THE WIDE HIGH STREET
In centuries past, the High Street comprised three elements, the most significant being the stream which flowed down the west side of the High Street with dilapidated banks propped up with wicker work with overhanging willow trees. The stream emerged
OLNEY AT LEISURE AFTER WW2 (1945 – 60)
This section covering Olney’s leisure pursuits after WW2 is included in it entirety.
OLNEY’S LACE FACTORY (1928 – 43)
This summary account is accompanied by a voiceover which can be used in conjunction with the images and text. More in depth information about Olney’s lace activities is available at the end of this webpage, using the list of links
OLNEY’S MARKET PLACE
The Market Place – the reason for Olney’s status as a town – has always been the hub and centre of its life. Olney does not have a Market Charter, instead it has a ‘prescriptive’ market, one founded on ancient
OLNEY’S LMS RAILWAY: Northampton-Olney-Bedford
An abridged version of Ivor Neale’s article ‘A view from Olney’ written in 2004 when he was approaching his 90th year. My first experience of the Northampton – Olney – Bedford railway was in March 1930 when our family came
J W & E SOWMAN – IRONMONGERS
The Sowmans began trading in Olney on the south side of the Market Place (No.32) during January 1889 when it was essentially an ironmongers. By the late 1930s the Sowman family had developed the business into a comprehensive emporium having
67 & 69 HIGH ST – ORCHARD HOUSE
Orchard House was converted from two eighteenth century houses, Nos. 67 and 69 High Street, in 1904 for Joseph William Mann; the architect was Alexander Ellis Anderson. J W Mann was at that time Olney’s largest employer, having moved to
OLNEY MILITIA
This page presents an introduction to the work on this subject undertaken by the Cowper & Newton Museum and particularly the organisation and operation of Militia men locally. During the 18th century the regular army was constantly under strain from
LOCAL HISTORY AT THE COWPER & NEWTON MUSEUM
In addition to promoting William Cowper and John Newton, the ‘raison d’etre’ of the museum, a series of talks on aspects of Olney’s history have been produced by researchers at the Cowper & Newton Museum. Olney: A Landscape History This talk