Kington Langley
Encyclopedia
Kington Langley is a village and civil parish about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Chippenham
in Wiltshire
, England
.
and Cretaceous
periods. It is on a high water table and the soil is composed of sand with a sub-soil of Oxford Clay
. The village stands on a hill, rising to 100 metres (328.1 ft) towards its western end. It is an example of a ‘squared’ village with approaches from Chippenham, Swindon
and Malmesbury
. It has three greens. The largest is the Common, which covers 30 acres (12.1 ha) and is the focal point of the village. The village is just east of the A429 trunk road
.
until 1865. It was called Kington Langley to distinguish it from another village, Langley Burrell
. The original hamlet was known as Langley Fitzurze in medieval times although other spellings such as Langeleghe (11th century), "Langley Fearne" (c.1513), "Langley Fernhill" (1660) have been used. The village is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long and is separated from Kington St. Michael by the main Chippenham Malmesbury road.
The Greathouse, close to the A429 road, was built in about 1700. It is a country house
of nine bays
and two storeys.
was created by converting a cottage at Kington Langley. In 1856 a purpose-built chapel of ease was completed, which was made the Church of England parish church
of Saint Peter
in 1865. St. Peter's was designed by C.H. Gabriel with lancet window
s in an Early English Gothic style. St. Peter's is in the Diocese of Bristol
.
meeting for worship in Kington Langley is dated 1742. They met in private houses until 1834, when the house registered for their meetings was that of James Pinnegar, a builder. Pinnegar built Union Chapel on the Common, completing it in 1835. The name refers to its foundation as a union of Dissenters of the Baptist
, Moravian
and Independent traditions.
The chapel choir met in the middle of the nineteenth century at a chapel-goer’s house on Sundays. The chapel also had a band that used instruments such as flutes and violas.
Union Chapel remains independent, now called Union Chapel Christian Fellowship.
s: the Hit or Miss Inn and the Plough Inn. The parish has a Church of England
primary school (which bears the village's old name of Langley Fitzurse), a village hall
, playing field, a tennis court and a park.
Chippenham
Chippenham may be:* Chippenham, Wiltshire* Chippenham * Chippenham, Cambridgeshire-See also:* Virginia State Route 150, also known as Chippenham Parkway, USA* Cippenham, Berkshire, UK...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, 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...
.
Geography
The parish covers about 1571 acres (635.8 ha). The geology is mostly of the JurassicJurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
and Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
periods. It is on a high water table and the soil is composed of sand with a sub-soil of Oxford Clay
Oxford Clay
The Oxford Clay Formation is a Jurassic marine sedimentary rock formation underlying much of southeast England, from as far west as Dorset and as far north as Yorkshire. The Oxford Clay is of middle Callovian to lower Oxfordian age and comprises 2 main facies. The lower facies comprises the...
. The village stands on a hill, rising to 100 metres (328.1 ft) towards its western end. It is an example of a ‘squared’ village with approaches from Chippenham, Swindon
Swindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
and Malmesbury
Malmesbury
Malmesbury is a market town and civil parish located in the southern Cotswolds in the county of Wiltshire, England. Historically Malmesbury was a centre for learning and home to Malmesbury Abbey...
. It has three greens. The largest is the Common, which covers 30 acres (12.1 ha) and is the focal point of the village. The village is just east of the A429 trunk road
A429 road
The A429 is a main road in England that runs in a north-northeasterly direction from junction 17 of the M4 motorway to Coventry in the West Midlands, by way of Malmesbury, Cirencester, Stow-on-the-Wold, Moreton-in-Marsh, east of Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick, and Kenilworth.For much of its length...
.
History
Kington Langley was part of the parish of Kington St. MichaelKington St Michael
Kington St Michael is a village and civil parish about north of Chippenham in Wiltshire.-Location:Kington St Michael is about south of junction 17 of the M4 motorway and Chippenham and about west of the A350....
until 1865. It was called Kington Langley to distinguish it from another village, Langley Burrell
Langley Burrell
Langley Burrell is a village just north of Chippenham, Wiltshire. It is notable in particular as one of the termini of Maud Heath's Causeway and, also for its Early English and Perpendicular church. The Georgian parsonage was for many years the home of the Rev...
. The original hamlet was known as Langley Fitzurze in medieval times although other spellings such as Langeleghe (11th century), "Langley Fearne" (c.1513), "Langley Fernhill" (1660) have been used. The village is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long and is separated from Kington St. Michael by the main Chippenham Malmesbury road.
The Greathouse, close to the A429 road, was built in about 1700. It is a country house
English country house
The English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a London house. This allowed to them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these people, the term distinguished between town and country...
of nine bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
and two storeys.
Parish church
Parishioners used to have to travel more than 1 miles (1.6 km) from Kington Langley to worship at Kington St. Michael. In the 1670s a chapel of easeChapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
was created by converting a cottage at Kington Langley. In 1856 a purpose-built chapel of ease was completed, which was made the Church of England parish church
Church 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 Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
in 1865. St. Peter's was designed by C.H. Gabriel with lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
s in an Early English Gothic style. St. Peter's is in the Diocese of Bristol
Diocese of Bristol
The Diocese of Bristol is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury, England. It is based in the city of Bristol and covers South Gloucestershire and parts of north Wiltshire to Swindon...
.
Union Chapel
The earliest known record of Protestant DissentersNonconformism
Nonconformity is the refusal to "conform" to, or follow, the governance and usages of the Church of England by the Protestant Christians of England and Wales.- Origins and use:...
meeting for worship in Kington Langley is dated 1742. They met in private houses until 1834, when the house registered for their meetings was that of James Pinnegar, a builder. Pinnegar built Union Chapel on the Common, completing it in 1835. The name refers to its foundation as a union of Dissenters of the Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
, Moravian
British Province of the Moravian Church
The British Province of the Moravian Church is part of the world wide Moravian Church Unity.-History:...
and Independent traditions.
The chapel choir met in the middle of the nineteenth century at a chapel-goer’s house on Sundays. The chapel also had a band that used instruments such as flutes and violas.
Union Chapel remains independent, now called Union Chapel Christian Fellowship.
Amenities
Kington Langley has two public housePublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s: the Hit or Miss Inn and the Plough Inn. The parish has a Church of England
Voluntary controlled school
A voluntary controlled school is a state-funded school in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in which a foundation or trust has some formal influence in the running of the school...
primary school (which bears the village's old name of Langley Fitzurse), a village hall
Village hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
, playing field, a tennis court and a park.
Notable former inhabitants
- Harry DolmanHarry DolmanH J "Harry" Dolman OBE was a well-known Bristol businessman, starting off as an engineer who later bought out the firm he worked for, Brecknell, Dolman & Rogers Ltd. and as chairman and president of Bristol City FC.-Early life:Harry Dolman was born in Kington Langley near Chippenham, Wiltshire...
(1897–1977), chairman and president of Bristol City F.C.Bristol City F.C.Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City... - Norris McWhirterNorris McWhirterNorris Dewar McWhirter, CBE was a writer, political activist, co-founder of the Freedom Association, and a television presenter. He and his twin brother, Ross, were known internationally for the Guinness Book of Records, a book they wrote and annually updated together between 1955 and 1975...
(1925–2004), editor of Guinness World RecordsGuinness World RecordsGuinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world... - Robin TannerRobin TannerRobin Tanner was an English artist, etcher and printmaker. He followed in the visionary tradition of Samuel Palmer and English neo-romanticism. He lived in London, at Kington Langley, in Wiltshire, and Bath.-Biography:...
(1904–1988), artist - Heather TannerHeather TannerHeather Tanner , née Heather Muriel Spackman, was a writer and campaigner on issues relating to peace, the environment and social justice...
(1903–1993), writer and campaigner