Tilsworth
Encyclopedia
Tilsworth is a small village
and civil parish in Bedfordshire
. It lies to the north west of Dunstable
, and the Roman
Watling Street
(A5) forms the north east boundary of the parish
of 1200 acres (4.8 km²). The village lies on the gault clay
, where springs
well up just south of a gentle gravel
ly ridge. A large proportion of the area is still farmland.
The Domesday Book
calls the place "Pileworde" because of a misunderstanding of the symbol for "th"
, and the name probably means "Thyfel's homestead".
Stanbridge
, a larger village, is a close neighbour to the west and some organisations, such as the Women's Institute, are combined.
The Medieval All Saints' Church, built of Totternhoe stone
, stands in a prominent position on the hillside, and can be seen from a distance when floodlit at night. It has shared a vicar
with Stanbridge since the 19th century, and the combined benefice
now also includes Totternhoe
. The Church House acts as a centre for many local organisations and there is an active community life in the village.
The Methodist Church, faced with the need for expensive repairs, was closed in 1990 and demolished.
Across the road from the Church, on lower ground, is the ancient moated site of Tilsworth Manor (now a private house). The house itself has been much altered in modern times, but retains a picturesque 15th century gate tower
. Tilsworth fête
is held in the grounds each June. The manor
was owned in the 16th century by the Fowler family. In 1600 a notorious trial followed a quarrel between Richard Fowler and his young wife. Richard was imprisoned in the Tower of London
as the result of a forged letter implicating him in a plot to poison Queen Elizabeth I
. His wife, her brother and her lover were convicted of the forgery.
A gravestone in the churchyard
, bearing a verse inscription about a "female unknown" found murdered in the nearby woods
in 1821, arouses much interest.
Several old farmhouse
s, two of them thatched, survive in Tilsworth. There are new houses and bungalow
s, but the village has not yet increased greatly in size. One farmhouse in the north corner of the parish was lost to Hockliffe
, to which it was adjacent, in the 20th century. The "Little Chef" restaurant and Travelodge on the A5 are called "Hockliffe", though in fact they lie in Tilsworth.
A public house
, the Anchor, with restaurant and garden, stands next to one of the small greens
, and there is a Golf and Conference Centre.
Tilsworth is part of the political ward of 'Heath and Reach' which sends a Councillor to Central Bedfordshire Council. The ward includes the villages of Heath and Reach, Hockliffe, Eggington, Stanbridge, Tilsworth, Tebworth, and Wingrave. The ward was created in 2011 and has since been represented by Councillor Mark Versallion
.
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 Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
. It lies to the north west of Dunstable
Dunstable
Dunstable is a market town and civil parish located in Bedfordshire, England. It lies on the eastward tail spurs of the Chiltern Hills, 30 miles north of London. These geographical features form several steep chalk escarpments most noticeable when approaching Dunstable from the north.-Etymology:In...
, and the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
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...
(A5) forms the north east boundary of 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 1200 acres (4.8 km²). The village lies on the gault clay
Gault Clay
Gault is a clay formation of stiff blue clay deposited in a calm, fairly deep water marine environment during the Lower Cretaceous Period...
, where springs
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
well up just south of a gentle gravel
Gravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...
ly ridge. A large proportion of the area is still farmland.
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...
calls the place "Pileworde" because of a misunderstanding of the symbol for "th"
Thorn (letter)
Thorn or þorn , is a letter in the Old English, Old Norse, and Icelandic alphabets, as well as some dialects of Middle English. It was also used in medieval Scandinavia, but was later replaced with the digraph th. The letter originated from the rune in the Elder Fuþark, called thorn in the...
, and the name probably means "Thyfel's homestead".
Stanbridge
Stanbridge, Bedfordshire
Stanbridge is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire which lies east of Leighton Buzzard. It also borders the Bedfordshire villages of Hockliffe, Eggington, Tilsworth, Totternhoe and Billington...
, a larger village, is a close neighbour to the west and some organisations, such as the Women's Institute, are combined.
The Medieval All Saints' Church, built of Totternhoe stone
Totternhoe Stone
thumb|250 px|right|The characteristic checkerboard design of many Bedfordshire churches built with alternating chalk and flint blocks: [[St Mary's ]]....
, stands in a prominent position on the hillside, and can be seen from a distance when floodlit at night. It has shared a vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
with Stanbridge since the 19th century, and the combined benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
now also includes Totternhoe
Totternhoe
Totternhoe is a village and civil parish in the Manshead hundred of the county of Bedfordshire, England.-Overview:Totternhoe is an ancient village in southern Bedfordshire, near Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard. Totternhoe Knolls has been a fort for many peoples including Romans and Normans...
. The Church House acts as a centre for many local organisations and there is an active community life in the village.
The Methodist Church, faced with the need for expensive repairs, was closed in 1990 and demolished.
Across the road from the Church, on lower ground, is the ancient moated site of Tilsworth Manor (now a private house). The house itself has been much altered in modern times, but retains a picturesque 15th century gate tower
Gatehouse
A gatehouse, in architectural terminology, is a building enclosing or accompanying a gateway for a castle, manor house, fort, town or similar buildings of importance.-History:...
. Tilsworth fête
Fête
Fête is a French word meaning festival, celebration or party, which has passed into English as a label that may be given to certain events.-Description:It is widely used in England and Australia in the context of a village fête,...
is held in the grounds each June. The manor
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
was owned in the 16th century by the Fowler family. In 1600 a notorious trial followed a quarrel between Richard Fowler and his young wife. Richard was imprisoned in the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
as the result of a forged letter implicating him in a plot to poison Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
. His wife, her brother and her lover were convicted of the forgery.
A gravestone in the churchyard
Churchyard
A churchyard is a patch of land adjoining or surrounding a church which is usually owned by the relevant church or local parish itself. In the Scots language or Northern English language this can also be known as a kirkyard or kirkyaird....
, bearing a verse inscription about a "female unknown" found murdered in the nearby woods
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
in 1821, arouses much interest.
Several old farmhouse
Farmhouse
Farmhouse is a general term for the main house of a farm. It is a type of building or house which serves a residential purpose in a rural or agricultural setting. Most often, the surrounding environment will be a farm. Many farm houses are shaped like a T...
s, two of them thatched, survive in Tilsworth. There are new houses and bungalow
Bungalow
A bungalow is a type of house, with varying meanings across the world. Common features to many of these definitions include being detached, low-rise , and the use of verandahs...
s, but the village has not yet increased greatly in size. One farmhouse in the north corner of the parish was lost to Hockliffe
Hockliffe
Hockliffe is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire on the crossroads of the A5 road which lies upon the course of the roman road known as Watling Street and the A4012 road.It is about four miles east of Leighton Buzzard...
, to which it was adjacent, in the 20th century. The "Little Chef" restaurant and Travelodge on the A5 are called "Hockliffe", though in fact they lie in Tilsworth.
A public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, the Anchor, with restaurant and garden, stands next to one of the small greens
Village green
A village green is a common open area which is a part of a settlement. Traditionally, such an area was often common grass land at the centre of a small agricultural settlement, used for grazing and sometimes for community events...
, and there is a Golf and Conference Centre.
Tilsworth is part of the political ward of 'Heath and Reach' which sends a Councillor to Central Bedfordshire Council. The ward includes the villages of Heath and Reach, Hockliffe, Eggington, Stanbridge, Tilsworth, Tebworth, and Wingrave. The ward was created in 2011 and has since been represented by Councillor Mark Versallion
Mark Versallion
Cllr Mark Anthony Gaius Versallion is a British politician, businessman, and officer in the Royal Naval Reserve. He was Prospective Member of Parliament for Stretford and Urmston from 2007-09 and from 2009-11 was Chairman of the of the Conservative Party....
.
External links
- Tilsworth Parish Council
- Tilsworth pages at the Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records ServiceBedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records ServiceThe Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service is a county record office, holding archival material associated with Bedfordshire and Luton. Established in 1913 by George Herbert Fowler as the Bedfordshire Record Office, it was the first county record office in England. It is located in...