Rockingham, Northamptonshire

Description
Rockingham, a village and a parish in Northamptonshire. The village stands on the declivity of a hill, adjacent to the river Welland, at the boundary with Rutland and Leicestershire, 1 mile S of the Stamford and Rugby branch of the L. & N.W.R., on which it has a station, and 9 miles N of Kettering. It was known to the Saxons as Rockingaham; served as a centre to Rockingham Forest-a forest measuring 30 miles by 8; had, on the top of the hill, a castle erected by William the Conqueror for defence of extensive ironworks then in the forest; was afterwards a market-town, and gave the titles of Baron and Marquis to the family of Watson. It has a post, money order, and telegraph office under Upping-ham, and a fair on 25 Sept The castle was the meeting-place of a great council in 1094, was occupied for some time by Edward III. and his court, was garrisoned for Charles I. by Sir L. Watson, afterwards created Lord Rockingham, and is now represented by only two massive bastions which flanked its gateway. The modern seat of the Watson family now occupies the castle's site and bears its name. The park is undulating and well timbered, and has an extent of about 400 acres. The parish comprises 926 acres; population, 185. The manor belongs to the Watson family, who are sole landowners. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Peterborough ; net value, £130 with residence. The church is a building of stone in the Decorated style, was partly rebuilt in 1868 arid restored in 1873.