Staverton is a village and civil parish in the south-west of Northamptonshire, England. It is 2.3 miles west of Daventry, 7.9 miles east of Southam and 15.3 miles east of Leamington Spa. It straddles the A425 road from Daventry to Leamington. The Jurassic Way long-distance footpath between Banbury and Stamford passes through the village. The village sits on the edge of an escarpment and has views westward across the valley of the River Leam into the neighbouring county of Warwickshire. Both the Malvern and Shropshire hills are visible on fine days. History The village's name means 'Stake farm/settlement', either set apart by such or where they were made or acquired. In the Domesday Book of 1086, Staverton is mentioned as Stavertone. Before the early part of the 18th century, the original village was located behind the church. However, in 1720 a fire broke out which caused damage, destroying many haystacks, stables, grain stores and 22 houses. The total loss was thought to be around £3,000. The result of this was that the village received, via a bequest from Elizabeth Darby, a fire engine. This came into commission in 1767, was kept in the village until quite recently and was later housed at the Daventry museum. A plaque can be seen on a door opposite the village green to this effect. The village has a manor house, situated at the end of Manor Road and thought to have parts originating possibly from Anglo-Saxon times. It is only one of many examples of vernacular architecture in the village. There is an interesting window detail at The Stables in Manor Road. A datestone above the window reads R.R. 1684. Within the village, Well Lane runs parallel to the main A425. It has been conjectured that this was a much earlier approach to the village. The deeply banked sides to the lane bear testimony to it being an ancient right of way. Possibly, with the increase in coaching traffic from the west, the present A425 route was chosen in preference. Along the western boundary of the parish runs the now-disused railway, the last mainline railway to be built in Britain. It was constructed by the Great Central Railway Company between 1894 and 1899 and ran from Nottingham Victoria to London Marylebone. A mission was established for the navvies in the village in a barn situated on the corner of Manor Road and Glebe Lane.