Inside the lofty village near Coventry where a Hollywood star is buried

What links famous movie director Stanley Kubrick with the pleasant and coveted Warwickshire village of Napton on the Hill? You’d probably land Chris Tarrant’s GBP1 million jackpot if you knew. For those in the dark, the answer is New York-born actor Ed Bishop.

: Warwickshire news Perhaps best known for playing commander Ed Straker in the hit sci-fi TV series UFO, Ed also had a long film career which includes roles in Kubrick movies Lolita and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Ed died in 2005, aged 72, and is buried in the churchyard of the Parish Church of Saint Lawrence in Napton having lived in Warwickshire for several years.

It would be safe to say he’s looking down on most people given the graveyard’s location at the crest of a hill where expansive views of rolling countryside are guaranteed. The church is not far from arguably the village’s most instantly-recognisable landmark – its huge windmill.

Hollywood film star Ed Bishop, pictured in 1971 with his daughter Georgina, is buried in Napton, Warwickshire (Image: Daily Mirror)

For anyone seeking free things to do during February’s half-term school break, the windmill is well worth a visit. But the main attraction must surely be the network of canals which join at Napton Junction just north of the village.

A stunning collection of boats are moored at Wigrams Turn Marina. Napton Reservoir is but a short walk north of the Junction, as is Lock 1 Napton Narrowboats offer boats for hire and there’s a couple of fisheries in the area for families who fancy a slightly slower-paced activity.

Boats gathered outside Napton Narroboats on Oxford Canal, near to Napton in Warwickshire (Image: Google Maps)

Well-known locally for its music festival, which over the years attracted the likes of The Hollies, Sweet and Bad Company, Napton was once a mecca for pub-goers with no fewer than four boozers.

Now only two are still standing – The Folly and The King’s Head, run by Matt Gaby. “It’s a great little village,” said Matt, who has managed the pub for two-and-a-half years. “I know from speaking to a few regulars that house prices in the village are ridiculous which just shows how sought after it is.”

Inside the Kings Head pub in Napton (Image: Paul Suart)

And it seems the food at the King’s Head is almost as desirable as the village’s properties.

“We pride ourselves on our country dining,” Matt says. “We’re never going to be five-deep at the bar on a Friday night, it’s not like that. “We’re more about the food, that’s not to say if people want to come for a drink they can’t.

The view looking out from School Hill in Napton (Image: Paul Suart)

“We can be very busy at weekends.

If you don’t make a reservation, there’s a strong chance we won’t get you in.” The same might be said of the summer period when the pub’s extensive garden is inundated with vacationers stopping off with the Oxford Canal, flanked by Wigrams Turn Marina, just a short punt away. “It’s strange because during the holiday season we’ll often see people on holiday twice in one week and then never again,” Matt adds.

“We’re a destination stop, but we also have a lot of passing trade, recommendations on social media and from TripAdvisor. “It’s a really friendly village and we’re really happy here.”

The Parish Church of Saint Lawrence in Napton (Image: Paul Suart)

So what of its vital statistics?

* Location – Napton on the Hill, often referred to locally as just Napton, is a village and civil parish three miles (4.8 km) east of Southam. * Population – The population of the civil parish taken at the 2011 Census was 1,144.

* Transport links – Napton is serviced by a whole manner of buses which link it with Rugby, Leamington, Redditch, Studley and west Leicestershire.

View looking out from the Parish Church of Saint Lawrence in Napton (Image: Paul Suart)

* Average house price – The average sold price for a property in Napton in the last 12 months was GBP384,996, according to Zoopla. The average for detached properties was a whopping GBP592,488. *Amenities – In addition to the pubs, there’s Napton Victory Club, Napton Village Stores, Napton Cidery and, on the outskirts of the village, Napton Water Buffalo, farmers and producers of buffalo meat and dairy.

When it comes to education, St Lawrence CoE Primary was rated ‘good’ by Oftsed on its last inspection in January 2020. * Sports and clubs – Napton sports field is home to football and cricket pitches as well as a tennis club. You’ll also find a village hall, a skatepark and Dog Lane Fishery.

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