Silk Willoughby
Encyclopedia
Silk Willoughby is a small village of a little over 100 households located 2 miles south of Sleaford
; it lies within the North Kesteven
district of Lincolnshire
, England
and had a total resident population of 282 in 129 households at the time of the 2001 census. There are a number of council and rented properties within the village in addition to owner-occupied housing, both old and new. There are several listed buildings including a Manor House and a former rectory.
The Parish
of Silk Willoughby comprises approximately 2500 acres (10.1 km²) of arable and grazing land. The parish church, which dates from Norman times and was restored in 1907-08, is dedicated to St. Denis
. The parish is now included within the benefice of Quarrington
and Old Sleaford.
The modern diocesan records use the name St Denis for the church, but the ancient monument records record it as St Denys. St. Denis or Denys
are alternative spellings for the same person. The nearby church in Sleaford uses the Denys spelling, and it is possible the modern church uses the more familiar one to avoid confusion.
Silk Willoughby won the award for Best Kept Village in 2007.
of Silkby lies within the parish.
Butt Mound and Folk Moot are names given to two bowl barrows to the west of St Deny's church. Years of agriculture have reduced them somewhat.
The shaft of a medieval wayside cross, dedicated to St. Mathew stands on a modern base in what is believed to be the original location, now the corner of School Lane.
The church of St Denis was started in the 12th century, in the Decorated style, extended in the 14th in the Perpendicular style and extensively restored in the early 20th century.
Sleaford
Sleaford is a town in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It is located thirteen miles northeast of Grantham, seventeen miles west of Boston, and nineteen miles south of Lincoln, and had a total resident population of around 14,500 in 6,167 households at the time...
; it lies within the North Kesteven
North Kesteven
North Kesteven is a local government district in the East Midlands. Just over north of London, it is east of Nottingham and south of Lincoln. North Kesteven is one of seven districts in Lincolnshire, England and is in the centre of the County...
district 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...
and had a total resident population of 282 in 129 households at the time of the 2001 census. There are a number of council and rented properties within the village in addition to owner-occupied housing, both old and new. There are several listed buildings including a Manor House and a former rectory.
The Parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Silk Willoughby comprises approximately 2500 acres (10.1 km²) of arable and grazing land. The parish church, which dates from Norman times and was restored in 1907-08, is dedicated to St. Denis
Denis
Saint Denis is a Christian martyr and saint. In the third century, he was Bishop of Paris. He was martyred in connection with the Decian persecution of Christians, shortly after A.D. 250...
. The parish is now included within the benefice of Quarrington
Quarrington, Lincolnshire
Quarrington is a suburb of the market town of Sleaford, in England. Its origins can be traced back to Anglo-Saxon times when it was a hamlet of c.1,500 acres.-History:...
and Old Sleaford.
The modern diocesan records use the name St Denis for the church, but the ancient monument records record it as St Denys. St. Denis or Denys
Denis
Saint Denis is a Christian martyr and saint. In the third century, he was Bishop of Paris. He was martyred in connection with the Decian persecution of Christians, shortly after A.D. 250...
are alternative spellings for the same person. The nearby church in Sleaford uses the Denys spelling, and it is possible the modern church uses the more familiar one to avoid confusion.
Silk Willoughby won the award for Best Kept Village in 2007.
Historic details
The former villageDeserted medieval village
In the United Kingdom, a deserted medieval village is a former settlement which was abandoned during the Middle Ages, typically leaving no trace apart from earthworks or cropmarks. If there are fewer than three inhabited houses the convention is to regard the site as deserted; if there are more...
of Silkby lies within the parish.
Butt Mound and Folk Moot are names given to two bowl barrows to the west of St Deny's church. Years of agriculture have reduced them somewhat.
The shaft of a medieval wayside cross, dedicated to St. Mathew stands on a modern base in what is believed to be the original location, now the corner of School Lane.
The church of St Denis was started in the 12th century, in the Decorated style, extended in the 14th in the Perpendicular style and extensively restored in the early 20th century.