Harlestone Manor was given planning permission on 9th October 2014 and the first residents moved in on 11th September 2015. It is an estate of approx 250 3,4 and 5 bedroom private and rented homes with a play area in the centre. Originally it came under the Harlestone Parish until the Community Governance Review of 2019.
In the short time Harlestone Manor has existed it has grown into a great community, this is helped by having a private Community Facebook group. This was shown back in 2018 when the community came together to unveil our new Tommy statue, in honour of the fallen local soldiers of WW1 and in whose memory our roads are named.
LOCAL MEDIA COVERAGE OF OUR
TOMMY UNVEILING
More examples of the great community spirit can be found in our Gallery
A selection of photos taken whilst the estate was being built can be found in our Gallery
Remembering those soldiers from the Great War
(1914-1918)
who were born in Harlestone and in whose memory our roads are named
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.At the going down of the sun and in the morningWe will remember them.
THERE ARE 3 DUNKLEY SOLDIERS ON THE WAR MEMORIAL AT
ST ANDREWS CHURCH, HARLESTONE, A COUSIN AND 2 BROTHERS
PRIVATE ARTHUR HENRY DUNKLEY
Born in 1898 youngest of 5 children of Joseph Henry Dunkley and Lucy (need Wadsworth) of Harlestone. In the 1911 census Arthur worked as a gardener/domestic age13. He enlisted in the Northampton Regiment in December 1915 then he transferred to Royal Innniskilling Fusiliers 1916/17 and went to France in 1917. With other battalions they fought a fighting withdrawal across the old Somme Battlefields of 1916. Arthur died in battle 27th March 1917. His body was never found and he is commemorated on the Poziers Memorial to the missing on the Somme. He was just 18 years old.
PRIVATE CHARLES FREDERICK DUNKLEY
Son of Frederick and his 2nd wife Martha Dunkley. Charles was born December 1888 in Harlestone. He worked for the Althorp Estate then enlisted in the 1st/4th Territorial Battalion of the Northampton Regiment. The battalion sailed from Devonport on 29th July 1915 aboard the Royal George calling in at Malta then sailing onto Sulva Bay on the Gallipali Peninsular. The men moved up into the hills and experienced Turkish shellfire for the first time. By the end of November approximately 180 men were lost as a result of battlefield casualties, the rest including Charles fell sick and were evacuated to Egypt, then Charles was brought back to England. He died in Crumpsall Military Hospital, Manchester, on 22nd February 1916. He is buried in St. Andrew’s churchyard, Harlestone.
PRIVATE FREDERICK DUNKLEY
Born in Harlestone 1894. Like his brother, he also worked at Althorp as a stable helper/domestic. Just before the war he married Lily Gladys Hammond from Duston. They had a son Frederick who was born in 1915. Frederick Snr was in the 1st/4th Northamptonshire Regiment. After being evacuated from the Gallipoli Peninsular in January 1916 they were stationed at Mena Camp near Cairo guarding the Suez Canal. Frederick died of illness on 28th December 1918 aged 23 and is buried in Cairo War Memorial Cemetery.
There are still Dunkley’s living in the village.
PRIVATE HENRY (HARRY) GARNER
Born in 1889 and died 1918. Son of John and Elizabeth Garner who moved to Harlestone in 1881. Harry was one of 8 children, all born in Harlestone. He left school at 14 and went to work on the Althorp Estate. He then enlisted in Rugby in December 1915 and was posted with 14th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment and went to France in December 1916 in the Ancre Sector on the Somme. In 1918 he was transferred to the Corps of Cavalry and was then posted to the 8th Kings Royal Irish Hussars. While his squadron were resting behind the lines Harry decided to take a swim in the river L’Authie and was drowned in a tragic accident. He is buried in the small churchyard at Boufflers, France.
PRIVATE FREDERICK HARRISON
Born 1st December 1889 in No.122 Upper Harlestone, son of Joseph Harrison and Sarah Ann (nee Irons). Frederick was the eldest of 5 children and like his father he worked on the Althorp Estate as a gardener. Before going to war Frederick married Lillian Beatrice (nee Grissell). He enlisted on 18th January 1915 with a friend Charles Green in the Northamptonshire Regiment. They sailed from Southampton on the 25th July 1915 to Le Harvre. In March 1916 the battalion moved to Corbie then onto Bray and took over the trenches on the village of Carnoy. During a heavy bombardment Frederick was severely wounded and died 2 days later on 15th April 1916 – his 2nd wedding anniversary. He is buried in Corbie Communal Cemetery, France.
There are still Irons family living in the village.
LANCE CORPORAL PERCY JOHN LEE
Born in 1897 the youngest of 4 sons. His parents were Edwin Lee and Amelia (nee Wadsworth). The Wadsworths were in Harlestone for many generations. After school Percy worked for a firm called Trenery & Sons, he then enlisted in the Army Service Corps at Northampton on 1st November 1915. After 3 weeks he embarked at Southampton on the S.S. Lydia and landed in France the following morning. On 18th June 1916 he was posted to 2nd Indian Cavalry Reserve Park. They took part in several actions at the start of the Somme Offensive in July 1916. Early in the morning of 8th November 1916, Percy was hit by a shell and was terribly wounded in the head, right hand and left leg. He died of his wounds later that day and is buried in Grove Town Cemetery on the Somme, France.
LANCE CORPORAL REGINALD PRICE THORNE
Born 1888 in Harlestone. He is the son of Edward and Mary Thorne, the sixth child of nine. He enlisted in the Territorial Force of the Royal Engineers at Northampton on 16th November 1916. In early December 1916 Reginald was sent to 64th Reserve Battalion at Kinmel Park in North Wales then On December 30th to embark at Southampton for France and was posted to the 9th Cheshire Regiment. After a year in the trenches Reginald was granted 2 weeks leave and he returned to his family in Harlestone. A few weeks after, returning to Belgium he was transferred to the 15th Cheshire’s – another Bantam Battalion in the same brigade. Reginald was one of 13 men killed during an attack on 29th September 1918 and he is buried in Menin South Cemetery, Ypres.
FARRIER SERGEANT JOHN WALTER YORK
Born in Harlestone 1881 and died 13th July 1915. Son of John and Mary York the 7th child of 9. After leaving school, John worked as a blacksmiths assistant. Generations of Yorks worked as blacksmiths in Harlestone. John joined the army in 1900 and was discharged having been found medically unfit. At the outbreak of WW1 John re-enlisted with the Royal Field Artillery and was promoted to Farrier Sergeant and landed in France 18th December 1914 but with his previous poor health it took its toll and led to an acute disease of his kidneys and he was sent back to England in 1915 and died 13th July 1915. He is buried in St. Andrew’s churchyard, Harlestone.
There are still York families living in Harlestone.
