Boughton's history

The name Boughton comes from Bucca or `he-goat’ farm. The earliest reference to the manor of Boughton was in the early 11th Century, although the settlement is known to predate this. It is rich in archeological remains, including Saxon and Roman sites. In the 18th Century the estate was bought by the Earl of Strafford. He had a passion for landscape structures and follies and is recognised as an amateur architect. All the gothic-style follies were created during his ownership. Boughton then passed into the Howard-Vyse family who eventually sold the whole village at auction in 1927.

The present church was built on the site of a 14th Century Chantry, and Boughton Hall was constructed in 1844 on the footprint of the original manor. Charles I played bowls there in 1647.

The Methodist chapel was built in 1804 and flourished between the wars but with attendance declining closed in the 1970s. The present village hall was built in 1967, replacing the original village hall built in 1927. There were originally two pubs, The Lion and The Old Griffin, and the present Whyte Melville pub was opened in 1928 and named after a famous author who lived there.

The ruined church of St John the Baptist lies on the east side of Boughton Green. Its tower and spire fell in 1786. Boughton Green Fair, reputed to be the biggest in the country, was held here from 1351 until 1916. On the Green stood a shepherd’s turf maze, thought to be of pagan origin. It was was dug up during military exercises there in 1914.