Keresley
Encyclopedia
Keresley is a village and civil parish
in the City of Coventry
, West Midlands
, England
, about 5 miles (8 km) north of Coventry city centre. According to the 2001 census
, the parish had a population of 791. Keresley and Keresley End
are two separate areas; Keresley is in Coventry, while the slightly more rural Keresely End, also known as Keresley village or Keresley Newlands, is in Warwickshire
, with the exception of Thompsons Road in the village, which comes under the Coventry boundary.
The village features two grocers shops, two bus stops, a beauty salon, primary school, doctors surgery, a fish and chip shop, a small church, a post office, library, park, garden centre and community centre.
Keresley parish is largely rural and contains some beautiful ancient woodland. Coventry City Councils wildlife surveys which include Keresley parish, have classified much of the area as an "A" grade - "An area of very high natural history value, containing several varied habitats and a wide diversity of plants and animals". The area has a lot of footpaths which make it accessible to the public and is probably one of the few areas of Coventry where you can hear skylarks. Despite this Coventry City Council propose the area can be developed as an "Eco" suburb with 3000 homes, and a separate estate of new properties is currently being built, as of January 2010.
of 1086.
The -ley suffix is shared by many villages in the country, and means a clearing in the woods. This means that Keresley was clearing in the Forest of Arden. And the Keres- prefix is thought to either be a corruption of the Saxon word for cress or someones name, meaning together either: The cress clearing, or 'Mr.' Cress's Clearing.
of Saint Thomas
is just off the Tamworth Road (B4098). It was designed by the Gothic Revival architect
Benjamin Ferrey
in the Early English
style and built in 1844-45. The bell tower
has a ring
of six bells. St. Thomas's is a Grade II* listed building.
and the cybernetics
professor Kevin Warwick
were born in Keresley.
Also from Keresley is Roddy 'Radiation' Byers
guitarist of 1980s ska band The Specials
.
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 City of Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, 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...
, about 5 miles (8 km) north of Coventry city centre. According to the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
, the parish had a population of 791. Keresley and Keresley End
Keresley End
Keresley End is a village in Warwickshire, England. It is about half a mile north of Keresley, a suburb of Coventry, and being near to the former Keresley colliery, it was where many coal miners lived.- History :...
are two separate areas; Keresley is in Coventry, while the slightly more rural Keresely End, also known as Keresley village or Keresley Newlands, is in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, with the exception of Thompsons Road in the village, which comes under the Coventry boundary.
The village features two grocers shops, two bus stops, a beauty salon, primary school, doctors surgery, a fish and chip shop, a small church, a post office, library, park, garden centre and community centre.
History
For most of its history, Keresley was a combination of two further villages: Keresley Green was the most northerly and first to exist, but it was Keresley Heath to the south which was developed the most with the building of schools and the church of St. Thomas. However, in 1911 the construction of a colliery by the Warwickshire Coal Company near to Keresley Green brought the focus of development back to that area. It wasn't until 1974 that the two parts of Keresley lost their separate identities and became united, with the closure of the colliery following in 1996.Keresley parish is largely rural and contains some beautiful ancient woodland. Coventry City Councils wildlife surveys which include Keresley parish, have classified much of the area as an "A" grade - "An area of very high natural history value, containing several varied habitats and a wide diversity of plants and animals". The area has a lot of footpaths which make it accessible to the public and is probably one of the few areas of Coventry where you can hear skylarks. Despite this Coventry City Council propose the area can be developed as an "Eco" suburb with 3000 homes, and a separate estate of new properties is currently being built, as of January 2010.
Etymology
The etymology of the word Keresley suggests that it is Saxon in origin, meaning that the name could originate from the 7th century, although the village was not cited in the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086.
The -ley suffix is shared by many villages in the country, and means a clearing in the woods. This means that Keresley was clearing in the Forest of Arden. And the Keres- prefix is thought to either be a corruption of the Saxon word for cress or someones name, meaning together either: The cress clearing, or 'Mr.' Cress's Clearing.
Parish Church
The Church of England parish churchChurch of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of Saint Thomas
Thomas the Apostle
Thomas the Apostle, also called Doubting Thomas or Didymus was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He is best known for questioning Jesus' resurrection when first told of it, then proclaiming "My Lord and my God" on seeing Jesus in . He was perhaps the only Apostle who went outside the Roman...
is just off the Tamworth Road (B4098). It was designed by the Gothic Revival architect
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
Benjamin Ferrey
Benjamin Ferrey
Benjamin Ferrey, F.S.A., F.R.I.B.A. was an English architect who worked mostly in the Gothic Revival.-Family:Benjamin Ferrey was the youngest son of Benjamin Ferrey Snr, a draper who became Mayor of Christchurch. He was educated at Wimborne Grammar School....
in the Early English
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...
style and built in 1844-45. The bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
has a ring
Change ringing
Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called "changes". It differs from many other forms of campanology in that no attempt is made to produce a conventional melody....
of six bells. St. Thomas's is a Grade II* listed building.
Notable residents
The actor Clive OwenClive Owen
Clive Owen is an English actor, who has worked on television, stage and film. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for portraying the lead in the ITV series Chancer from 1990 to 1991...
and the cybernetics
Cybernetics
Cybernetics is the interdisciplinary study of the structure of regulatory systems. Cybernetics is closely related to information theory, control theory and systems theory, at least in its first-order form...
professor Kevin Warwick
Kevin Warwick
Kevin Warwick is a British scientist and professor of cybernetics at the University of Reading, Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom...
were born in Keresley.
Also from Keresley is Roddy 'Radiation' Byers
Roddy Radiation
Roddy Radiation is an English musician who played lead guitar for The Specials, as well as many rockabilly bands such as the Bonediggers and the Tearjerkers...
guitarist of 1980s ska band The Specials
The Specials
The Specials are an English 2 Tone ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry, England. Their music combines a "danceable ska and rocksteady beat with punk's energy and attitude", and had a "more focused and informed political and social stance" than other ska groups...
.