Blackfordby
Encyclopedia
Blackfordby is a small village
about 2 miles (3.2 km) to the northwest of Ashby-de-la-Zouch
in England
. It is supposedly named after the Black Ford
where water from the village spring crosses the main street over a coal outcrop. (There is no coal under Blackfordby as it lies on what is known as "The Boothorpe Fault".) On some early maps, such as the one dated AD 1587, the village is shown as "Blaugherby", hence the local name of "Blofferby".
The village is dominated by the Church of St. Margaret of Antioch. It is a fairly modern building erected in AD 1858 on the site of an earlier Anglican Chapel which was part of the Church of St. Helen at nearby Ashby-de-la-Zouch. It stands in an elevated position next to the village school and is built in the early English style
. It consists of a nave and chancel with the tower being surmounted by a broach spire
and, for the greater part of the work, constructed from local sandstone which has become blackened due to the effects of air pollution.
Until recent years there were several 16th & 17th century thatched cottages in and around the village, but now only two remain; one on Main Street, and one behind the "Rec". Both are now protected buildings and of course much painted and photographed.
For many years the population stayed at about 500 persons, mainly agricultural workers, until the advent of the "Pits & Pipeworks". Sadly, the workers are now gone along with the old skills of the local craftsmen that are no longer required.
It is still a fairly quiet, rural village, set in pleasant countryside although the population has greatly expanded in recent years. Council houses were built in AD 1948 and AD 1950, but the biggest changes have been brought about by private development. The village school still survives and is presently being extended to allow children to continue their education there until they are eleven years old. There are two pubs catering for the thirst of the locals, but alas, no shops or Post Office.
of Willesley Hall
died on 30 July AD 1858, aged 66. By a deed of settlement, executed about AD 1846, the Blackfordby and Packington
estates of Sir Charles passed to the Marquis of Hastings, who was Henry Rawdon-Hastings
.
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...
about 2 miles (3.2 km) to the northwest of Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Ashby-de-la-Zouch, — Zouch being pronounced "Zoosh" — often shortened to Ashby, is a small market town and civil parish in North West Leicestershire, England, within the National Forest. It is twinned with Pithiviers in north-central France....
in 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 supposedly named after the Black Ford
Ford (crossing)
A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle. A ford is mostly a natural phenomenon, in contrast to a low water crossing, which is an artificial bridge that allows crossing a river or stream when water is low.The names of many towns...
where water from the village spring crosses the main street over a coal outcrop. (There is no coal under Blackfordby as it lies on what is known as "The Boothorpe Fault".) On some early maps, such as the one dated AD 1587, the village is shown as "Blaugherby", hence the local name of "Blofferby".
The village is dominated by the Church of St. Margaret of Antioch. It is a fairly modern building erected in AD 1858 on the site of an earlier Anglican Chapel which was part of the Church of St. Helen at nearby Ashby-de-la-Zouch. It stands in an elevated position next to the village school and is built in the early English style
English Gothic architecture
English Gothic is the name of the architectural style that flourished in England from about 1180 until about 1520.-Introduction:As with the Gothic architecture of other parts of Europe, English Gothic is defined by its pointed arches, vaulted roofs, buttresses, large windows, and spires...
. It consists of a nave and chancel with the tower being surmounted by a broach spire
Broach spire
A broach spire is a type of spire, a tall pyramidal or conical structure usually on the top of a tower or a turret. A broach spire starts on a square base and is carried up to a tapering octagonal spire by means of triangular faces....
and, for the greater part of the work, constructed from local sandstone which has become blackened due to the effects of air pollution.
Until recent years there were several 16th & 17th century thatched cottages in and around the village, but now only two remain; one on Main Street, and one behind the "Rec". Both are now protected buildings and of course much painted and photographed.
For many years the population stayed at about 500 persons, mainly agricultural workers, until the advent of the "Pits & Pipeworks". Sadly, the workers are now gone along with the old skills of the local craftsmen that are no longer required.
It is still a fairly quiet, rural village, set in pleasant countryside although the population has greatly expanded in recent years. Council houses were built in AD 1948 and AD 1950, but the biggest changes have been brought about by private development. The village school still survives and is presently being extended to allow children to continue their education there until they are eleven years old. There are two pubs catering for the thirst of the locals, but alas, no shops or Post Office.
History
Charles Abney HastingsCharles Abney Hastings
Sir Charles Abney Hastings, 2nd Baronet of Willesley Hall, Derbyshire was both High Sheriff of Derbyshire and an MP for Leicester from 1826 to 1831.-Biography:...
of Willesley Hall
Willesley
Willesley is a place near Ashby-de-la-Zouch. It was in Derbyshire but is now part of Leicestershire. In the 19th century it had a population of about 60 and Willesley Hall was the home of the Abney and later the Abney-Hastings family. Willesley is so small that it would be a hamlet except that it...
died on 30 July AD 1858, aged 66. By a deed of settlement, executed about AD 1846, the Blackfordby and Packington
Packington
Packington is a village and civil parish in the district of North West Leicestershire. It is situated close to the A42 road and the town of Ashby de la Zouch. The population of Packington according to the 2001 UK census is 738...
estates of Sir Charles passed to the Marquis of Hastings, who was Henry Rawdon-Hastings
Henry Rawdon-Hastings, 4th Marquess of Hastings
Henry Weysford Charles Plantagenet, 4th Marquess of Hastings , styled Lord Henry Rawdon-Hastings from birth until 1851, was a British peer....
.