Shillington, Bedfordshire
Encyclopedia
Shillington is an English
village and civil parish located in the county of Bedfordshire
. In the south of the parish, the hamlet of Pegsdon
is almost encircled by Hertfordshire
, and since 1985 the parish has included the village of Higham Gobion
to the west. It has a population of 1,831.
The first recorded name of the village (1060) is Scytlingedune, possibly meaning 'The Hill of the Followers of Scyttle'. Scyttle being a Saxon
. As local lore has it, this name gradually evolved into Shitlington but it was changed to the modern Shillington when a famous monarch visited, some sources say Queen Victoria
, others Queen Elizabeth I
.
Some people locally claim that 'All roads lead away from Shillington', in which there is some truth, as more efficient routes avoid the village altogether. Because of this, Shillington is still (in parts) a picturesque and rather isolated village, although it does cover a large area.
Its curious size, but small population, is because, originally, it was made up of several 'Ends', as is not uncommon in Bedfordshire
. These Ends gradually grew and merged into the Shillington that exists today. Many parts of the village are still referred to by their original names, by villagers and to a lesser extent officially. The elder generation of villagers have developed a colloquial geography of the village, based on the common saying Odds and Ends. The oldest parts of the villages called Ends and the newest parts, built in the twentieth century, Odds.
A list of Ends:
A list of Odds:
The village is home to Shillington Lower School and has several pubs; Noah's Ark, The Crown and The Musgrave Arms. The village has a history of public house
s, and at one time was home to seventeen simultaneously, the Five Bells being the most memorable.
when travelling from the south. The building was originally a Saxon
monastery
, which grew richer and more influential through the mining and selling of coprolite
, fossilised dinosaur dung, once used as a fuel and also a fertilizer. The church also has a secret underground passageway, leading to the basement of a local and equally antiquated house. It is believed that there used to be more secret passages, possibly leading all the way out of the village, but they have never been found.
, the Puritan Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell
had banned celebration, magic, and general mirth from England
, regarding it as sin. According to the legend, during this time Goblin
s, and other Magical Beings, descended on the village to practice their magic and celebrate as their own quiet, secretive form of resistance. They would gather in a meadow in the centre of the village at the foot of the hill on which the church sat, each equinox, and every solstice, in the depths of the night. The villagers noted their music and laughing, and strange, tiny lights, as well as peculiar goings on around Shillington. This happened one night every spring, summer, autumn and winter while the Commonwealth
was in place, but when it fell and the monarchy
was restored the Goblins never returned, now free to practice their magic wherever and whenever their mischievous selves felt the need. Although, they did leave their mark: After they had left, once, every year a faeryring – a henge of mushrooms – would appear in the corner of their meadow as a reminder and promise to the people of Shillington that should the monarchy ever fall again the Goblins would return to that very spot, as a protest, and continue to until there was once more a crowned King of England. Although this tale fell out of favour and almost died in the early 20th century, it is thought to be true that a mushroom henge appeared periodically in the meadow generally accepted to be the one in the story, located in the corner where New Walk and Hillfoot Road meet. But in the middle of the 20th century a house was built on the exact spot and the faeryring has never reappeared. Thus it is uncertain whether the myth of the Shillington Goblins or the faeryring they were supposed to have left behind appeared first.
's Property Ladder
TV program in 2005 when developers undertook a renovation project on a small terraced cottage in the village. The episode is referenced as "Hitchin
and Wroxham
" as Hitchin is the nearest town, being about 6 miles south-east of Shillington and actually lying in the neighbouring county of Hertfordshire
. Shillington comes under Hitchin's postcode prefix SG5.
Dornier 17 was attacked over Great Offley
(to the south of Pegsdon), the bomber crashed killing the pilot alongside the road at Pegsdon.
On the 21st of February 1944 Lancaster LL729 (A4 B) belonging to 115 Squadron RAF
left its base at RAF Witchford
for a raid on Stuttgart
, several hours later the plane crashed killing its crew near Pegsdon whilst trying to return to its base.
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...
village and civil parish located in the county of Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
. In the south of the parish, the hamlet of Pegsdon
Pegsdon
Pegsdon is a hamlet located in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England.The settlement forms part of the Shillington civil parish, and is almost encircled by the county border with Hertfordshire....
is almost encircled by Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, and since 1985 the parish has included the village of Higham Gobion
Higham Gobion
Higham Gobion is a hamlet in the hundred of Flitt, in the English county of Bedfordshire. The hamlet is now part of the civil parish of Shillington...
to the west. It has a population of 1,831.
The first recorded name of the village (1060) is Scytlingedune, possibly meaning 'The Hill of the Followers of Scyttle'. Scyttle being a Saxon
Anglo-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...
. As local lore has it, this name gradually evolved into Shitlington but it was changed to the modern Shillington when a famous monarch visited, some sources say Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
, others Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
.
Some people locally claim that 'All roads lead away from Shillington', in which there is some truth, as more efficient routes avoid the village altogether. Because of this, Shillington is still (in parts) a picturesque and rather isolated village, although it does cover a large area.
Its curious size, but small population, is because, originally, it was made up of several 'Ends', as is not uncommon in Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
. These Ends gradually grew and merged into the Shillington that exists today. Many parts of the village are still referred to by their original names, by villagers and to a lesser extent officially. The elder generation of villagers have developed a colloquial geography of the village, based on the common saying Odds and Ends. The oldest parts of the villages called Ends and the newest parts, built in the twentieth century, Odds.
A list of Ends:
- Apsley EndApsley EndApsley End is a hamlet located in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England.The settlement forms part of the Shillington civil parish, and is close to the county border with Hertfordshire....
- Handscome End
- Upton End
- Bury End
- Hillfoot End
A list of Odds:
- Greenfields Odd
- Bryant's Odd
- Marquis Odd
- Scytles Odd
The village is home to Shillington Lower School and has several pubs; Noah's Ark, The Crown and The Musgrave Arms. The village has a history of public house
Public 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, and at one time was home to seventeen simultaneously, the Five Bells being the most memorable.
All Saints Church
Shillington's church, All Saints Church, has been referred to as the "Cathedral of the Chilterns", being situated on, one could argue, the most northerly and last of the Chiltern HillsChiltern Hills
The Chiltern Hills form a chalk escarpment in South East England. They are known locally as "the Chilterns". A large portion of the hills was designated officially as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1965.-Location:...
when travelling from the south. The building was originally a Saxon
Anglo-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...
monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
, which grew richer and more influential through the mining and selling of coprolite
Coprolite
A coprolite is fossilized animal dung. Coprolites are classified as trace fossils as opposed to body fossils, as they give evidence for the animal's behaviour rather than morphology. The name is derived from the Greek words κοπρος / kopros meaning 'dung' and λιθος / lithos meaning 'stone'. They...
, fossilised dinosaur dung, once used as a fuel and also a fertilizer. The church also has a secret underground passageway, leading to the basement of a local and equally antiquated house. It is believed that there used to be more secret passages, possibly leading all the way out of the village, but they have never been found.
Folklore
The village also is home to a lesser known forerunner to the Cottingley Fairies, The Shillington Goblins. After the English Civil WarEnglish Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, the Puritan Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
had banned celebration, magic, and general mirth from 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...
, regarding it as sin. According to the legend, during this time Goblin
Goblin
A goblin is a legendary evil or mischievous illiterate creature, a grotesquely evil or evil-like phantom.They are attributed with various abilities, temperaments and appearances depending on the story and country of origin. In some cases, goblins have been classified as constantly annoying little...
s, and other Magical Beings, descended on the village to practice their magic and celebrate as their own quiet, secretive form of resistance. They would gather in a meadow in the centre of the village at the foot of the hill on which the church sat, each equinox, and every solstice, in the depths of the night. The villagers noted their music and laughing, and strange, tiny lights, as well as peculiar goings on around Shillington. This happened one night every spring, summer, autumn and winter while the Commonwealth
Commonwealth of England
The Commonwealth of England was the republic which ruled first England, and then Ireland and Scotland from 1649 to 1660. Between 1653–1659 it was known as the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland...
was in place, but when it fell and the monarchy
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
was restored the Goblins never returned, now free to practice their magic wherever and whenever their mischievous selves felt the need. Although, they did leave their mark: After they had left, once, every year a faeryring – a henge of mushrooms – would appear in the corner of their meadow as a reminder and promise to the people of Shillington that should the monarchy ever fall again the Goblins would return to that very spot, as a protest, and continue to until there was once more a crowned King of England. Although this tale fell out of favour and almost died in the early 20th century, it is thought to be true that a mushroom henge appeared periodically in the meadow generally accepted to be the one in the story, located in the corner where New Walk and Hillfoot Road meet. But in the middle of the 20th century a house was built on the exact spot and the faeryring has never reappeared. Thus it is uncertain whether the myth of the Shillington Goblins or the faeryring they were supposed to have left behind appeared first.
Other interesting facts
Shillington was featured on Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's Property Ladder
Property Ladder (UK)
Property Ladder is the original British version of the television series Property Ladder. Hosted by Sarah Beeny, it follows the journey of amateur property developers as they set out to make a life changing profit from renovating challenging houses....
TV program in 2005 when developers undertook a renovation project on a small terraced cottage in the village. The episode is referenced as "Hitchin
Hitchin
Hitchin is a town in Hertfordshire, England, with an estimated population of 30,360.-History:Hitchin is first noted as the central place of the Hicce people mentioned in a 7th century document, the Tribal Hidage. The tribal name is Brittonic rather than Old English and derives from *siccā, meaning...
and Wroxham
Wroxham
Wroxham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The civil parish of Wroxham has an area of 6.21 square kilometres and in 2001 had a population of 1532 in 666 households. The village is situated within the Norfolk Broads on the south side of a loop in the middle reaches of...
" as Hitchin is the nearest town, being about 6 miles south-east of Shillington and actually lying in the neighbouring county of Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
. Shillington comes under Hitchin's postcode prefix SG5.
Shillington at War (1939 - 1945)
In 1940 a LuftwaffeLuftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
Dornier 17 was attacked over Great Offley
Offley
Offley is a civil parish in the English county of Hertfordshire, between Hitchin and Luton. The main village is Great Offley, and the parish also contains the nearby hamlets of Little Offley and The Flints...
(to the south of Pegsdon), the bomber crashed killing the pilot alongside the road at Pegsdon.
On the 21st of February 1944 Lancaster LL729 (A4 B) belonging to 115 Squadron RAF
No. 115 Squadron RAF
No. 115 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron during World War I. It was then equipped with Handley Page O/400 heavy bombers. During World War II the squadron served as a bomber squadron and after the war it flew in a similar role till 1958, when it was engaged as a radio calibration unit...
left its base at RAF Witchford
Witchford
Witchford is a small village near Ely in Cambridgeshire, England.Witchford houses the secondary school Witchford Village College that serves all of the surrounding villages, including Haddenham, Little Thetford, Mepal, Stretham, Sutton, Wilburton and Witcham.The village hosts the Grunty Fen Half...
for a raid on Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, several hours later the plane crashed killing its crew near Pegsdon whilst trying to return to its base.
External links
- Parish Council Website
- Village Website Which includes a Parish Magazine
- Shillington Riding Club Local horse riding club
- Shillington History Society Village History Society
- Shillington Lower School Shillington Lower School Website