Housing
Housing Pre 1850
The oldest properties remaining in the village are without doubt along Church Street, with the oldest dating back to the 1300's. Many of these old cottages probably date back to 1600s and although most of the old cottages in Church Street, Bakers Lane, Club Lane and Church Green have been demolished a number of properties from the same era do still exist around the village green but all have lost their thatched roofs.
Until the mid 1800's the last house in the village on the way out to Thrapston was known as the Nunnery. This is the house just north of the village green in the High Street on the left with one of the windows blocked out due to the window tax (introduced by William III in 1696),
The stone for many of these houses would have come from the Common Stone Pit, later known as Stone Pit Common. It is now known as the Woodford Shrubbery.
The field at the east end of Church Street is known as the Warren field and was once the site of a large house which was home to the St John family. A courtyard area is still visible just on the right of the entrance to the Shrubbery, and the two large garden terraces are the dominant features in the field. The house was located between the "courtyard" and the gardens with a commandng view of the Nene Valley.
Some records indicate that an ancient Green Road ran along Church Street continuing to Thrapston and in doing so also linking the WillyWatt" Mill near Ringstead and Woodford Mill together. There is also evidence that a third mill once stood in the Warren field.
Housing 1850 - 1930
Following the discovery of Iron Ore in the mid 19th Century more housing was required and expansion of the village started. This was in a northerly direction, but away from the existing settlement. Stone and early brick properties on what is now the High Street were constructed on the eastern side between what is now known as Constable walk and the Mill Road Junction. This was followed by the construction of terraced brick properties on the western side of High Street north of the Temperance Hall, some have date stones and generally date from 1850 onwards.During this same period a mix of stone and brick built properties were being constructed to the east of the High Street forming Long Row, Pleasant Row and Constable Walk to accommodate the many people moving into the village to work in the quarries and furnaces. Some once again carry date stones of 1860. This whole group of properties were quite removed from those around the village green by over 100 yards / metres and were known as a whole as Newtown. This is clearly evident on census returns and the description of Newtown relates to this northern end of the High Street, Newtown Street, Constable Walk, Long Row and Pleasant Row.
It was in the late 1880's after the construction of the Temperance Hall that building work continued on the west side of the High Street with the construction of more terraced houses (now remodelled) the shop (no longer is use dated 1890) on the corner of Eady's Row, and itself, comprising 10 brick and stone cottages.
Sunnyside was built in 1898/9 and the terraced houses (in similar elevational style to Sunnyside on the eastern side of the High Street between Sunnyside and Constable Walk were built just after 1900. The properties in Sunnyside were quite unique and may almost be considered as a trial for future development. Five of the properties in Sunnyside were equipped with workshops in the back yard (for outwork - clothing or shoe mending making etc) and the remaining five had pigsties. Each property also had an allotment in front of each house in a piece of land known as Dovehouse close. Sunflower Cottage on the corner of Sunnyside has a date stone of 1890, presently a hairdressers. As a result of these new properties built at turn of the 20th century, Newtown finally joined up with Woodford. Other indications that Newtown was originally seen as a separate settlement are revealed in the message written by Rev Smythe in 1867 found in the time capsule in the Church.
Whittlesea Terrace was built in the early 1900's and Rose Terrace at roughly the same time. Whittlesea Terrace, before houses had been built was known as Whittle Lane and was the start of a track which ran to the north of the shrubbery.
A row of terraced houses were built near the windmill in Mill Road for ironstone workers in the 1860s/70s, and these were known as Mill Terrace. This row of terraced houses would have been almost 1/2 mile from the Newtown settlement
Housing 1930 - date
Much of Mill Road, with the exception of Mill Terrace westwards was constructed by the Oundle and Thrapston Rural District Council, as too were Highfield and West Street. Whilst many properties in Mill Road at the eastern end are pre 2nd World War, the remainder of the local authority houses, Highfield and West Street were built as part of the rebuilding effort following that conflict.
Local Authority housing had also been built in 1930 in the Leys (north side and more in the 1970's on the south side) at the end of Whittlesea Terrace
The Moorings comprising 12 "executive houses" were built in 1967/8 and was the first large scale private development in the village. The Shrubberies and the bungalows were built in the late 1960s. Alledge Drive was built in the 1970's and originally comprised 25 bungalows (3 facing Thrapston Road). Alledge Drive was was later extended by East Northants Council to include more local authority accommodation for senior citizens.
DeCapel Close was built in the early 1980's and comprised five individual detached properties.
There have been numerous examples of infill / individual properties throughout the village. Latterly many of the older properties in Woodford especially around the Green and in the High Street have been knocked "two into one".
In April 2006 a new development off Mill Rd was commenced comprising fifty properties which form Paddock Road and Windmill Close.
The latest development in Woodford is Daventry Close, constructed in the old Daventry Farm yard.
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