# Daventry?



## hash tag (Aug 25, 2021)

I am wondering why now but I am staying in Daventry tonight. Not sure out hotel is doing much in the way of food,
so I started looking around the area. It appears there is not much, especially for a vegetarian. Is Daventry a decent place to live
whats good, bad or indifferent there?


----------



## Plumdaff (Aug 25, 2021)

I've never lived in Daventry but my parents lived there for about a decade after I left home, and my sister spent her teenage years there. In summary, it's a soulless shithole. Lovely if you like identikit Barratt home estates. By and large, it's a Tory kind of place, and the kind of place people drive out of every day to go to work. 

What it is is convenient for travel (if you have a car. If not, don't live there). There's a very nice country park. If you're looking to live in that area then Northampton, Rugby, Leamington and Coventry are much better choices for just about every metric I can think of. Live in one of those places and visit the country park.


----------



## Sprocket. (Aug 25, 2021)

I was offered a job at Timken Bearings in Daventry back in the early eighties. I decided that it would be nicer to live in Rugby. There wasn’t much in Daventry,  even then but the A45 made it a doddle to get around to some lovely spots. I turned the job down in the end as I was offered a better job without having to move. But I spent enough time visiting to realise as Plumdaff says above there are much nicer places to live and visit in the region.


----------



## farmerbarleymow (Aug 25, 2021)

Never been but it does look a bit dull









						Daventry - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org


----------



## A380 (Aug 25, 2021)

My parents  live there after my dad’s job moved. They lived in Braunston which is just outside for years but recently, because of the number of stairs moved into town. As Plumdaff says the town itself is a bit meh but there are some nice places around. They are looking to move away now retired!

For tonight though: the Admiral  Nelson is a good pub, but you will need a car. The Chinese in the high street is pretty good. There was- not sure if it survived Covid a good Portuguese restaurant at the bottom of the high street. Buddies is good for burgers- and Americana. a small local chain- All of the Indian restaurants have gone down hill. If you want a curry there is a place on the A5 but again you need a car.

If you have a car and a decent amount of time this evening I’d go to Lemington Spa.


----------



## nogojones (Aug 25, 2021)

Plumdaff said:


> I've never lived in Daventry but my parents lived there for about a decade after I left home, and my sister spent her teenage years there. In summary, it's a soulless shithole. Lovely if you like identikit Barratt home estates. By and large, it's a Tory kind of place, and the kind of place people drive out of every day to go to work.
> 
> What it is is convenient for travel (if you have a car. If not, don't live there). There's a very nice country park. If you're looking to live in that area then Northampton, Rugby, Leamington and Coventry are much better choices for just about every metric I can think of. Live in one of those places and visit the country park.


It doesn't say much for somewhere when you say Coventry is a better choice.


----------



## Plumdaff (Aug 25, 2021)

nogojones said:


> It doesn't say much for somewhere when you say Coventry is a better choice.


I think Cov's quite an underrated place to live tbh. It's friendly, it's relatively cheap, there's some interesting stuff popping up there culturally, it's full of students, quite a young, diverse, and interesting place, albeit a place that had a rough late 20th century. My sister moved into Cov from Brum a few years back as she felt she could have a better quality of life there, spending a lot less on accommodation. I'm there quite regularly seeing my sis (she's no longer in the city but not far outside) and am quite fond of it.


----------



## hash tag (Aug 25, 2021)

A380 said:


> My parents  live there after my dad’s job moved. They lived in Braunston which is just outside for years but recently, because of the number of stairs moved into town. As Plumdaff says the town itself is a bit meh but there are some nice places around. They are looking to move away now retired!
> 
> For tonight though: the Admiral  Nelson is a good pub, but you will need a car. The Chinese in the high street is pretty good. There was- not sure if it survived Covid a good Portuguese restaurant at the bottom of the high street. Buddies is good for burgers- and Americana. a small local chain- All of the Indian restaurants have gone down hill. If you want a curry there is a place on the A5 but again you need a car.
> 
> If you have a car and a decent amount of time this evening I’d go to Lemington Spa.


The Admiral Nelson was high on the list. 3 good solid veggie choices for MrsTag, nice looking pub and on the canal. Best of a bad bunch.


----------



## nogojones (Aug 25, 2021)

Plumdaff said:


> I think Cov's quite an underrated place to live tbh. It's friendly, it's relatively cheap, there's some interesting stuff popping up there culturally, it's full of students, quite a young, diverse, and interesting place, albeit a place that had a rough late 20th century. My sister moved into Cov from Brum a few years back as she felt she could have a better quality of life there, spending a lot less on accommodation. I'm there quite regularly seeing my sis (she's no longer in the city but not far outside) and am quite fond of it.


I left it when it was probably at it's worst and only seem to return for funerals. Though the last time I went (over five years ago) the precinct in the evenings were like a zombie film with no people at all out in the night.


----------



## hash tag (Aug 25, 2021)

This is sounding like the worst place in the UK. Will anyone here admit to living in Daventry?


----------



## Sprocket. (Aug 25, 2021)

Nearest I got to Daventry was living in Hillmorton on the outskirts of Rugby where my eldest sister lived for a while.


----------



## kebabking (Aug 25, 2021)

hash tag said:


> This is sounding like the worst place in the UK. Will anyone here admit to living in Daventry?



My limited experience would say Daventry is just a bit _dull_, which in the fascism of youth makes it a war crime in geographical form.

Being old and boring, I would hazard a guess that if someone described a place as exciting, vibrant, diverse and buzzing, i would describe it as a bit of a shithole....


----------



## Elpenor (Aug 25, 2021)

Seen a few signs for a Daventry Freight Terminal from the M1

It’s probably #1 thing to do on tripadvisor

I’ve been to Draycote Water nearby for an ultramarathon.


----------



## A380 (Aug 25, 2021)

hash tag said:


> The Admiral Nelson was high on the list. 3 good solid veggie choices for MrsTag, nice looking pub and on the canal. Best of a bad bunch.


I’d give it a go tonight.


----------



## Plumdaff (Aug 25, 2021)

Sprocket. said:


> Nearest I got to Daventry was Hillmorton on the outskirts of Rugby where my eldest sister lived for a while.


That's where I grew up.



kebabking said:


> My limited experience would say Daventry is just a bit _dull_, which in the fascism of youth makes it a war crime in geographical form.
> 
> Being old and boring, I would hazard a guess that if someone described a place as exciting, vibrant, diverse and buzzing, i would describe it as a bit of a shithole....


Rugby is dull. Hinckley is dull. Lutterworth is dull. Daventry, honestly, is a shithole. I've enough family there and have spent enough time in slightly crap towns in the Warwickshire/Northamptonshire/Leicestershire borders to be a 45-year-old authority on the matter 


nogojones said:


> I left it when it was probably at it's worst and only seem to return for funerals. Though the last time I went (over five years ago) the precinct in the evenings where like a zombie film with no people at all out in the night.


They are knocking all of that down now. I realise this may not convince you that the place is on the up


----------



## moomoo (Aug 25, 2021)

Used to deliver there. It’s very dull. Coventry is my worst town though. I’ve never lived there but it just seems awful. I could never get out fast enough.


----------



## hash tag (Aug 25, 2021)

hash tag said:


> The Admiral Nelson was high on the list. 3 good solid veggie choices for MrsTag, nice looking pub and on the canal. Best of a bad bunch.


The admiral is a great canal side pub and is buzzing. We scraped the last indoor table.


----------



## hash tag (Aug 25, 2021)




----------



## Signal 11 (Aug 25, 2021)

Plumdaff said:


> Rugby is dull.


It still has good music.


----------



## hash tag (Aug 25, 2021)

Daventry. Has a Waitrose  😮
The pub, again


----------



## hash tag (Aug 25, 2021)

I haven't made it in to town yet, but it needs to be asked, is it the least interesting place in Britain?


----------



## Plumdaff (Aug 25, 2021)

Signal 11 said:


> It still has good music.


I clicked on that fully expecting Spaceman 3.


----------



## Elpenor (Aug 25, 2021)

hash tag said:


> I haven't made it in to town yet, but it needs to be asked, is it the least interesting place in Britain?


The name suggests it’s a good contender


----------



## pinkmonkey (Aug 26, 2021)

Definitely stick to Braunston- as a canal boater that place is super important to us. It’s the junction of the Grand Union and Oxford canals at Braunston Turn. It has a tunnel and a lock flight. Plenty pubs. Historic boatyards. Go see Tradline Fenders - proper traditional rope work shop, the chip shop is decent as is the butchers. There’s also the remains of an ancient village - Wolfampcote including the church - a short walk from Braunston turn, plus bits of disused railway line that are still walkable.


----------



## Elpenor (Aug 26, 2021)

pinkmonkey said:


> Definitely stick to Braunston- as a canal boater that place is super important to us. *It’s the junction of the Grand Union and Oxford canals at Braunston* *Turn*. It has a tunnel and a lock flight. Plenty pubs. Historic boatyards. Go see Tradline Fenders - proper traditional rope work shop, the chip shop is decent as is the butchers. There’s also the remains of an ancient village - Wolfampcote including the church - a short walk from Braunston turn, plus bits of disused railway line that are still walkable.


A mate once turned left (the wrong way) at Braunston during the Birmingham to London GUC race. He went 9 miles in the wrong direction before he realised.


----------



## Sprocket. (Aug 26, 2021)

Elpenor said:


> A mate once turned left (the wrong way) at Braunston during the Birmingham to London GUC race. He went 9 miles in the wrong direction before he realised.


Was that nine miles at 4mph too?


----------



## Elpenor (Aug 26, 2021)

Probably at about that pace, the cutoff pace for that race is approx 3.25 miles / hr.


----------



## JuanTwoThree (Aug 26, 2021)

Daventry mostly is a place on an old radio dial  to me

Was Daventry transmitting The World Service on SW?


----------



## Sprocket. (Aug 26, 2021)

JuanTwoThree said:


> Daventry mostly is a place on an old radio dial  to meView attachment 285291
> 
> 
> Was Daventry transmitting The World Service on SW?



Daventry transmitting station, closed in 1992.
An article about it.


			https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/BBC-Books/Daventry-Calling-the-World.pdf


----------



## A380 (Aug 26, 2021)

hash tag said:


> The admiral is a great canal side pub and is buzzing. We scraped the last indoor table.


Hope you had a good evening even though you were in Dav…


----------



## A380 (Aug 26, 2021)

JuanTwoThree said:


> Daventry mostly is a place on an old radio dial  to meView attachment 285291
> 
> Was Daventry transmitting The World Service on SW?



The transmitter was actually quite a few miles from Daventry, as is the current VOR beacon. You can still go to the transmitter site, though he masts have gone. It has these really weird  6 inch wide tarmac paths as the maintainers used to use push bikes to move between the aerials and just made the paths wide enough for them.


----------



## Sprocket. (Aug 26, 2021)

A380 said:


> The transmitter was actually quite a few miles from Daventry, as is the current VOR beacon. You can still go to the transmitter site, though he masts have gone. It has these really weird  6 inch wide tarmac paths as the maintainers used to use push bikes to move between the aerials and just made the paths wide enough for them.


One of my nephews, sadly no longer with us was a rigger on that site for a  while.


----------



## A380 (Aug 26, 2021)

pinkmonkey said:


> Definitely stick to Braunston- as a canal boater that place is super important to us. It’s the junction of the Grand Union and Oxford canals at Braunston Turn. It has a tunnel and a lock flight. Plenty pubs. Historic boatyards. Go see Tradline Fenders - proper traditional rope work shop, the chip shop is decent as is the butchers. There’s also the remains of an ancient village - Wolfampcote including the church - a short walk from Braunston turn, plus bits of disused railway line that are still walkable.


My mum and dad lived in the marina for years. It was very nice. Unfortunately the pub by the bridge, which was never great as a pub but did pretty good food, had gone really down hill during covid, with the food being rubbish now. The canal stuff is fascinating, can walk round for hours.


----------



## hash tag (Aug 26, 2021)

Daventry this morning appeared empty ( I am used to busy). A nice mix of indie shops n caffs n chains. Some very attractive buildings, nicely presented town, painted up with flowers everywhere. It's a very affordable place to live ( no surprises there ).


----------



## josef1878 2.0 (Aug 27, 2021)

hash tag said:


> This is sounding like the worst place in the UK. Will anyone here admit to living in Daventry?


My cousin lived at Stefan Hill, Daventry when he worked at Ford in Northampton, not much near him but the local identikit pub which we managed to get barred from


----------



## farmerbarleymow (Aug 27, 2021)

hash tag said:


> View attachment 285228


----------



## hash tag (Aug 27, 2021)

We went in here and bought some great bread; they also do lots of other stuff 








						Born & Bread Bakery
					

Born & Bread Bakery




					bornandbreadbakery.co.uk


----------



## OxfordPop (Aug 28, 2021)

Funnily enough, I went to Daventry for the first just last Saturday. I've nothing really to add to the general consensus above, though will point out that there was a very good micropub just off of Sheaf Street called the Early Doors.


----------

