Lolworth
Encyclopedia
Lolworth is a small village and civil parish in the district of South Cambridgeshire
, in the county of Cambridgeshire
, England, located approximately 5 miles (8 km) northwest of Cambridge
city centre. It lies on the A14 between Cambridge towards Huntingdon
which provides the only traffic access to the village.
The Prime Meridian
passes through the village only around 50 metres to the west of the crossroads in the centre of the village.
, the Roman road running from Cambridge to Huntingdon that became a turnpike between 1772 and 1876.
In the early Middle Ages the village was well-populated for its size, with 154 adults registered for the Poll Tax
of 1377, but the population declined sharply after that, perhaps due to a devastating fire caused by a thunderstorm of September 1393. By 1524 there were only 17 taxpayers, and the 17 families comprising 90 people listed in 1728 occupied only 6 buildings. The population reached a peak in 170 in 1871 and has been relatively steady at around 130 since 1961.
The celebrated nineteenth century missionary Henry Martyn
served in Lolworth as his first parish from 1803 to 1805, while he was a curate under Charles Simeon
at Holy Trinity Church, Cambridge, before setting out for India and present-day Iran and Turkey.
Listed as Lollesworthe in 1034 and Lolesuuorde in the Domesday Book
, the village's name means "Enclosure of a man called Loll".
Lolworth borders Bar Hill
to the south, which is accessible by a path through the field. To the north lies Swavesey
, where most of the children go to their secondary school. Boxworth
is to the west of the village and Childerley
to the south.
South Cambridgeshire
South Cambridgeshire is a mostly rural local government district of Cambridgeshire, England. It was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of Chesterton Rural District and South Cambridgeshire Rural District. It surrounds the city of Cambridge, which is administered separately from the district by...
, in the county of Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, England, located approximately 5 miles (8 km) northwest of Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
city centre. It lies on the A14 between Cambridge towards Huntingdon
Huntingdon
Huntingdon is a market town in Cambridgeshire, England. The town was chartered by King John in 1205. It is the traditional county town of Huntingdonshire, and is currently the seat of the Huntingdonshire district council. It is known as the birthplace in 1599 of Oliver Cromwell.-History:Huntingdon...
which provides the only traffic access to the village.
The Prime Meridian
Prime Meridian
The Prime Meridian is the meridian at which the longitude is defined to be 0°.The Prime Meridian and its opposite the 180th meridian , which the International Date Line generally follows, form a great circle that divides the Earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.An international...
passes through the village only around 50 metres to the west of the crossroads in the centre of the village.
History
Lolworth is a small village and parish, covering only 449 hectares (1,110 acre). It owes its position to the Via DevanaVia Devana
The Via Devana was a Roman Road in England that ran from Colchester in the south-east to Chester in the north-west. Both were important Roman military centres and it is conjectured that the main reason the road was constructed was military rather than civilian. The Latin name for Chester is Deva...
, the Roman road running from Cambridge to Huntingdon that became a turnpike between 1772 and 1876.
In the early Middle Ages the village was well-populated for its size, with 154 adults registered for the Poll Tax
Poll tax
A poll tax is a tax of a portioned, fixed amount per individual in accordance with the census . When a corvée is commuted for cash payment, in effect it becomes a poll tax...
of 1377, but the population declined sharply after that, perhaps due to a devastating fire caused by a thunderstorm of September 1393. By 1524 there were only 17 taxpayers, and the 17 families comprising 90 people listed in 1728 occupied only 6 buildings. The population reached a peak in 170 in 1871 and has been relatively steady at around 130 since 1961.
The celebrated nineteenth century missionary Henry Martyn
Henry Martyn
Henry Martyn was an Anglican priest and missionary to the peoples of India and Persia. Born in Truro, Cornwall, he was educated at Truro Grammar School and St John's College, Cambridge. A chance encounter with Charles Simeon led him to become a missionary...
served in Lolworth as his first parish from 1803 to 1805, while he was a curate under Charles Simeon
Charles Simeon
Charles Simeon , was an English evangelical clergyman.He was born at Reading, Berkshire and educated at Eton College and King's College, Cambridge. In 1782 he became fellow of King's College, and took orders, receiving the living of Holy Trinity Church, Cambridge, in the following year...
at Holy Trinity Church, Cambridge, before setting out for India and present-day Iran and Turkey.
Listed as Lollesworthe in 1034 and Lolesuuorde 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...
, the village's name means "Enclosure of a man called Loll".
Church
There has been a church on the site since at least the 13th century, but the present church probably dates from just prior to its rededication in 1406, with the tower added later. This leads to the theory that the great fire of 1393 destroyed the existing church, as little earlier than this date survives. Dedicated to All Saints, the building comprises a chancel, a nave with south porch, and a three-storey west tower.Village life
The village is too small to warrant amenities other than its church. In 1960 local resident T. B. Robinson bought the former school from the county council and gave it for use as a village hall, which was then named after him. Lolworth has no public house but did have one alehouse, The Three Horseshoes, between the 1760s and 1798.Lolworth borders Bar Hill
Bar Hill
Bar Hill is a purpose-built village with a population of 4,000 about 4 miles northwest of Cambridge, England on the A14 road.The Prime Meridian passes just to the west of Bar Hill.-History:...
to the south, which is accessible by a path through the field. To the north lies Swavesey
Swavesey
Swavesey is a village lying on the Greenwich Meridian in Cambridgeshire, England, with an approximate population of 2,480. The village is situated 9 miles to the north west of Cambridge and 3 miles south east of St...
, where most of the children go to their secondary school. Boxworth
Boxworth
Boxworth is a village in Cambridgeshire not far from the rapidly-expanding developments of Cambourne and Bar Hill. It is situated about 8 miles to the north-west of Cambridge. It is within the diocese of Ely. The village covers an area of 1,053 ha...
is to the west of the village and Childerley
Childerley
Childerley, also known as Great Childerley and Little Childerly, was a small rural village in the county of Cambridgeshire in the East of England, United Kingdom.-Village history:...
to the south.