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Welcome to Castlethorpe

Castlethorpe is a village with a population of around 1,100 set in rolling countryside seven miles north of Milton Keynes city centre and close to the boundary with Northamptonshire. It lies on the northern edge of the Tove River Valley, which is designated as being landscape of Special Character. 
The surrounding area is thought to have first been inhabited in the Bronze Age but the village itself started out in life as a Norman castle belonging to the lord of the manor of nearby Hanslope which was destroyed in 1215 during the Barons' Revolt against King John. 

The parish church is dedicated to St Simon and St Jude, and dates back to Anglo-Saxon times, though the present church is of mainly Norman design.
There are a number of other listed buildings in the village, some dating back to the 15th Century, with fine examples of homes from the 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st centuries as well. 
Click here to find more information about the village's history, including pictures and a video, and there's even more on the Milton Keynes Heritage Association website at www.mkheritage.org.uk/cv.

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£25,000 campaign to finish The Pavilion  

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A crowdfunding campaign to raise the final £25,000 needed to equip and furnish The Pavilion, the new community cafe and bar at the Sports Ground, before it can open has been launched at crowdfunder.co.uk/p/castlethorpe-pavilion.
This is something our residents have wanted ever since the Carrington Arms was bought by developers and closed down in 2008. And now, at long last, they will have somewhere local to bring people together both socially and for work throughout the week.

A survey for our 2017 Neighbourhood Plan found that having a drop-in place to meet was one of the things most wanted by the village.
But when it became apparent that the pub would be too costly to ever renovate we held a Parish Advisory Poll in 2023, asking: "Should Castlethorpe Parish Council build a clubhouse at the sports ground?"
The response was overwhelmingly positive, with an impressive 337 votes in favour and only 56 against in a 47% turnout from the 843-strong electorate.
We listened to our residents and took action and the old cricket club changing rooms were revamped and extended to include space for the new purpose-built café and bar.
 We also formed the not-for-profit Community Interest Company to manage the project
 

The 2017 survey also highlighted isolation and loneliness as major concerns among our residents.
This is particularly significant as Castlethorpe has a higher proportion of older individuals compared to Milton Keynes – 21.1% of our residents are aged 65 or older, compared to 13.1%. We are also keen to attract younger members of the village, particularly those with young families who can at times also feel isolated in the more rural location.
The Pavilion will serve as a warm and inviting space for everyone, both young and old, to meet up with  friends, providing much-needed company.It will also be a welcoming workspace for home workers seeking a change of scenery, and users of the outdoor gym and other sports facilities.
You can find more information at: castlethorpecs.org.uk/.

Changes to 33 bus timetable

There is a new timetable for the 33 bus service through Castlethorpe from 4 November, with changes of the times buses arrive in Castlethorpe. The route will no longer serve St Paul's School in Leadenhall but there are morning and afternoon services to Stantonbury School which do not stop in Wolverton. You can download the new timetable at www.arrivabus.co.uk/find-a-service/33-33a-x33-milton-keynes-to-northampton

Calling all cyclists ... MK needs your help!

Milton Keynes City Council has received funding from the Department for Transport’s Rural Transport Catapult to trial a new sustainable drainage product for rural cycle paths subject to flooding, such as the one between Castlethorpe and Wolverton, particularly the section alongside the railway line down towards Ouse Valley Park, and they are asking for help from regular users.
Last winter the route was particularly badly affected by flooding, so this new product could make the route more accessible in the winter months and be a significant step towards a full upgrade. However, just making the route usable after heavy rain would be a significant improvement over 
how it is now. MKCC is are working with the contractor who has developed the new product to start the installation of the product in the autumn, so it is in place for evaluation over the winter. The path will remain open during the works.
One of the key requirements of the Catapult programme is monitoring and evaluation of the research programme. MKCC’s highways and drainage teams will monitor and evaluate the technical performance of the product (such as flow rate etc) and its durability, maintenance requirements, ease of installation etc. and that is a key part of the programme.
However, in addition, they would really like to get the views of regular path users on the  
improvements, and if the path has improved from their perspectiveand have asked the Parish Council to help identify a group of regular path users that they can engage with about the drainage improvements.
There is not a need for a huge group of people to be found, but a small group of regular users, including those who use it for commuting and leisure would be very helpful as a focus group to help gauge the effectiveness of the product and whether it is worth rolling it out elsewhere – as they have a lot of rural paths and an increasing amount of flooding!
So if you would like to help please email clerk@castlethorpe-pc.gov.uk and we will pass your details on.
The village's weekly refuse collection day is normally Friday, even after Bank Holidays. The only change is over the Christmas and New Year period. The black (general waste) and green bins (garden waste and food) are collected every week and the red (cardboard and paper) and blue (plastic, metal and glass) bins on alternate weeks, as shown in the schedule above. You can find out more information on what goes in each bin here.

* All three household recycling centres in Milton Keynes are open seven days a week, except for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day, but entry is by appointment only (same day appointments are available) and anyone without an appointment will be turned away. To book your slot phone 01908 252811 or apply online here.

* Under their contract the new waste contractor Suez is obliged to return bins properly and there are penalty payments payable to Milton Keynes City Council if they don't. If your bin goes missing you should complete a form at https://mycouncil.milton-keynes.gov. uk /service/Non_Return_of_Bins 

Castlethorpe has two defibrillators - one outside the Village Hall and the other on the Cricket Pavilion at the Sports Ground. Both are in code-locked cabinets which are registered with the emergency services and show up on their equipment maps. The defibrillators are fully automatic and will tell the user exactly what to do.

The village also has a Community Speed Watch programme, which uses a speed gun operated by volunteers. The speed gun is operated by a team of three - one to hold the gun and the other two to collect the details of the vehicle. If you'd like to help, please email clerk@ castlethorpe-pc.gov.uk or phone 07707 836973.


For detailed information on the latest developments in the COVID-19 pandemic and how to keep yourself safe go to the COVID-19 page on this website, the Government website or milton-keynes.gov.uk/coronavirus

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Live travel updates

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Castlethorpe statistics

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Population                   1,112 (2021 Census)
OS grid reference      SP795445
Latitude/longitude  52.093°N   0.840°W
Civil parish                   Castlethorpe
Unitary authority      Milton Keynes
Ceremonial county   Buckinghamshire
Region                            South East
Post town                     Milton Keynes 
Postcode district      MK19
Dialling code                01908
Police                              Thames Valley
Fire                                  Buckinghamshire
Ambulance                   South Central
UK Parliament            Milton Keynes North