. About 2 miles east of Wadenhoe is the basically 17th-century Lilford Hall, set in well-tended grounds. Although the hail itself is deserted, some of the outbuildings have been turned into a Rural Implements Museum and a crafts and antiques centre.
There are several notable buildings in Wadenhoe, including the gabled Wadenhoe House, once the home of George Ward-Hunt who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer under Benjamin Disraeli; a many-sided toll-house; and a circular dovecot with 500 nesting-boxes.
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