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Gretton is a village in the English midlands county of Northamptonshire. It is in Rockingham Forest and overlooks the valley of the River Welland and the neighbouring county of Rutland. It is near the town of Corby, and the Rockingham Motor Speedway. Gretton takes its name from the phrase "Great Town". The village is noted for having the tallest church tower in Northamptonshire, and the second-oldest running pub in Northamptonshire, the Hatton Arms. The Hatton Arms was recently renovated, and now serves high-quality food renowned throughout Northamptonshire. Gretton is one of the few villages to retain its stocks and whipping post, which can be found on the village green. The last recorded use was in 1858 when a villager was put in the stocks for six hours after failing to pay a fine for drunkenness. Iron currency bars from the Iron Age have been found, and the Romans also worked the ironstone deposits. There were ironworks here in Edward the Confessor's reign in the 11th century, when Gretton was a royal manor, and the industry came to the fore again from 1881 to 1980 providing ore for Corby's steel works. Research Tips
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