Scalford
Encyclopedia
Scalford is a village and civil parish
in the Melton borough of Leicestershire
, England. It lies 4 miles to the north of Melton Mowbray
at the southern end of the Vale of Belvoir
.
The name of the village is derived from Old English and originally meant shallow ford. It has retained its current spelling for over 430 years, being shown as 'Scalford' on the map of Warwickshire and Leicestershire produced (in Latin) in 1576 by Christopher Saxton
as part of his Atlas of England and Wales.
In addition to Scalford village, the civil parish
includes two hamlets
, Wycomb
and Chadwell
. The latter has a tiny C of E church, St Mary's, which was damaged in the 17th century and is now restored in a smaller form.
The Scalford parish church, which is on a small hill in the centre of the village, is named after St Eglewin and is believed to be the only one in the country named after this saint. The church is used occasionally for services, the nearest alternative places of C of E worship being the churches in Chadwell
and Waltham on the Wolds
. The Vicar is responsible for a number of other parishes in addition to Scalford.
The Scalford Methodist Church, built in 1844 and recently redecorated throughout, has its own minister, is very active and is currently the only place of weekly Christian worship in Scalford. It is a very picturesque setting for weddings as all the internal pine pews, organ, fixtures and furniture are still in place. It serves an area extending into the Vale of Belvoir and has members from Eastwell. In winter months the Anglican church members meet there too on a Sunday afternoon. It hosts a preschool group http://www.scalfordpreschool.co.uk/' every term-time morning, has a luncheon club monthly on Fridays and regular activities in addition to its 10.45a.m. Sunday morning services and special services for festivals. It is unusual in that it has a garden and its own cemetery. It also hosts choir rehearsal sessions and Keep Fit classes weekly. There are war graves at the chapel and at the church which also has a fine war memorial to the first and second world wars.
Currently (2011) there is one public house and restaurant in the village, the Kings Arms, along with a school and a post office (in a kitchen) which also sells a limited range of groceries. There is also a garden centre and landscape developer. This local company has won gold awards for garden design at the nationally recognised competition at the Sandringham Estate, Norfolk since 2008.
Scalford retains a good community spirit and has not been over-developed, new housing in recent years being restricted to in-fill and a small development on the site of the old stilton cheese factory and dairy. There is a modern village hall surrounded by a playing field, which hosts a range of commumity activities.
In addition to the established farming community, the village is home to many professionals who work in Leicester, Nottingham and even further afield. In the past decade there have been a number of recipients of MBEs for services to the community, sport and geological study.
In times gone by, the village was entirely surrounded by a triangle of railways. Scalford station
was on the GNR and LNWR Joint Line
from Market Harborough
to Bottesford
, while a number of mineral lines, attracted by the iron-ore mining which used to take place in this part of the Vale of Belvoir
, completed the triangle. A book, Railways of Leicestershire and Rutland, by David Webb (2007), illustrated by the Mason brothers, [Ian Allan, Isbn (10) 0 7110 3219X] shows the lines and pictures of the locomotives.
Before 1939 the lines were often used for transporting horses to local races and point to point meetings. Regular passenger services ended in 1953 but the lines survived for freight and summer specials until final closure came in 1962. Some of the railway infrastructure still exists in the form of various cuttings and embankments, which have largely become incorporated into the countryside but leaving in place a few bridges and footpaths.
Scalford is situated on the Jubilee Way footpath from Melton Mowbray to Belvoir Castle
, and a 'stop off' for walkers between Melton and the Vale of Belvoir. Scalford can be reached from Melton or the Vale by regular buses, and there is more than adequate parking at the village hall, which is overseen by nearby houses. There are quiet roads suitable for cycling, and for the children 'Twinlakes'
, a recently added fun park with very good resources for children of school age since no adult is admitted without a child. Nearby villages which should be visited are Waltham on the Wolds
, Eastwell
, Goadby Marwood
, Holwell and Thorpe Arnold
.
Scalford hall, on the outskirts of the village, is an Edwardian mansion house which is now an 88 room hotel, management training centre and wedding venue. In the 1930s it was the home of Colonel Colman, of the Colman's mustard company. The Colonel was a friend of the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII, and throughout their much publicised courtship, Edward and American divorcee Wallis Simpson regularly stayed at Scalford Hall. Colonel Colman died in the hunting field as he might have wished but his late wife is still remembered by older people in the village.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the Melton borough of Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, England. It lies 4 miles to the north of Melton Mowbray
Melton Mowbray
Melton Mowbray is a town in the Melton borough of Leicestershire, England. It is to the northeast of Leicester, and southeast of Nottingham...
at the southern end of the Vale of Belvoir
Vale of Belvoir
The Vale of Belvoir is an area of natural beauty on the borders of Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire in England. Indeed, the name itself derives from the Norman-French for beautiful view.-Extent and geology:...
.
The name of the village is derived from Old English and originally meant shallow ford. It has retained its current spelling for over 430 years, being shown as 'Scalford' on the map of Warwickshire and Leicestershire produced (in Latin) in 1576 by Christopher Saxton
Christopher Saxton
Christopher Saxton was an English cartographer, probably born in the parish of Dewsbury, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England around 1540....
as part of his Atlas of England and Wales.
Churches
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
includes two hamlets
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
, Wycomb
Wycomb
Wycomb is a small village in northern Leicestershire, England. It is in the Melton district, about from Melton Mowbray. It is part of the civil parish of Scalford.-References:...
and Chadwell
Chadwell, Leicestershire
Chadwell is a small village approximately northwest of Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire.Chadwell is very close to Wycomb and they share the same church of St.Mary in the same parish. The hamlets are part of Scalford and share the same parish council...
. The latter has a tiny C of E church, St Mary's, which was damaged in the 17th century and is now restored in a smaller form.
The Scalford parish church, which is on a small hill in the centre of the village, is named after St Eglewin and is believed to be the only one in the country named after this saint. The church is used occasionally for services, the nearest alternative places of C of E worship being the churches in Chadwell
Chadwell, Leicestershire
Chadwell is a small village approximately northwest of Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire.Chadwell is very close to Wycomb and they share the same church of St.Mary in the same parish. The hamlets are part of Scalford and share the same parish council...
and Waltham on the Wolds
Waltham on the Wolds
Waltham on the Wolds is a village located in the civil parish of Waltham and Thorpe Arnold, in the Melton borough of Leicestershire, England, about northeast of Melton Mowbray and south-west of Grantham on the A607 road.-Geography:...
. The Vicar is responsible for a number of other parishes in addition to Scalford.
The Scalford Methodist Church, built in 1844 and recently redecorated throughout, has its own minister, is very active and is currently the only place of weekly Christian worship in Scalford. It is a very picturesque setting for weddings as all the internal pine pews, organ, fixtures and furniture are still in place. It serves an area extending into the Vale of Belvoir and has members from Eastwell. In winter months the Anglican church members meet there too on a Sunday afternoon. It hosts a preschool group http://www.scalfordpreschool.co.uk/' every term-time morning, has a luncheon club monthly on Fridays and regular activities in addition to its 10.45a.m. Sunday morning services and special services for festivals. It is unusual in that it has a garden and its own cemetery. It also hosts choir rehearsal sessions and Keep Fit classes weekly. There are war graves at the chapel and at the church which also has a fine war memorial to the first and second world wars.
Amenities
Like many villages, Scalford has lost a number of industries and amenities over the years. There used to be a dairy which produced Stilton cheese, three bakers, a blacksmith, stonemasons, builders, a shoemender, a range of shops (one incorporating the post office), a garage and a second pub, The Plough, all now gone. There were also flourishing brickyards around 1875 to 1930 and bricks with the Scalford imprint burned in can still be found. The master's house remains and is called Lion House after the company name.Currently (2011) there is one public house and restaurant in the village, the Kings Arms, along with a school and a post office (in a kitchen) which also sells a limited range of groceries. There is also a garden centre and landscape developer. This local company has won gold awards for garden design at the nationally recognised competition at the Sandringham Estate, Norfolk since 2008.
Scalford retains a good community spirit and has not been over-developed, new housing in recent years being restricted to in-fill and a small development on the site of the old stilton cheese factory and dairy. There is a modern village hall surrounded by a playing field, which hosts a range of commumity activities.
In addition to the established farming community, the village is home to many professionals who work in Leicester, Nottingham and even further afield. In the past decade there have been a number of recipients of MBEs for services to the community, sport and geological study.
In times gone by, the village was entirely surrounded by a triangle of railways. Scalford station
Scalford railway station
Scalford railway station was a railway station serving the village of Scalford, Leicestershire on the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway. It opened in 1879 and closed to regular traffic in 1953. It was the junction for a branch line to Waltham on the Wolds which was built to...
was on the GNR and LNWR Joint Line
Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway
The Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway was a joint railway owned by the Great Northern Railway and the London and North Western Railway in east Leicestershire.-Location:...
from Market Harborough
Market Harborough
Market Harborough is a market town within the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England.It has a population of 20,785 and is the administrative headquarters of Harborough District Council. It sits on the Northamptonshire-Leicestershire border...
to Bottesford
Bottesford, Leicestershire
This page is about the English village of Bottesford near Grantham. For the Bottesford near Scunthorpe, see Bottesford, LincolnshireBottesford is a village and civil parish within the Melton district of Leicestershire, England....
, while a number of mineral lines, attracted by the iron-ore mining which used to take place in this part of the Vale of Belvoir
Vale of Belvoir
The Vale of Belvoir is an area of natural beauty on the borders of Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire in England. Indeed, the name itself derives from the Norman-French for beautiful view.-Extent and geology:...
, completed the triangle. A book, Railways of Leicestershire and Rutland, by David Webb (2007), illustrated by the Mason brothers, [Ian Allan, Isbn (10) 0 7110 3219X] shows the lines and pictures of the locomotives.
Before 1939 the lines were often used for transporting horses to local races and point to point meetings. Regular passenger services ended in 1953 but the lines survived for freight and summer specials until final closure came in 1962. Some of the railway infrastructure still exists in the form of various cuttings and embankments, which have largely become incorporated into the countryside but leaving in place a few bridges and footpaths.
Scalford is situated on the Jubilee Way footpath from Melton Mowbray to Belvoir Castle
Belvoir Castle
Belvoir Castle is a stately home in the English county of Leicestershire, overlooking the Vale of Belvoir . It is a Grade I listed building....
, and a 'stop off' for walkers between Melton and the Vale of Belvoir. Scalford can be reached from Melton or the Vale by regular buses, and there is more than adequate parking at the village hall, which is overseen by nearby houses. There are quiet roads suitable for cycling, and for the children 'Twinlakes'
Twinlakes Theme Park
Twinlakes is a theme park located 0.5 miles north-east of Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, England which was opened in September 2003, eleven months after the site was purchased. The park is family friendly with a large proportion of its rides being for young children in comparison with other...
, a recently added fun park with very good resources for children of school age since no adult is admitted without a child. Nearby villages which should be visited are Waltham on the Wolds
Waltham on the Wolds
Waltham on the Wolds is a village located in the civil parish of Waltham and Thorpe Arnold, in the Melton borough of Leicestershire, England, about northeast of Melton Mowbray and south-west of Grantham on the A607 road.-Geography:...
, Eastwell
Eastwell, Leicestershire
Eastwell is a village and ecclesiastical parish in Leicestershire, England.For the purposes of administration Eastwell is part of the civil parish of Eaton that, in turn, forms part of the borough of Melton. Eastwell lost its own civil parish status in 1936...
, Goadby Marwood
Goadby Marwood
Goadby Marwood is a village in the north of the English county of Leicestershire. It is about six miles north of Melton Mowbray and a few miles from the Vale of Belvoir....
, Holwell and Thorpe Arnold
Thorpe Arnold
Thorpe Arnold is a village in the English county of Leicestershire. Situated on the top of a hill close to the town of Melton Mowbray, Thorpe Arnold is a small farming village with roots going back to before its first recorded mention in the Domesday Book of 1086...
.
Scalford hall, on the outskirts of the village, is an Edwardian mansion house which is now an 88 room hotel, management training centre and wedding venue. In the 1930s it was the home of Colonel Colman, of the Colman's mustard company. The Colonel was a friend of the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII, and throughout their much publicised courtship, Edward and American divorcee Wallis Simpson regularly stayed at Scalford Hall. Colonel Colman died in the hunting field as he might have wished but his late wife is still remembered by older people in the village.