Empingham
Encyclopedia
Empingham is a village in the county of Rutland
in the East Midlands
of England
. It lies close to the dam of Rutland Water
and the A606 runs through the village. During construction, Empingham Reservoir was the name of the reservoir but it was renamed Rutland Water to preserve the name of the county which was being merged with Leicestershire.
The fine church of St Peter was a Peculiar
of the see of Lincoln. When the diocese of Peterborough was created, this church remained tied to Lincoln Cathedral
and the title of a Prebend there.
To the north east on the Great North Road (now A1) the Battle of Empingham was fought in 1470 as part of the Wars of the Roses
. The battle is also known as Battle of Losecoat Field (or Losecote Field), supposedly because the defeated Lancastrians when fleeing threw off the distinguishing clothing. However the name probably predates the battle and means pigsty field. Forms of Losecote also appear as field names in other parishes in Rutland. Contemporary accounts refer to the battle site as Hornfield. An adjacent woodland is now called Bloody Oaks.
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 lies close to the dam of Rutland Water
Rutland Water
Rutland Water is Anglian Water's drinking water reservoir in the county of Rutland, England, just east of the county town Oakham. It was known as Empingham Reservoir during its construction and until its official opening in 1976. The centre of its dam is at British national grid reference...
and the A606 runs through the village. During construction, Empingham Reservoir was the name of the reservoir but it was renamed Rutland Water to preserve the name of the county which was being merged with Leicestershire.
The fine church of St Peter was a Peculiar
Peculier
Peculier may refer to:* A Royal Peculiar , an area including one or more places of worship under the jurisdiction of the British monarchy* Old Peculier, a beer brewed by Theakston Brewery, named in honour of the Peculier of Masham...
of the see of Lincoln. When the diocese of Peterborough was created, this church remained tied to Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral is a historic Anglican cathedral in Lincoln in England and seat of the Bishop of Lincoln in the Church of England. It was reputedly the tallest building in the world for 249 years . The central spire collapsed in 1549 and was not rebuilt...
and the title of a Prebend there.
To the north east on the Great North Road (now A1) the Battle of Empingham was fought in 1470 as part of the Wars of the Roses
Wars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars for the throne of England fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York...
. The battle is also known as Battle of Losecoat Field (or Losecote Field), supposedly because the defeated Lancastrians when fleeing threw off the distinguishing clothing. However the name probably predates the battle and means pigsty field. Forms of Losecote also appear as field names in other parishes in Rutland. Contemporary accounts refer to the battle site as Hornfield. An adjacent woodland is now called Bloody Oaks.