Overthorpe is a small village in the far west of South Northamptonshire District. It sits at the boundary with Oxfordshire, only three miles east of Banbury.
The village is defined by the use of the local Marlstone, a variation of ironstone, which is a reddish coloured stone. Properties would have originally been thatched but there is now a variety of different roofing materials.
The village has a linear character. There is no particular focus in the village, with the construction of properties along the one road running through the centre. There are 14 Grade II Listed properties or buildings in the village (almost 20% of the total properties). Throughout history Overthorpe has moved between Middleton Cheney and Warkworth parishes. It is now a parish in its own right, but shares many amenities with these nearby villages, including the Church of St Mary which belongs to Warkworth Parish and the nearest local schools in Middleton Cheney.
The Overthorpe Conservation Area was designated in 1978 and the boundary was amended in August 1987 to exclude some of the modern houses which did not reflect the character of the historic area of the village.
The current review in spring 2015 proposed to remove Broad Oak and Southams, modern buildings to the south of the historic core. It also rationalises the boundary in some places to follow more distinct plot boundaries. The Castle Farm building converted for residential use, now called Castle Barn, is also to be added to the conservation area. The revised boundary was adopted 18th November 2015. Please contact the Parish Clerk if you would like a copy of the Conservation Area Appraisal.
