Great Casterton
Encyclopedia
Great Casterton is a village and civil parish in the county of Rutland
in the East Midlands
of England
. It is located at the crossing of the Roman Ermine Street
and the River Gwash
.
and very close to the county border with Lincolnshire
(South Kesteven
). Just to the north is Tickencote
.
The parish boundary, to the south and east, lies close to the village, and follows the River Gwash. Just west of the B1081 bridge over the Gwash, it borders Tinwell
. Just to the west of Ingthorpe (part of Tinwell), it borders Tickencote. The parish boundary crosses the A1 at the turn off for the village. The boundary then follows the A1 north, along the next hedge to the east (a field's width). It passes to the east of Tickencote Warren, and at Exeter Gorse it briefly borders Horn
, then meets Pickworth
. It passes to the south of Eayres Lodge, includes Woodhead, crossing Pickworth Road south of Taylor's Farm. West of Tolethorpe Oaks, it briefly meets Ryhall
, then borders Little Casterton
southwards, passing Frith Farm to the west and broadly follows the Danelaw Way. North of Little Casterton village, the boundary meets the Gwash.
The A1 road which follows the path of Ermine Street, ran through the centre of the village until the construction of the Stamford bypass in 1960; the former route of the Great North Road is now the B1081.
There is a very small nature reserve
, Great Casterton Road Banks, to the south of the village containing examples of rare plants such as Sulphur Clover
and Greater Broomrape
.
. Two miles north of the town are the earthwork remains of Woodhead Castle, a medieval moated ringwork with attached bailey.
The village church, dedicated to St Peter & St Paul is entered via an arched war memorial
remembering the dead of both World Wars. The benefice
is shared with Pickworth, Tickencote and Little Casterton.
Primary School) and a secondary school (Casterton Business and Enterprise College
). There are two pubs in the village, the Plough Inn (click for website) http://www.theplough-greatcasterton.co.uk/ and the Crown Inn.
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 at the crossing of the Roman Ermine Street
Ermine Street
Ermine Street is the name of a major Roman road in England that ran from London to Lincoln and York . The Old English name was 'Earninga Straete' , named after a tribe called the Earningas, who inhabited a district later known as Armingford Hundred, around Arrington, Cambridgeshire and Royston,...
and the River Gwash
River Gwash
The River Gwash, a tributary of the River Welland, flows through the English counties of Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire. It rises just outside the village of Knossington in Leicestershire, near the western edge of Rutland...
.
Geography
The village is approximately three miles to the north-west of StamfordStamford, Lincolnshire
Stamford is a town and civil parish within the South Kesteven district of the county of Lincolnshire, England. It is approximately to the north of London, on the east side of the A1 road to York and Edinburgh and on the River Welland...
and very close to the county border with Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
(South Kesteven
South Kesteven
South Kesteven is a local government district in Lincolnshire, England, forming part of the traditional Kesteven division of the county. It covers Grantham, Stamford, Bourne and Market Deeping.-History:...
). Just to the north is Tickencote
Tickencote
Tickencote is a small village in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England.-Geography:The parish essentially stretches along the A1 from the Bloody Oaks to the Casterton junction. At the far north of the parish, the Warren Plantation is on the north-east side of the A1. To the...
.
The parish boundary, to the south and east, lies close to the village, and follows the River Gwash. Just west of the B1081 bridge over the Gwash, it borders Tinwell
Tinwell
Tinwell is a village and civil parish in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England.-Village:The village is just west of the A1 and within walking distance of the town of Stamford in Lincolnshire. The village has a small village hall, which was recently refurbished, and a beautiful church...
. Just to the west of Ingthorpe (part of Tinwell), it borders Tickencote. The parish boundary crosses the A1 at the turn off for the village. The boundary then follows the A1 north, along the next hedge to the east (a field's width). It passes to the east of Tickencote Warren, and at Exeter Gorse it briefly borders Horn
Horn, Rutland
Horn is a civil parish in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England. In 2001 it had a population of 9. The parish is part of the Exton Hall estate of the Earls of Gainsborough.-History:...
, then meets Pickworth
Pickworth, Rutland
Pickworth is a civil parish and small hamlet in the county of Rutland in a region characterised by Rutland County Council as the clay woodlands of the Rutland Plateau ....
. It passes to the south of Eayres Lodge, includes Woodhead, crossing Pickworth Road south of Taylor's Farm. West of Tolethorpe Oaks, it briefly meets Ryhall
Ryhall
Ryhall is a village and civil parish in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England. It is located close to the eastern boundary of the county, about 2 miles north of Stamford.-The Village:...
, then borders Little Casterton
Little Casterton
Little Casterton is a small village and civil parish in Rutland. It is about two miles north of Stamford on a minor road that runs to the south of the River Gwash between Great Casterton and Ryhall.The village has a church ....
southwards, passing Frith Farm to the west and broadly follows the Danelaw Way. North of Little Casterton village, the boundary meets the Gwash.
The A1 road which follows the path of Ermine Street, ran through the centre of the village until the construction of the Stamford bypass in 1960; the former route of the Great North Road is now the B1081.
There is a very small nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
, Great Casterton Road Banks, to the south of the village containing examples of rare plants such as Sulphur Clover
Clover
Clover , or trefoil, is a genus of about 300 species of plants in the leguminous pea family Fabaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution; the highest diversity is found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, but many species also occur in South America and Africa, including at high altitudes...
and Greater Broomrape
Broomrape
Broomrape or Broom-rape is a genus of over 200 species of parasitic herbaceous plants in the family Orobanchaceae, mostly native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. Some species formerly included in this genus are now referred to the genus Conopholis.The broomrape plant is small, from...
.
History
The earliest recorded settlement was a Roman fort in the year 44 AD . A civilian settlement developed which was later a walled town and the defences are still apparent. Archaeological excavations have been conducted on the town, a villa near the Gwash and burials including early Anglo-SaxonsAnglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
. Two miles north of the town are the earthwork remains of Woodhead Castle, a medieval moated ringwork with attached bailey.
The village church, dedicated to St Peter & St Paul is entered via an arched war memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
remembering the dead of both World Wars. The benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
is shared with Pickworth, Tickencote and Little Casterton.
Amenities
The village has both a primary school (Great Casterton Church of EnglandChurch of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
Primary School) and a secondary school (Casterton Business and Enterprise College
Casterton Business and Enterprise College
Casterton Business and Enterprise College is one of three mixed comprehensive schools in the county of Rutland, England. Located in the village of Great Casterton, the school provides education for 11 to 16 year olds, as well as a Childcare Centre for the under 5s and an adult education programme...
). There are two pubs in the village, the Plough Inn (click for website) http://www.theplough-greatcasterton.co.uk/ and the Crown Inn.