Ashwell, Rutland
Encyclopedia
Ashwell is a village and civil parish
in the county of Rutland
in the East Midlands
of England
. It is located about three miles (5 km) north of Oakham
.
St Mary’s church is mainly of 14th century origin, but in 1851 it underwent a major restoration by William Butterfield
.
The Reverend J.W. Adams
, who won a Victoria Cross
in Afghanistan in 1879, is buried in the churchyard.
Aviatrix Beryl Markham
(née Clutterbuck) was born in Westfield House and lived here until her family moved to Kenya
when she was four years old.
The Reverend Richard Levett
(or Levet) was named vicar of Ashwell on 13 May 1646. He was brought in to minister the parish when the previous rector, a Royalist, offended the locals. Mr Levett kept his job throughout Cromwell's reign, but lost it as soon as King Charles II was restored to the throne, when the previous incumbent was reinstated. He was the father of Sir Richard Levett
, Lord Mayor of London in 1699 and owner of Kew Palace
. Levett Blackborne, grandson of Sir Richard, who sold the Levett properties at Kew to the Royal family, was a well-known Lincoln's Inn
barrister and longtime adviser to Charles Manners, 4th Duke of Rutland
.
The Palmes family of Lindley, West Yorkshire was also seated at Ashwell. The family, a branch of the Palmes family of Naburn Hall, Naburn
, Yorkshire, included Sir Guy Palmes
, High Sheriff of Yorkshire
.
Ashwell Prison
, a former Category C prison, is located about two miles (3 km) south of the centre of the village but is actually in the parish of Burley
. Previously the site was a WWII US army base, home to part of the 82nd Airborne Division. The prison was closed in March 2011, and its future use is yet to be determined.
The previous kennels of the Cottesmore Hunt
situated opposite the prison have now been converted to residential use and the hunt kennels are now based at a farm in the parish.
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 county of Rutland
Rutland
Rutland is a landlocked county in central England, bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire and southeast by Peterborough and Northamptonshire....
in the East Midlands
East Midlands
The East Midlands is one of the regions of England, consisting of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire...
of 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...
. It is located about three miles (5 km) north of Oakham
Oakham
-Oakham's horseshoes:Traditionally, members of royalty and peers of the realm who visited or passed through the town had to pay a forfeit in the form of a horseshoe...
.
St Mary’s church is mainly of 14th century origin, but in 1851 it underwent a major restoration by William Butterfield
William Butterfield
William Butterfield was a Gothic Revival architect and associated with the Oxford Movement . He is noted for his use of polychromy-Biography:...
.
The Reverend J.W. Adams
James William Adams
James William Adams VC was born in Cork and was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces...
, who won a Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
in Afghanistan in 1879, is buried in the churchyard.
Aviatrix Beryl Markham
Beryl Markham
Beryl Markham was a British-born Kenyan aviatrix, adventurer, and racehorse trainer. During the pioneer days of aviation, she became the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic from east to west...
(née Clutterbuck) was born in Westfield House and lived here until her family moved to Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
when she was four years old.
Levett
Levett is an Anglo-Norman territorial surname deriving from the village of Livet-en-Ouche, now Jonquerets-de-Livet, in Eure, Normandy. Ancestors of the earliest Levett family in England, the de Livets were lords of the village of Livet, and undertenants of the de Ferrers, among the most powerful of...
(or Levet) was named vicar of Ashwell on 13 May 1646. He was brought in to minister the parish when the previous rector, a Royalist, offended the locals. Mr Levett kept his job throughout Cromwell's reign, but lost it as soon as King Charles II was restored to the throne, when the previous incumbent was reinstated. He was the father of Sir Richard Levett
Richard Levett
Sir Richard Levett , Sheriff, Alderman and Lord Mayor of London, was one of the first directors of the Bank of England, an adventurer with the London East India Company and the proprietor of the trading firm Sir Richard Levett & Company. He had homes at Kew and in London's Cripplegate, close by...
, Lord Mayor of London in 1699 and owner of Kew Palace
Kew Palace
Kew Palace is a British Royal Palace in Kew Gardens on the banks of the Thames up river from London. There have been at least four Palaces at Kew, and three have been known as Kew Palace; the first building may not have been known as Kew as no records survive other than the words of another...
. Levett Blackborne, grandson of Sir Richard, who sold the Levett properties at Kew to the Royal family, was a well-known Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
barrister and longtime adviser to Charles Manners, 4th Duke of Rutland
Charles Manners, 4th Duke of Rutland
Charles Manners, 4th Duke of Rutland KG, PC was a British politician and nobleman, the eldest legitimate son of John Manners, Marquess of Granby...
.
The Palmes family of Lindley, West Yorkshire was also seated at Ashwell. The family, a branch of the Palmes family of Naburn Hall, Naburn
Naburn
Naburn is a small village and civil parish in the unitary authority of the City of York in North Yorkshire, England. It lies on the eastern side of the River Ouse about south of York. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 470...
, Yorkshire, included Sir Guy Palmes
Guy Palmes
Sir Guy Palmes was MP for Rutland, High Sheriff of Yorkshire and Justice of the Peace for Yorkshire.- Early life :Palmes lived at Lindley, now part of Huddersfield, and at Ashwell, Rutland and married Anne, the daughter of Sir Edward Stafford....
, High Sheriff of Yorkshire
High Sheriff of Yorkshire
The High Sheriff of Yorkshire was an ancient High Sheriff title originating in the time of the Angles, not long after the invasion of the Kingdom of England, which was in existence for around a thousand years. A list of the sheriffs from the Norman conquest onwards can be found below...
.
Ashwell Prison
Ashwell (HM Prison)
HM Prison Ashwell was a Category C men's prison located in the parish of Burley, in the county of Rutland, England. The site of a former prison is located about two miles south of the centre of the village of Ashwell, alongside the road to Oakham and opposite the former kennels of the Cottesmore...
, a former Category C prison, is located about two miles (3 km) south of the centre of the village but is actually in the parish of Burley
Burley, Rutland
Burley, or Burley-on-the-Hill, is a village and civil parish in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England. It is located two miles north-east of Oakham....
. Previously the site was a WWII US army base, home to part of the 82nd Airborne Division. The prison was closed in March 2011, and its future use is yet to be determined.
The previous kennels of the Cottesmore Hunt
Cottesmore Hunt
The Cottesmore Hunt, which hunts mostly in Rutland, is one of the oldest fox hunts in Britain. Its name comes from the village of Cottesmore where the hounds were kennelled.-History:...
situated opposite the prison have now been converted to residential use and the hunt kennels are now based at a farm in the parish.