Chesterton, Warwickshire
Encyclopedia
Chesterton is a small village in Warwickshire
, England
. It is about five miles south of Leamington Spa
, near the villages of Harbury
and Lighthorne
.
, built in 1632 from a design attributed to Inigo Jones
, just off the Fosse Way
and a Grade I listed building.
less than a mile from the present village of Chesterton.
From census
reports 1841-1901, the main occupation for residents was agricultural labouring, with many having to leave the village and move elsewhere to find work. The manor house
was demolished in 1802, although the remains of the walls and gateway still stand. Humble Bee cottages, on the hill where the manor ruins are, are now abandoned, but are thought to have been owned by ancestors of Lord Willoughby de Broke
(John Verney), who was descended from the owners of the manor. Originally, three terraced cottages existed, being rented by farm workers, but the cottage on the far right has been demolished.
Since the 1350s much of the village had been in the possession of the Peyto family who lived at Chesterton House. Chesterton House was demolished in 1802 after Margaret Peyto, last of the family, died in 1772 and left her estates to her cousin John Verney of nearby Compton Verney.
The parish church
dedicated to St. Giles, is thought to date back to the 12th century, the most recent update being in 1862. Parish records held at warwick records office date back to 1538. At one time the church served the settlement of Chesterton. This settlement disappeared as a result of the inhabitants moving away to Chesterton Green, after receiving a visit from that most unwelcome of itinerants, the plague. Local rumour has it that tunnels connect the church to nearby Humble Bee cottages.
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is about five miles south of Leamington Spa
Leamington Spa
Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or Leamington or Leam to locals, is a spa town in central Warwickshire, England. Formerly known as Leamington Priors, its expansion began following the popularisation of the medicinal qualities of its water by Dr Kerr in 1784, and by Dr Lambe...
, near the villages of Harbury
Harbury
Harbury is a village and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England. In the 2001 census it had a population of 2,485....
and Lighthorne
Lighthorne
Lighthorne is a village in Warwickshire, England. It is about south of Leamington Spa.Lighthorne is a small village in a valley and is near Moreton Morrell, Kineton and Wellesbourne....
.
Parish
The parish of Chesterton and Kingston includes the agricultural area of Kingston east of the village. The parish forms a roughly rectangular block, nearly four miles in length from north-west to south-east and two miles broad. It is home to the notable Chesterton WindmillChesterton Windmill
Chesterton Windmill is a 17th century cylindric stone tower windmill with an arched base, located outside the village of Chesterton, Warwickshire...
, built in 1632 from a design attributed to Inigo Jones
Inigo Jones
Inigo Jones is the first significant British architect of the modern period, and the first to bring Italianate Renaissance architecture to England...
, just off the Fosse Way
Fosse Way
The Fosse Way was a Roman road in England that linked Exeter in South West England to Lincoln in Lincolnshire, via Ilchester , Bath , Cirencester and Leicester .It joined Akeman Street and Ermin Way at Cirencester, crossed Watling Street at Venonis south...
and a Grade I listed building.
History
There was a Roman town on the Fosse WayFosse Way
The Fosse Way was a Roman road in England that linked Exeter in South West England to Lincoln in Lincolnshire, via Ilchester , Bath , Cirencester and Leicester .It joined Akeman Street and Ermin Way at Cirencester, crossed Watling Street at Venonis south...
less than a mile from the present village of Chesterton.
From census
Census in the United Kingdom
Coincident full censuses have taken place in the different jurisdictions of the United Kingdom every ten years since 1801, with the exceptions of 1941 and in both Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State in 1921; simultaneous censuses were taken in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, with...
reports 1841-1901, the main occupation for residents was agricultural labouring, with many having to leave the village and move elsewhere to find work. The manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
was demolished in 1802, although the remains of the walls and gateway still stand. Humble Bee cottages, on the hill where the manor ruins are, are now abandoned, but are thought to have been owned by ancestors of Lord Willoughby de Broke
John Peyto-Verney, 14th Baron Willoughby de Broke
John Peyto-Verney, 14th Baron Willoughby de Broke and de jure 22nd Baron Latimer was a peer in the peerage of England.John Peyto-Verney was born John Verney on 5 August 1738, the son of Sir John Verney , KC and Abigail Harley, inheriting the title 14th Baron Willoughby de Broke and 22nd Baron...
(John Verney), who was descended from the owners of the manor. Originally, three terraced cottages existed, being rented by farm workers, but the cottage on the far right has been demolished.
Since the 1350s much of the village had been in the possession of the Peyto family who lived at Chesterton House. Chesterton House was demolished in 1802 after Margaret Peyto, last of the family, died in 1772 and left her estates to her cousin John Verney of nearby Compton Verney.
The parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
dedicated to St. Giles, is thought to date back to the 12th century, the most recent update being in 1862. Parish records held at warwick records office date back to 1538. At one time the church served the settlement of Chesterton. This settlement disappeared as a result of the inhabitants moving away to Chesterton Green, after receiving a visit from that most unwelcome of itinerants, the plague. Local rumour has it that tunnels connect the church to nearby Humble Bee cottages.