Skeffington | |
---|---|
Church of St Thomas Becket, Skeffington | |
Location within Leicestershire | |
Population | 223 (2011) |
OS grid reference | SK739025 |
District | |
Shire county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | LEICESTER |
Postcode district | LE7 |
Dialling code | 0116 |
Police | Leicestershire |
Fire | Leicestershire |
Ambulance | East Midlands |
UK Parliament | |
Skeffington is a village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. It lies 11 miles/18 km east of Leicester on the A47 Uppingham road, between Billesdon and Tugby and Keythorpe. The population at the 2011 census (including Rolleston) was 223. [1]
The derivation is from the Sceaft tribe, whose name may possibly have derived from sceap, meaning sheep. The first written record of the village appeared as Scifitone in the Domesday Book in 1086, when it was under royal ownership and housed 186 villagers, 112 smallholders, 204 freemen and 1 priest. [2] It was recorded as "Sceaftinton" in 1192. [3]
The village's church is dedicated to St Thomas Becket and is a Grade II* listed building. It dates from the 13th century, but underwent a rebuild in 1860. There is jumbled medieval stained glass in the east chapel window, with damaged figures from a monument to Thomas Skeffington, M. P., sheriff of the county in Elizabethan times. There is also a 1651 monument to Sir John Skeffington; several floor slabs commemorate other members of the family. [4]
Skeffington Hall, adjacent to the church, is also Grade II* listed. It has some Tudor features. The estate passed in 1786 to an Irishman named Farrell who took the name Skeffington. He pulled down 21 houses in the village to improve his view from the Hall, but overspent, so that the estate was sold again in 1811. In 1860 it was bought by William Tailby, who founded the Billesdon fox hunt, of which he became master. [5]
The village lay historically in the hundred of East Goscote.
The Anglican church is part of a group benefice with Keyham, Billesdon, Goadby, Hungarton and Rolleston. [6] There are no commercial or educational facilities in the village. The nearest nursery school, primary school, public houses, shops, filling station and sports facilities are at Houghton on the Hill (4 miles/6.4 km).
There is an hourly daytime bus service from Skeffington Turn to Leicester and Uppingham, Mondays to Fridays. [7] The nearest railway station is at Leicester (10 miles/16 km). The nearest scheduled air services are at East Midlands Airport (30 miles/48 km).
In order of birth:
Uppingham is a market town in Rutland, England, off the A47 between Leicester and Peterborough, 6 miles (10 km) south of the county town, Oakham. It had a population of 4,745 according to the 2011 census, estimated at 4,853 in 2019. It is known for its eponymous public school. With its art galleries Uppingham has become a popular destination for art lovers. Uppingham was named "best place to live in the Midlands in 2022" by The Times newspaper, who commented on the town by calling it "a discerning market town with art, heart and smarts — plus the magnificent Rutland Water".
Frisby on the Wreake is a village and civil parish on the River Wreake about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) west of Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, England. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 557.
Harborough is a local government district in Leicestershire, England. It is named after its main town, Market Harborough, which is where the council is based. The district also includes the town of Lutterworth and numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. In the north of the district it includes parts of the Leicester Urban Area, notably at Thurnby, Bushby and Scraptoft. Covering 230 square miles (600 km2), the district is the largest by area of the eight districts in Leicestershire and covers almost a quarter of the county.
Houghton on the Hill is a village and civil parish lying six miles (10 km) to the east of Leicester in the Harborough district, in Leicestershire, East Midlands in England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 1,524.
Hungarton is a small village and civil parish in the Harborough district, in the county of Leicestershire, England, about 10 miles (16 km) north-east of Leicester and 13 miles (21 km) south-west of Melton Mowbray. The population of the civil parish was 269 at the 2001 census, including Ingarsby, and increased to 289 at the 2011 census.
Fleckney is a village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. It is situated 2.5 miles (4 km) west of the A6 national route between Market Harborough and Leicester.
Harby is an English village and a former civil parish, now in the parish of Clawson, Hose and Harby, in the Melton district, in the county of Leicestershire. It lies in the Vale of Belvoir, 9.4 miles (15.1 km) north of Melton Mowbray and 13.9 miles (22.4 km) west-south-west of Grantham. Although in Leicestershire, the county town of Leicester is further – 21.4 miles (34.4 km) – than Nottingham – 15.7 miles (25.3 km). The village lies on the south side of the Grantham Canal. Belvoir Castle, 6 miles (9.7 km) to the north-east, is conspicuous on the horizon.
Knaptoft is a deserted medieval village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire and lies approximately 9.7 miles (15.6 km) south of the city of Leicester, England. According to the University of Nottingham English Place-names project, the settlement name Knaptoft could mean "cnafa" for 'a boy, a young man, a servant, a menial, or a personal name' and 'toft', the plot of ground in which a dwelling stands. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 47.
Billesdon is a village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England, with a population of 745 according to the 2001 census, increasing to 901 at the 2011 census. It is just off the A47, nine miles east of Leicester. The Billesdon bypass opened in October 1986. Nearby places include Houghton on the Hill, Skeffington, Tilton on the Hill, and Gaulby. The Billesdon Brook flows through the village.
Slawston is a village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England, north-east of Market Harborough. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 143, including Welham and increasing to 191 at the 2011 census. The parish includes the deserted village of Othorpe at grid reference SP770956. Slawston is located roughly 1 km away from Medbourne.
Goadby is a village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England, about 8 miles north of Market Harborough. It had a population of 204 according to the 2011 census.
King's Norton is a village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. It is situated to the east of Leicester, and about 2+1⁄2 miles (4 km) south-west from Billesdon. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 69. At the 2011 census the population remained less than 100 and is included in the civil parish of Gaulby.
Frisby is a hamlet and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire that lies approximately 7.3 miles (11.7 km) southeast of the city of Leicester, that is now largely a deserted medieval village. According to the University of Nottingham English Place-names project, the settlement name Frisby could mean 'farm/settlement of the Frisians'. The 2011 census for Frisby returned 5 houses and 16 residents. Often termed as Frisby by Gaulby, the modern hamlet is situated between the village of Gaulby 1 mile (1.6 km) to the southwest and Billesdon 1.94 miles (3.12 km) to the northeast. The deserted part of the ancient hamlet is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and can be located on the eastern side of the lane that leads down the hill from Gaulby Road, via Frisby House on a south-eastwards direction. The earthwork "tofts & crofts" are still visible today, with foundations for two stone built buildings noted towards the center of the site.
Overseal is a village and civil parish in South Derbyshire district of Derbyshire, England. It is 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Swadlincote, 5 miles (8.0 km) west of Ashby-de-la-Zouch and 13 miles (21 km) south-southwest of Derby. It had a population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 2,450. Situated within the National Forest area, it is near the villages of Netherseal and Lullington as well as being close to the border with Leicestershire. It is one of the southernmost settlements in Derbyshire.
Gilmorton is a village and civil parish about 3 miles (5 km) northeast of Lutterworth in Leicestershire, England. The 2011 Census recorded the parish population as 976.
Cold Newton is a small hamlet and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. It is situated about two miles from Tilton on the Hill and two miles north of Billesdon. Some 700 feet (210 m) above sea level, it overlooks the Wreake valley. Any population remaining is listed in the civil parish of Lowesby.
Keyham is an English village in Leicestershire. It lies about 7 miles (11 km) east of Leicester, in the district of Harborough. The population at the 2001 census was 118, which rose to 124 at the 2011 census.
Little Stretton is a small village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire that lies approximately 5.53 miles (8.90 km) southeast of the city of Leicester. The parish includes the deserted medieval village of Great Stretton, a Scheduled Ancient Monument that is located 0.7 miles (1.1 km) to the west of the village. The Gartree Road, a Roman Road, runs through the parish, adjacent to both Little and Great Stretton, and is the reason for those settlements' names. According to the University of Nottingham English Place-names project, the settlement name Stretton means "strēt" (Anglian) for a Roman road; and "tūn" for a settlement or an estate. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 92, with approximately 36 households.
Rolleston is a parish and estate village near Billesdon in Leicestershire, England, and part of Harborough district. The population of the village is included in the civil parish of Skeffington.
Sir John Digby of Eye Kettleby, near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, was Knight Marshal for King Henry VIII.
Media related to Skeffington at Wikimedia Commons