Why visit Byfield
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 9 parks and trails, 9 places to eat, 5 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Boddington Meadow and Byfield Pool.
Weather in Byfield
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Byfield
Byfield is a village and civil parish in the West Northamptonshire unitary authority area of Northamptonshire, England. The population (including Westhorp) of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 1,277.
From the Wikipedia article Byfield, Northamptonshire (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Museums and landmarks1
Parks, trails and playgrounds9
Woodford Halse Nature Reserve
Park · 1.6 mi
Nature reserve in the United Kingdom
Restaurants and cafes9
History
The villages name means 'by the open land'. It has also been suggested that the first element is 'river-bend'.
Byfield, with Westhorp, was mentioned in the Domesday Book. It has been close to many of the important events in history. During the Wars of the Roses, in 1469 the battle of Edgecote took place, only three miles from Byfield. Likewise during the English Civil War, the battles of Edgehill in 1642 and Naseby in 1645 must have affected the local citizenry. In the Second World War the area around Byfield had numerous airfields and other military installations which would have had a considerable, and in some cases, long-lasting effect. One example of this is POW camp 87 which sits between Byfield and Upper Boddington, however the site is currently home to a scrap merchant; there are plans to convert the former camp into a recycling centre. [1]
Read more of the history
Byfield once had a station on the Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway (later part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway), but this closed in April 1952. One of the platforms of the station is still visible on the original site, however it is heavily overgrown. The remains of the goods shed is still visible. Two of the three bridges are still in the village, one being on the Twistle and the other being on the main road towards Banbury on the A361. Byfield was also home to an ironstone railway; [2] This railway closed in 1965 along with the SMJR network
Byfield was also the home of British folk-rock singer-songwriter Sandy Denny, and her husband Trevor Lucas, from 1974 until her death in 1978. A number of Sandy's demos issued since her death (most notably on the 2004 box set A Boxful of Treasures) were recorded at home in Byfield and in 2017 the BBC unveiled a plaque commemorating her last professional gig in Byfield Village Hall.
From the History section of Byfield, Northamptonshire on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
More about Byfield
Arts and culture
There are some 30 different clubs and organisations active in Byfield such as karate, over 60s club and the men's breakfast club. Byfield has a large recreation ground, The Brightwell, which has bowls, cricket, football and tennis clubs as well as a children's playground and other recreational space. The village hall is the venue for a number of weekly events as well as one-off theatres, shows, exhibitions, quiz evenings, dances, weddings, parties etc.
Byfield Village Club which was formerly known as Byfield Conservative Club has a membership of over 200 and is the venue for live music, social events and parties. There are active darts and skittles teams as well as a full-size snooker table in the upstairs games room. The Village Club is housed in a former school house; the building itself being several hundred years old. The club went out of business in early 2017 and the building is up for sale.
An active Scout Group exists in the village which was first founded in 1911. Today it provides activities for approximately 60 young people aged 6–14.
From the Wikipedia article Byfield, Northamptonshire, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable people from Byfield
- Stewart AdamsBritish chemist known for inventing ibuprofen
- Basil BrookeRoyal Navy admiral (1895-1983)
Born in Byfield, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.
Where to stay5
Churches and places of worship8
Hinton (Woodford Halse) Methodist Church
Church · Methodist · 1.4 mi
20 Hinton Road, Daventry
The Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart and our Lady
Church · Roman Catholic · 1.9 mi
Main Street, Daventry
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries4
Healthcare2
Map of Byfield
45 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Sywell Aerodrome (ORM) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 21 miles away.
- Daventry 7 mi northeast, about 11 min by car
- Stockton 8 mi northwest, about 13 min by car
- Banbury 9 mi southwest, about 14 min by car
- Flore 9 mi northeast, about 15 min by car
- Long Itchington 10 mi northwest, about 16 min by car
- Brackley 11 mi south, about 17 min by car
- Kilsby 11 mi north, about 18 min by car
- Harpole 12 mi northeast, about 19 min by car
- Rugby 14 mi north, about 22 min by car
- Royal Leamington Spa 14 mi northwest, about 22 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Towns near Byfield
Keep exploring
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- Mapillary (see each image): photos
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Boddington Meadow 3, Dudley Miles, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Byfield Pool 4, Dudley Miles, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Woodford Halse Nature Reserve 3, Dudley Miles, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, randomhacks, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built November 10, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.