Moorby
Encyclopedia
Moorby is a small village in East Lindsey
, in the county of Lincolnshire
, England
with around fifty inhabitants. It is close to Wood Enderby
. The village is in the parish of Claxby with Moorby, where Claxby refers to Claxby Pluckacre
.
There are about twelve houses, including the Old Rectory, the Old School House, the Royal Oak (no longer a licensed premises), amongst others.
The church (dedicated to All Saints
) was demolished in the 1980s due to high maintenance costs, although the graveyard remains and the carved stonework can still be found in many gardens in the village. The Shell Guide to Lincolnshire describes Moorby church as being "much restored by James Fowler
in 1866, but he left a large and very early font".
The Methodist chapel still stands but is now outhouses for a private residence. The village is also home to Oslinc, a farm where ostrich
es are reared for meat, eggs, and feathers.
Most local gatherings in the village take place in the village hall, a Rural Education Centre on Cooks Farm (including village council meetings and the annual Harvest Supper, which residents of Wilksby also attend) or on the village green, a small grassy area on the site of an old farmyard, probably owned by the nearby Scrivelsby estate. Church services are held in Wilksby church (built by the Stanhope family at a cost of £99) every third Sunday in the month.
Until recently, the village was also home to Camp 79, one of only five remaining POW
camps in England, according to English Heritage
. The camp's huts were used for many years as turkey
sheds, but were knocked down and the rubble sold off after an illegal rave
was held in the deteriorating buildings. The subject of the rave is still a controversial one in the village, with dissatisfaction over police handling of the case: officers said that said "ravers could not be evicted because there were fewer than 100 trouble-makers involved". The camp was a standard WWII
working camp and housed a large number of German
soldiers, many of whom integrated into the local population; many have fond memories of their time in the village and still visit the area.
According to an RAF
website, Moorby was 'a Great War landing ground', but the meaning of this statement is still unknown.
The village name means the fen village or farm, from ON mór a fen, a moor and bý a farmstead, a village, Morebi appears in Domesday Book
of 1086 and the Lord of the Manor was King William I. The village seems to have been excluded from the 1901 census.
The village did have its own 'magic stone', although it has disappeared some time in the last few years and is reported to have been moved to a nearby farmyard. It was said that it enabled one to see the devil
under the correct circumstances.
East Lindsey
East Lindsey is a local government district in Lincolnshire, England. The council is based in Manby near Louth, and other major settlements in the district include Alford, Spilsby, Mablethorpe, Skegness, Horncastle and Chapel St Leonards....
, in the county of Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, 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...
with around fifty inhabitants. It is close to Wood Enderby
Wood Enderby
Wood Enderby is a village and civil parish about 4 miles south of Horncastle, Lincolnshire, England, and the civil parish includes the hamlet of Wilksby....
. The village is in the parish of Claxby with Moorby, where Claxby refers to Claxby Pluckacre
Claxby Pluckacre
Claxby Pluckacre is a hamlet about south east of the town of Horncastle, in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England.Claxby Pluckacre once had a church dedicated to Saint Andrew, and it is unclear exactly when it fell into ruin, although the last priest was instituted 1660-2...
.
There are about twelve houses, including the Old Rectory, the Old School House, the Royal Oak (no longer a licensed premises), amongst others.
The church (dedicated to All Saints
All Saints
All Saints' Day , often shortened to All Saints, is a solemnity celebrated on 1 November by parts of Western Christianity, and on the first Sunday after Pentecost in Eastern Christianity, in honour of all the saints, known and unknown...
) was demolished in the 1980s due to high maintenance costs, although the graveyard remains and the carved stonework can still be found in many gardens in the village. The Shell Guide to Lincolnshire describes Moorby church as being "much restored by James Fowler
James Fowler (architect)
James Fowler JP, FRIBA, known as “Fowler of Louth”, was an English ecclesiastical architect of the Victorian Age chiefly associated with the restoration and renovation of churches....
in 1866, but he left a large and very early font".
The Methodist chapel still stands but is now outhouses for a private residence. The village is also home to Oslinc, a farm where ostrich
Ostrich
The Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
es are reared for meat, eggs, and feathers.
Most local gatherings in the village take place in the village hall, a Rural Education Centre on Cooks Farm (including village council meetings and the annual Harvest Supper, which residents of Wilksby also attend) or on the village green, a small grassy area on the site of an old farmyard, probably owned by the nearby Scrivelsby estate. Church services are held in Wilksby church (built by the Stanhope family at a cost of £99) every third Sunday in the month.
Until recently, the village was also home to Camp 79, one of only five remaining POW
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
camps in England, according to English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
. The camp's huts were used for many years as turkey
Domesticated turkey
The domesticated turkey is a large poultry bird. The modern domesticated form descends from the wild turkey , one of the two species of turkey ; in the past the ocellated turkey was also domesticated.The turkey is raised throughout temperate parts of the world and is a popular form of poultry,...
sheds, but were knocked down and the rubble sold off after an illegal rave
Rave
Rave, rave dance, and rave party are parties that originated mostly from acid house parties, which featured fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties people dance and socialize to dance music played by disc jockeys and occasionally live performers...
was held in the deteriorating buildings. The subject of the rave is still a controversial one in the village, with dissatisfaction over police handling of the case: officers said that said "ravers could not be evicted because there were fewer than 100 trouble-makers involved". The camp was a standard WWII
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
working camp and housed a large number of German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
soldiers, many of whom integrated into the local population; many have fond memories of their time in the village and still visit the area.
According to an RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
website, Moorby was 'a Great War landing ground', but the meaning of this statement is still unknown.
The village name means the fen village or farm, from ON mór a fen, a moor and bý a farmstead, a village, Morebi appears in Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086 and the Lord of the Manor was King William I. The village seems to have been excluded from the 1901 census.
The village did have its own 'magic stone', although it has disappeared some time in the last few years and is reported to have been moved to a nearby farmyard. It was said that it enabled one to see the devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
under the correct circumstances.