Attractions and Places To See around Byfield - Top 20

Great to walk around looks very impressive

Nice church good for a wonder to grave yard was closed due to downed trees

Beautiful place to walk around look out for the musket holes

"A tranquil Tudor manor house set in rare terraced gardens, with the 'antient' Dryden family at its heart Built by the Drydens using the remains of a medieval priory, the house and gardens have survived largely unaltered since 1710 and are presented as they were during the Victorian era. The warm, welcoming house features grand rooms, stunning tapestries and Jacobean plasterwork, contrasting with the domestic detail of the servants' quarters. Stroll in the historic parkland and catch glimpses of early medieval landscapes, while a wander through the priory church reveals the story of the canons of Canons Ashby." Cit. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/canons-ashby#Overview

All Saints is a Grade I-listed church in a picturesque setting on the Burton Dassett Hills. The church has 12th-century origins. However, the chancel and transepts are early 13th century and the tower and porch are early 14th century. Inside, you can observe 13th-century wall paintings, medieval tiles and tombs from the 16th and 17th centuries.

Memorial bench with inscription "In memory of the USA AF B-17 Bomber crew who lost their lives on December 15, 1944." The Norton B-17 On the 15th of December 1944 B-17G Flying Fortress 43-38973 of the 305th Bomb Group, 422nd Bombardment Squadron based at Chelveston was returning from a bombing mission over the mashalling yards at Kassel in Germany. It had been badly damaged and one engine was out. The aircraft managed to return from the raid but once over the coast it began to have difficulty in maintaining height. The problems were compounded by a complete blanket of fog over England. Not sure of their position they flew lower and lower and eventually collided with the Air Ministry GEE mast on Borough Hill Daventry. The port wing was severed during the collision and the aircraft crashed at Norton Fields killing the crew of nine. On August the 24th 2014 Sywell Aviation Museum carried out an excavation to locate the remains of the aircraft. All artefacts recovered during this excavation may be viewed in a special display within the museum. On the 24th of August 2015 a memorial service was held at the Daventry War Memorial and a plaque was unveiled to the crew by the son and grand daughter of the ball gun turret operator Sgt. Burry. The USAF was represented at the memorial service by Lieut.Col Ford, Commander of the 422nd Medical Squadron USAF from RAF Croughton and sir Tim Boswell, Deputy Lord Lieut. of Northamptonshire representing the county.

All Saints' is a most beautiful and captivating Norman church. Totally unspoilt, it was built in the 12th Century and in 2009 underwent an enormous restoration project to preserve and restore some of its medieval wall paintings. It is a very spiritual and tranquil place, of historical and architectural interest. The first Burton Dassett church pre-dates the Domesday Survey, which chronicles the existence of a small church. This occupied an area covered by the nave of the present church. Under Norman rule the Saxon Lord Harold de Sudeley (whose principal seat was at Sudeley in Gloucestershire) was allowed to keep the 1800 acres of land he held in these parts. The other landowner was the Earl of Mellent who held 600 acres. The parish consisted of Great Dassett, Little Dassett, Northend, Southend, Knightcote (which had a chapel and a priest) and Hardwick, where the DSDA Army Camp now stands. The population was around 350. The huge north and south doorways are the oldest parts of Burton Dassett (All-Saints) Church and probably date from Harold de Sudeley’s time. As the de Sudeley family continued to prosper, itsBD-Church interest in the church and village continued. The church’s chancel arch dates from the time of Ralph de Sudeley, grandson of Harold. This is typically transitional Norman and dates from the late 12th Century.

Commemorative plaque at the side of the lane about 150 metres from the mill. Inscription on the Plaque reads “You are welcome to use the seat on this private property at you own risk. This seat and Rowan tree are on the site of the WWII Observer Post operated by the Royal Observer Corps. It was part of a network of observer towers built for the purpose of providing a system for detecting and tracking aircraft. The Blitz on Coventry (to the north of this spot) in November 1940 would have been observed from the tower. Villagers also witnessed the event from the fields. The Tree was planted on the 50th anniversary. The Oxford Canal is close by and also played a part in the defences of the area in WWII. Following the fall of France in 1940 a German invasion was considered imminent and part of Britain’s defence system was a network of Inland Stop Lines. The canal around Napton was part of Western Command’s Napton to Coventry Stop Line. Evidence of these defences can still be found along the canal to the south of this spot. There are still Stent pillboxes on the side of the canal and anti-tank blocks just off the canal. The support to this country in its desperate hours by such people as the Observer Corps, The Home Guard, The Women’s Land Army and the Agricultural and Horticultural workers who fed and protected this Nation is not always adequately remembered. So, please take time to sit and reflect on the freedom we have today.” The Observer Corps The Corps was awarded the title ‘Royal’ by His Majesty King George VI in April 1941. During the Second World War the Royal Observer Corps undertook the long range tracking and reporting of enemy aircraft.