Until the expansion of Corby in the late 20th century, as a result of the industrial revolution, Great Oakley was a small agricultural parish with a population of just 200 in 1871.

Nowadays the village is a quiet rural home to 2,248, as of the last census, but a walk through its streets will give you an insight into its rich history. Indeed, many of the village’s original buildings remain, with great care taken to maintain their architectural and structural integrity.

Home Farm Close, for example, was once the estate’s dairy farms and is now the location for several homes for residents. In the conversion of the building special stone grills were created in the roofs of each garage, allowing a colony of bats that had made the building their home to remain – and providing residents with some quite unique neighbours.

On your visit you may spot a rich green paint on the doors of certain buildings around the village. Many of these properties are, or have been, in the ownership of the Great Oakley Estate and the paint is a symbol of their original ownership. In the case of those buildings that remain in ownership of the estate, the paint is a reflection of the maintenance that is carried out regularly on all estate properties.

Read more about some of the key buildings and community hubs within Great Oakley Village: