Kilsby
Encyclopedia
Kilsby is a village
and civil parish in the Daventry district
of Northamptonshire
, England
situated approximately five miles south-east of Rugby
.
According to the 2001 census
Kilsby had a population of 1,221. The village has grown considerably since the 1960s, with several new housing developments and a degree of in-filling. Amenities include a primary school, post office and shop, two pubs and two churches - Church of England
and URC
.
Kilsby's name comes from Anglo-Saxon
cildes + old Norse
býr, literally meaning "child's dwelling", but "child" here probably means "young nobleman". Its church, St Faith's, may originally have been the daughter chapel of the neighbouring parish of Barby
.
The parish's eastern side is bounded by the old route of the Roman Watling Street
, and the village itself is sited on the crossing of two former mediaeval drove-routes. It gives its name to the Kilsby Tunnel
on the West Coast Main Line
. The tunnel measures 1 mile 666 yards (2,216 m). Between 1881 and 1960, the village used to have a railway station Kilsby and Crick station
but this was on the Northampton Loop
further away from the village.
One of the village's more unusual claims to fame is that the A361 road
terminates here at a junction with the A5. The A361 runs to Ilfracombe
in Devon
making it the longest '3-digit' road in Britain.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and civil parish in the Daventry district
Daventry (district)
The Daventry district is the largest local government district of western Northamptonshire, England. The district is named after the town of Daventry which is the administrative headquarters and largest town...
of Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, 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...
situated approximately five miles south-east of Rugby
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
.
According to the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
Kilsby had a population of 1,221. The village has grown considerably since the 1960s, with several new housing developments and a degree of in-filling. Amenities include a primary school, post office and shop, two pubs and two churches - Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
and URC
United Reformed Church
The United Reformed Church is a Christian church in the United Kingdom. It has approximately 68,000 members in 1,500 congregations with some 700 ministers.-Origins and history:...
.
Kilsby's name comes from Anglo-Saxon
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
cildes + old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
býr, literally meaning "child's dwelling", but "child" here probably means "young nobleman". Its church, St Faith's, may originally have been the daughter chapel of the neighbouring parish of Barby
Barby, Northamptonshire
Barby is a village and civil parish in the Daventry district of Northamptonshire, England. the parish had a population of 2,083.-Location:Barby is located approximately 5 miles south of Rugby, and about 7 miles north of Daventry. The village is located upon a hill overlooking the Rains Brook and...
.
The parish's eastern side is bounded by the old route of the Roman Watling Street
Watling Street
Watling Street is the name given to an ancient trackway in England and Wales that was first used by the Britons mainly between the modern cities of Canterbury and St Albans. The Romans later paved the route, part of which is identified on the Antonine Itinerary as Iter III: "Item a Londinio ad...
, and the village itself is sited on the crossing of two former mediaeval drove-routes. It gives its name to the Kilsby Tunnel
Kilsby Tunnel
The Kilsby Tunnel is a railway tunnel on the West Coast Main Line railway in England. It was designed and engineered by Robert Stephenson.The tunnel is located near the village of Kilsby in Northamptonshire roughly 5 miles south-east of Rugby and is long.The tunnel was opened in 1838 as a part of...
on the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
. The tunnel measures 1 mile 666 yards (2,216 m). Between 1881 and 1960, the village used to have a railway station Kilsby and Crick station
Kilsby and Crick railway station
Kilsby and Crick was a railway station on the Northampton Loop Line serving the villages of Kilsby and Crick in Northamptonshire. It was located to the eastern side of where the railway crossed the A5 road just west of the present Daventry International Railfreight Terminal...
but this was on the Northampton Loop
Northampton loop
The Northampton loop is a railway line serving the town of Northampton. It is a branch of the West Coast Main Line, deviating from the faster direct main line which runs to the west....
further away from the village.
One of the village's more unusual claims to fame is that the A361 road
A361 road
The A361 is a major road in England and at is the longest 3 digit A road in the UK. It runs south from Ilfracombe on the north Devon coast to Barnstaple, turning south-east to Tiverton then, after a break , north east from Taunton in Somerset through Street and Glastonbury, past Frome and then...
terminates here at a junction with the A5. The A361 runs to Ilfracombe
Ilfracombe
Ilfracombe is a seaside resort and civil parish on the North Devon coast, England with a small harbour, surrounded by cliffs.The parish stretches along the coast from 'The Coastguard Cottages' in Hele Bay toward the east and 4 miles along The Torrs to Lee Bay toward the west...
in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
making it the longest '3-digit' road in Britain.