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Places to stay in Earls Barton
Earls Barton is a village and civil parish in eastern Northamptonshire,
notable for its Saxon church and shoe-making heritage.
The village was the inspiration for the film Kinky Boots and part of the
film was shot here.
It is based on the true story of a local boot maker who turns from traditional
boots to producing fetish footwear in order to save the ailing family
business and the jobs of his workers.
In the village's small market square is a pharmacy run by a member of
the Jeyes the chemists family, who invented and manufactured Jeyes Fluid
and the Philadelphus Jeyes chemist chain and who lived nearby at Holly
Lodge in Boughton.
The first Saxon settlement at Earls Barton was one of various settlements
built on a spring-line on the Northern bank of the River Nene.
The site is to be found on a spur above the flood plain.
Originally (i.e. before 600 AD) the Saxon village was known as Bere-tun
- which means "a place for growing Barley.
Following the Norman invasion, the Domesday Book records the village as
being called Buarton(e), with Countess Judith, the King's niece is listed
as both the land and mill owner.
