Stratton St Margaret
Encyclopedia
Stratton St Margaret is a civil parish in the Borough of Swindon
, Wiltshire
, England
. The parish covers north-eastern suburbs of Swindon
including Stratton St Margaret itself along with Upper Stratton, Lower Stratton, Nythe and Kingsdown.
Stratton derives its name from the Latin
strata ("paved way" or "street") after the former Roman road
whose course traverses the parish east – west. The Domesday Book
of 1086 records the toponym
Stratone, when the parish was held by Nigel, physician to William the Conqueror
. The village consisted of three hamlets: The Street; the area around Green Road and Dores Road and including the few houses at Kingsdown; and Stratton Green, mainly around Tilleys Lane. Footpaths and coffin-ways joined the hamlets.
The Church of England parish church
of Saint Margaret dates from the 13th century, with numerous later additions including partial rebuilding in the middle of the 20th century. Amongst the notable churchyard tombs is one to Sir William Hedges
who was President of an East India Company
in the 17th century. His home was where the Crematorium is now. The parish register
s date from 1608. Near the church once stood an Elizabethan
tithe barn
, built mainly of wood, and the village pound and the small parish school. The main tithe barn stood near Parsonage Farm in Swindon Road (both now demolished).
In 2011 Delamere Drive Recreation Ground was updated after consultation with local residents and children; and Street Billiards{new style ball game} was added to Greenbridge MUGGA.{MUGGA = Small fenced off ball play area}
A programme of bulb/tree planting has continued through 2011 involving local schools.
The Stratton Centre run by the council raised about £1,500 for 'Children in Need'.
Swindon (borough)
The Borough of Swindon is a local government authority in South West England. It is centred on the town of Swindon and forms part of the ceremonial county of Wiltshire...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, 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...
. The parish covers north-eastern suburbs of Swindon
Swindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
including Stratton St Margaret itself along with Upper Stratton, Lower Stratton, Nythe and Kingsdown.
History
Stratton St Margaret, once a village, has now become the north east part of Swindon and is rapidly becoming suburbanised. The area of the parish was originally much larger than it is now. Most of Gorse Hill was part of the parish until it was transferred to Swindon in 1890 and a large part of the housing estate of Penhill was once fields in Stratton St. Margaret.Stratton derives its name from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
strata ("paved way" or "street") after the former Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
whose course traverses the parish east – west. The 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 records the toponym
Toponymy
Toponymy is the scientific study of place names , their origins, meanings, use and typology. The word "toponymy" is derived from the Greek words tópos and ónoma . Toponymy is itself a branch of onomastics, the study of names of all kinds...
Stratone, when the parish was held by Nigel, physician to William the Conqueror
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
. The village consisted of three hamlets: The Street; the area around Green Road and Dores Road and including the few houses at Kingsdown; and Stratton Green, mainly around Tilleys Lane. Footpaths and coffin-ways joined the hamlets.
The Church of England parish church
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of Saint Margaret dates from the 13th century, with numerous later additions including partial rebuilding in the middle of the 20th century. Amongst the notable churchyard tombs is one to Sir William Hedges
William Hedges (colonial administrator)
Sir William Hedges was a British merchant and the first governor of the East India Company in Bengal.-Life and career:He was born in Coole in County Cork, Ireland, the eldest son of Robert and Catharine Hedges...
who was President of an East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
in the 17th century. His home was where the Crematorium is now. The parish register
Parish register
A parish register is a handwritten volume, normally kept in a parish church or deposited within a county record office or alternative archive repository, in which details of baptisms, marriages and burials are recorded.-History:...
s date from 1608. Near the church once stood an Elizabethan
Elizabethan architecture
Elizabethan architecture is the term given to early Renaissance architecture in England, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Historically, the period corresponds to the Cinquecento in Italy, the Early Renaissance in France, and the Plateresque style in Spain...
tithe barn
Tithe barn
A tithe barn was a type of barn used in much of northern Europe in the Middle Ages for storing the tithes - a tenth of the farm's produce which had to be given to the church....
, built mainly of wood, and the village pound and the small parish school. The main tithe barn stood near Parsonage Farm in Swindon Road (both now demolished).
Current status
In 2010 and 2011 the parish managed to reduce its precept (Tax raised by Parishes to fund local community projects and services) while still maintaining all its local community services, allotments, cemeteries, leisure centre, community centre, eight recreation grounds and four open spaces.In 2011 Delamere Drive Recreation Ground was updated after consultation with local residents and children; and Street Billiards{new style ball game} was added to Greenbridge MUGGA.{MUGGA = Small fenced off ball play area}
A programme of bulb/tree planting has continued through 2011 involving local schools.
The Stratton Centre run by the council raised about £1,500 for 'Children in Need'.