Knook, Wiltshire
Encyclopedia
Knook is a small village and former civil parish
in the County of Wiltshire
, in the south west of England
. For civil purposes, it now forms part of the united parish of 'Heytesbury
, Imber
and Knook'.
some four miles (6 km) to the south-east of the town of Warminster
, on the A36 road
leading to Salisbury, and at the edge of Salisbury Plain
.
of Knook appears in the Domesday Book
(1086) as Cunuche, and its entry mentions a woman of the manor called Leofgyth "who made gold embroideries for the king
and queen
and still does so".
The present-day small village of Knook centres on its medieval church of St Margaret, which survives, and the nearby manor house
, Knook Manor. The church has some decorative carved stonework, which is notable in the tympanum
to an arch
ed doorway. A monumental inscription at the church dating from 1592 reads "Of your cheriti praye for ye soule of Iohn Morgan Gentleman and Elinor his wife with all thaire progenitors and all Christians amen".
Parish register
s survive from 1687 and are kept in the Wiltshire and Swindon Archives.
John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales
(1870–1872) described Knook as follows:
, Tytherington and Imber
(the last of which has no residents), Knook elects a parish council called 'Heytesbury, Imber and Knook'. Local government services are provided by Wiltshire Council
, which has its offices in nearby Trowbridge
. The village is represented in Parliament
by the MP
for Westbury, Andrew Murrison
, in Wiltshire Council
by Christopher Newbury
.
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 County of 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...
, in the south west 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...
. For civil purposes, it now forms part of the united parish of 'Heytesbury
Heytesbury
Heytesbury is a village in Wiltshire, England, in the Wylye Valley, about three miles south of Warminster.-History:...
, Imber
Imber
Imber is an uninhabited village in part of the British Army's training grounds on the Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England. It is situated in an isolated area of the Plain, about west of the A360 road between Tilshead and West Lavington, accessible only by military tracks...
and Knook'.
Location
The village lies on the River WylyeRiver Wylye
The River Wylye is a classic southern England chalk stream; champagne clear water flowing over gravel. Consequently, it is popular with anglers keen on fly fishing.- Course :...
some four miles (6 km) to the south-east of the town of Warminster
Warminster
Warminster is a town in western Wiltshire, England, by-passed by the A36, and near Frome and Westbury. It has a population of about 17,000. The River Were runs through the town and can be seen running through the middle of the town park. The Minster Church of St Denys sits on the River Were...
, on the A36 road
A36 road
The A36 is a trunk road and primary route in England that links the port city of Southampton to the city of Bath. At Bath, the A36 connects with the A4 road to Bristol, thus enabling a road link between the major ports of Southampton and Bristol. Originally, the A36 continued onto Avonmouth, but...
leading to Salisbury, and at the edge of Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in central southern England covering . It is part of the Southern England Chalk Formation and largely lies within the county of Wiltshire, with a little in Hampshire. The plain is famous for its rich archaeology, including Stonehenge, one of England's best known...
.
History
The manorManorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Knook appears in the Domesday Book
Domesday 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...
(1086) as Cunuche, and its entry mentions a woman of the manor called Leofgyth "who made gold embroideries for the king
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
and queen
Matilda of Flanders
Matilda of Flanders was the wife of William the Conqueror and, as such, Queen consort of the Kingdom of England. She bore William nine/ten children, including two kings, William II and Henry I.-Marriage:...
and still does so".
The present-day small village of Knook centres on its medieval church of St Margaret, which survives, and the nearby manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
, Knook Manor. The church has some decorative carved stonework, which is notable in the tympanum
Tympanum (architecture)
In architecture, a tympanum is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. Most architectural styles include this element....
to an arch
Arch
An arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The...
ed doorway. A monumental inscription at the church dating from 1592 reads "Of your cheriti praye for ye soule of Iohn Morgan Gentleman and Elinor his wife with all thaire progenitors and all Christians amen".
Parish register
Parish register
A parish register is a handwritten volume, normally kept in a parish church or deposited within a county record office or alternative archive repository, in which details of baptisms, marriages and burials are recorded.-History:...
s survive from 1687 and are kept in the Wiltshire and Swindon Archives.
John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales
Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales
The Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales is a substantial topographical dictionary first published between 1870 and 1872, edited by the Reverend John Marius Wilson. It contains a detailed description of England and Wales...
(1870–1872) described Knook as follows:
KNOOK, a parish, with a village, in Warminster district, Wilts; on the river Wiley, the Old Ditch way, and the Somerset and Weymouth railwayWilts, Somerset and Weymouth RailwayThe Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway was a broad gauge railway that linked the Great Western Railway at Chippenham in 'Wilts' with Weymouth in Dorset, England. Branches ran to Devizes, Bradford-on-Avon and Salisbury in Wiltshire, and to Radstock in Somerset. The majority of the line survives...
, 1 mile SE of HeytesburyHeytesburyHeytesbury is a village in Wiltshire, England, in the Wylye Valley, about three miles south of Warminster.-History:...
r. station. Post town, Heytesbury, under Bath. AcreAcreThe acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s, 1,440. Real property, £1,342. Pop., 208. Houses, 46. The property belongs chiefly to Lord HeytesburyWilliam à Court-Holmes, 2nd Baron HeytesburyWilliam Henry Ashe à Court-Holmes, 2nd Baron Heytesbury , was a British peer and Conservative Member of Parliament....
. Knook Castle is an ancient single ditched entrenchment, of about 2 acres; is supposed to have been originally a British village, and afterwards a Roman summer camp; and has yielded Roman coinsRoman currencyThe Roman currency during most of the Roman Republic and the western half of the Roman Empire consisted of coins including the aureus , the denarius , the sestertius , the dupondius , and the as...
. Traces of another ancient British village are to the N. "The site of these villages," says Sir R.Hoare, "is decidedly marked by great cavities and a black soil; and the attentive eye may easily trace out the lines of houses and the streets, or rather the hollow ways, conducting to them. Numerous tumuli and barrows are in the neighbourhood." The livingBeneficeA 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 a p. curacy, annexed to the p. curacy of Heytesbury, in the diocese of SalisburyDiocese of SalisburyThe Diocese of Salisbury is a Church of England diocese in the south of England. The diocese covers Dorset and most of Wiltshire and is a constituent diocese of the Province of Canterbury. The diocese is led by the Bishop of Salisbury and the diocesan synod...
. The church, in Aug., 1866 was about to be repaired.
Local government
Together with HeytesburyHeytesbury
Heytesbury is a village in Wiltshire, England, in the Wylye Valley, about three miles south of Warminster.-History:...
, Tytherington and Imber
Imber
Imber is an uninhabited village in part of the British Army's training grounds on the Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England. It is situated in an isolated area of the Plain, about west of the A360 road between Tilshead and West Lavington, accessible only by military tracks...
(the last of which has no residents), Knook elects a parish council called 'Heytesbury, Imber and Knook'. Local government services are provided by Wiltshire Council
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...
, which has its offices in nearby Trowbridge
Trowbridge
Trowbridge is the county town of Wiltshire, England, situated on the River Biss in the west of the county, approximately 12 miles southeast of Bath, Somerset....
. The village is represented in Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
by the 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,...
for Westbury, Andrew Murrison
Andrew Murrison
Dr Andrew William Murrison is a doctor and Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. After serving as the Member of Parliament for Westbury from 2001 to 2010, at the 2010 general election he was elected for the new seat of South West Wiltshire.-Early life:The son of William Gordon...
, in Wiltshire Council
Wiltshire Council
Wiltshire Council is the unitary authority for most of the county of Wiltshire, in the West of England, the successor authority to Wiltshire County Council and to four districts—Kennet, North Wiltshire, Salisbury, and West Wiltshire—all of which had been created in 1973 and were...
by Christopher Newbury
Christopher Newbury
Christopher Newbury is an English politician, a member of the Congress of the Council of Europe since 1998 and an Independent member of Wiltshire Council since 2009.-Early life:...
.