Curborough and Elmhurst
Encyclopedia
Curborough and Elmhurst is a civil parish
in Lichfield District
, Staffordshire
, England. The hamlets of Curborough and Elmhurst
, that make up the parish, lie just north of the City of Lichfield, and are separated from each other by the West Coast Main Line
. The parish council is a joint one with Farewell and Chorley
. Curborough's name derives from Old English. The words for mill stream in Old English were 'cweorn burna,' and likely referred to Curborough brook.
run along Full, Curborough and Circuit Brooks, the western boundary runs partly along Bilson Brook, and partly along the A51
.
The subsoil is Keuper Marl
(Mercia Mudstone) with a band of Keuper Sandstone (Bromsgrove Sandstone) along the western boundary. There are stretches of Alluvium
along Full, Curborough and Bilson Brooks. The land lies at its highest in the south where Binns Farm stands at 387ft (118m). It falls away steeply on the north to Bilson Brook. On the east it slopes down more gently to 246ft (75m) on the northern boundary near New Farm and to 231ft (70m) on the eastern boundary at Curborough Farm.
of Curborough in 1584 and later precentor
of Lichfield Cathedral
and diocesan chancellor. Babington built an estate called Curborough Hall, where he died in 1613. His son William, a lawyer married to Ellen (Littleton) Babington, succeeded him to Curborough Hall estate and farm, and was in turn succeeded by a son Zachary, a lawyer with a practice at Lichfield. The Curborough Hall estate later fell to three heiresses of the Babington family, one of whom married Theophilus Levett
, town clerk of Lichfield, whose son John Levett
, briefly an MP
inherited the home. By 1925, the last of the Levett heirs, Theophilus Basil Percy Levett, sold the farm out of the family.
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 Lichfield District
Lichfield (district)
Lichfield is a local government district in Staffordshire, England. It is administered by Lichfield District Council, based in Lichfield.The dignity and privileges of the City of Lichfield are vested in the parish council of the 14 km² Lichfield civil parish...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, England. The hamlets of Curborough and Elmhurst
Elmhurst, Staffordshire
Elmhurst is a small village and civil parish within Lichfield District, in Staffordshire, England. It is located approximately 1.5 miles north of Lichfield. The village is rural in nature consisting of a few farms and a small amount of private houses...
, that make up the parish, lie just north of the City of Lichfield, and are separated from each other by the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
. The parish council is a joint one with Farewell and Chorley
Farewell and Chorley
Farewell and Chorley is a civil parish in Lichfield District, Staffordshire, England. The villages of Farewell and Chorley, that make up the parish, lie 3 or 4 miles north-west of the City of Lichfield. The parish council is a joint one with Curborough and Elmhurst....
. Curborough's name derives from Old English. The words for mill stream in Old English were 'cweorn burna,' and likely referred to Curborough brook.
Geography
The northern, eastern and southern boundaries of Curborough and ElmhurstElmhurst, Staffordshire
Elmhurst is a small village and civil parish within Lichfield District, in Staffordshire, England. It is located approximately 1.5 miles north of Lichfield. The village is rural in nature consisting of a few farms and a small amount of private houses...
run along Full, Curborough and Circuit Brooks, the western boundary runs partly along Bilson Brook, and partly along the A51
A51 road
The A51 is a road in England running from Kingsbury in Warwickshire to Chester. The road follows the following route:*Kingsbury*Tamworth*Lichfield*Rugeley *Little Haywood*Great Haywood*Weston*Sandon...
.
The subsoil is Keuper Marl
Keuper marl
Keuper marl is the former name for a layer of mudstones and siltstones from the late Triassic period . Typically red, or occasionally...
(Mercia Mudstone) with a band of Keuper Sandstone (Bromsgrove Sandstone) along the western boundary. There are stretches of Alluvium
Alluvium
Alluvium is loose, unconsolidated soil or sediments, eroded, deposited, and reshaped by water in some form in a non-marine setting. Alluvium is typically made up of a variety of materials, including fine particles of silt and clay and larger particles of sand and gravel...
along Full, Curborough and Bilson Brooks. The land lies at its highest in the south where Binns Farm stands at 387ft (118m). It falls away steeply on the north to Bilson Brook. On the east it slopes down more gently to 246ft (75m) on the northern boundary near New Farm and to 231ft (70m) on the eastern boundary at Curborough Farm.
History
An early resident of Curborough was Dr. Zachary Babington, prebendaryPrebendary
A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...
of Curborough in 1584 and later precentor
Precentor
A precentor is a person who helps facilitate worship. The details vary depending on the religion, denomination, and era in question. The Latin derivation is "præcentor", from cantor, meaning "the one who sings before" ....
of Lichfield Cathedral
Lichfield Cathedral
Lichfield Cathedral is situated in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. It is the only medieval English cathedral with three spires. The Diocese of Lichfield covers all of Staffordshire, much of Shropshire and part of the Black Country and West Midlands...
and diocesan chancellor. Babington built an estate called Curborough Hall, where he died in 1613. His son William, a lawyer married to Ellen (Littleton) Babington, succeeded him to Curborough Hall estate and farm, and was in turn succeeded by a son Zachary, a lawyer with a practice at Lichfield. The Curborough Hall estate later fell to three heiresses of the Babington family, one of whom married Theophilus Levett
Theophilus Levett
Theophilus Levett was an attorney and early town clerk of Lichfield, Staffordshire, a prominent early Staffordshire politician and landowner, and a member of a thriving Lichfield social and intellectual circle which included his friends Samuel Johnson, the physician Erasmus Darwin, the writer Anna...
, town clerk of Lichfield, whose son John Levett
John Levett
John Levett of Wychnor Park, Staffordshire, was an English landowner and investor, and a Tory politician.-Biography:John Levett was the son of Theophilus Levett , Lichfield attorney and town clerk, and his wife Mary Babington, daughter of Zachary Babington. The Levett family had common roots in...
, briefly an MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
inherited the home. By 1925, the last of the Levett heirs, Theophilus Basil Percy Levett, sold the farm out of the family.