Carlton is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 and William the Conqueror gave his half-brother, the Bishop of Bayeux, a deer park within the parish. Centuries later John Bunyan preached in secret at Fishers Farm and his daughter married the farmer.
The first licence was granted to the Baptist Meeting in 1672 and the present chapel was built in 1760. It is a superb example of the traditional Baptist Meeting House, a two-storey stone building with tripped tile roof, three deck pulpit and gallery round three sides so that the minister can see everyone! It seats 600, but assemblies have reached 1,000. There is a baptistry pool in the centre of the floor. Baptisms have taken place in the river. Once, the ice had to be broken for it to take place and the unfortunate women died of the after-effects. The 12th century parish church of St Mary has been enlarged and altered several times over the centuries. Set in fields on the edge of the village, it is neither elegant nor sophisticated, but warm and rural.
Chellington is also within the parish but all that is left is one side of the High Street, a farm and church - now used as a church outreach youth centre. Many fields still have the ridge and furrow markings, exactly the same as the Strip Map of 1798. Earth mounds show signs of a deserted village and a sunken grass track is all that remains of the Bedford to Kettering coach road.
A medieval stone bridge of 14 arches crosses the river north to Harrold and the popular country park. The ancient raised causeway enables pedestrians to cross the flood plain which can flood a couple of times per winter closing vehicular traffic. If you drive between Carlton to Harrold the flood arches and flood height gauges are clearly seen. In the winter of 2007 one car tried to negotiate a high running river and stalled as the waters rose and remained there until the water level receded
The river provides a focal point for the village - fishing, boating, picnics and riverside walks. The fast flowing water under the bridge is a draw for canoe practice. In early times, the river would have been the only method of communication. A rare Romano-British enamelled brooch and finds of Roman and medieval pottery point to the continued habitation of the village down the centuries.
Large quantities of 'bloomery slag', a by-product of iron smelting, are found in some fields. Iron ore, possibly from Irchester, would be brought to make use of the local wood and limestone. A 17th century dovecote stands on a moated site of much earlier origin, now listed as a Historical Monument.
Carlton Training School was built as a reformatory by T. C. Higgins, a local land-owner (see Turvey Village). Boys were re-trained in various trades including farming and were allowed to help on local farms. In recent years, it has been re-built and now houses St Margaret's School and the workshops are used for the British Schools Technology. Buses are fitted out as mobile classrooms for computer studies.
The primary school started its life courtesy of the church in 1868. There was much absenteeism in the early days due to children being kept for farm-work and girls attending a lace school in Harrold each afternoon.
