Navenby is a village and
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...
in the
North Kesteven
North Kesteven is a local government district in Lincolnshire, England. The district is located to the east of Nottinghamshire, north-east of Leicestershire and south of the city of Lincoln. Its council, North Kesteven District Council, is bas ...
district of
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...
, England. Lying south from
Lincoln
Lincoln most commonly refers to:
* Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States
* Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England
* Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S.
* Lincoln ...
and north-northwest from
Sleaford
Sleaford is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. Centred on the former parish of New Sleaford, the modern boundaries and urban area include Quarrington, Lincolnshire, ...
, Navenby had a population of 2,128 in the 2011 census and in March 2011, it was named as the 'Best Value Village' in England following a national survey.
A
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
cemetery and the remains of an
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
settlement have been discovered in the village. Historians also believe Navenby was a significant staging point on the
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
Ermine Street
Ermine Street is a major Roman road in England that ran from London (''Londinium'') to Lincoln (''Lindum Colonia'') and York (''Eboracum''). The Old English name was ''Earninga Strǣt'' (1012), named after a tribe called the ''Earningas'', ...
, as the Romans are reported to have maintained a small base or
garrison
A garrison (from the French ''garnison'', itself from the verb ''garnir'', "to equip") is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a mil ...
in the village. Navenby became a
market town
A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...
after receiving a
charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the rec ...
from
Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor ; la, Eduardus Confessor , ; ( 1003 – 5 January 1066) was one of the last Anglo-Saxon English kings. Usually considered the last king of the House of Wessex, he ruled from 1042 to 1066.
Edward was the son of Æth ...
in the 11th century. The charter was later renewed by
William Rufus
William II ( xno, Williame; – 2 August 1100) was King of England from 26 September 1087 until his death in 1100, with powers over Normandy and influence in Scotland. He was less successful in extending control into Wales. The third so ...
,
Edward III
Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring r ...
and
Richard II
Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, and Joan, Countess of Kent. Richard's father died ...
. When the market fell into disuse in the early 19th century, Navenby returned to being a village.
The civil parish of Navenby is
rural
In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are describ ...
, covering more than . It straddles Ermine Street, a Roman road built between 45 and 75 AD, which runs between
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
and
York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
. The
Viking Way
The Viking Way is a long distance trail in England running between the Humber Bridge in North Lincolnshire and Oakham in Rutland.
History
The route was officially opened on Sunday 5 September 1976 at Tealby, by the Deputy Chairman of Lincoln ...
, a footpath between the
Humber Bridge in North Lincolnshire and
Oakham
Oakham is the county town of Rutland in the East Midlands of England, east of Leicester, south-east of Nottingham and west of Peterborough. It had a population of 10,922 in the 2011 census, estimated at 11,191 in 2019. Oakham is to the west o ...
in
Rutland
Rutland () is a ceremonial county and unitary authority in the East Midlands, England. The county is bounded to the west and north by Leicestershire, to the northeast by Lincolnshire and the southeast by Northamptonshire.
Its greatest len ...
, also cuts through the village. The
Vikings
Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
exerted great influence over Lincolnshire in the 9th and 10th centuries, as can be seen in the many local place names ending in ''-by'', such as Navenby. Names ending with ''-by'' meant
homestead
Homestead may refer to:
*Homestead (buildings), a farmhouse and its adjacent outbuildings; by extension, it can mean any small cluster of houses
*Homestead (unit), a unit of measurement equal to 160 acres
*Homestead principle, a legal concept th ...
or village.
History
Early history
Archaeological investigations around Navenby indicate the area has been occupied since at least the
British Bronze Age
Bronze Age Britain is an era of British history that spanned from until . Lasting for approximately 1,700 years, it was preceded by the era of Neolithic Britain and was in turn followed by the period of Iron Age Britain. Being categorised as t ...
, about 600 BC.
The remains of
British Iron Age
The British Iron Age is a conventional name used in the archaeology of Great Britain, referring to the prehistoric and protohistoric phases of the Iron Age culture of the main island and the smaller islands, typically excluding prehistoric Ire ...
farms have been found at Chapel Lane, a site now protected as a
public open space by the district and
parish councils and supported by
Navenby Archaeology Group.
![Market cross in Navenby in Lincolnshire, England](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Market_cross_in_Navenby_in_Lincolnshire%2C_England.jpg)
Significant
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
finds include parts of shops and houses that would have fronted onto Ermine Street, down which
Roman armies marched to and from the Legionary Fortress at
Lincoln
Lincoln most commonly refers to:
* Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States
* Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England
* Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S.
* Lincoln ...
.
The city of Lincoln was very important at that time, probably the capital of the late
Roman Province
The Roman provinces (Latin: ''provincia'', pl. ''provinciae'') were the administrative regions of Ancient Rome outside Roman Italy that were controlled by the Romans under the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire. Each province was rule ...
of
Flavia Caesariensis.
Evidence suggests that Navenby was a significant staging point along Ermine Street.
The Romans are reported to have maintained a small base or garrison in the village, and a possible
Romano-British
The Romano-British culture arose in Britain under the Roman Empire following the Roman conquest in AD 43 and the creation of the province of Britannia. It arose as a fusion of the imported Roman culture with that of the indigenous Britons, a ...
temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
and burial sites have been unearthed in the area.
A 2009 archaeological dig uncovering a road, building foundations and Roman graves along with pottery and coins, showed Navenby to be a Roman Service Station.
Cremations dated to the middle
Saxon
The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic
*
*
*
*
peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
period have been discovered near the junction of High Dyke with Chapel Lane.
Late Saxon remains have also been found under and around St Peter's Church, suggesting the original Roman village had moved from Ermine Street to Church Lane and North Lane by the late-Saxon period.
Navenby's Saxon name is unknown. The present name is derived from the
Old Norse
Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...
''Nafni+by'', which means "
farmstead
A homestead is an isolated dwelling, especially a farmhouse, and adjacent outbuildings, typically on a large agricultural holding such as a ranch or station.
In North America the word "homestead" historically referred to land claimed by a settle ...
or village of a man called Nafni".
In the
Domesday Book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
of 1086, Navenby appears as Navenbi and Navenebi.
The
Viking
Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
s exerted considerable influence over Lincolnshire in the 9th and 10th centuries, as can be seen in the many local place names ending in ''-by''.
The Viking Way, a 147-mile (237 km)
footpath
A footpath (also pedestrian way, walking trail, nature trail) is a type of thoroughfare that is intended for use only by pedestrians and not other forms of traffic such as motorized vehicles, bicycles and horses. They can be found in a wide ...
that cuts through the village, is a lasting reminder of their presence.
Middle Ages
Navenby, originally an agricultural village, became a market town after receiving a charter from Edward the Confessor in the 11th century. The charter was later renewed by William Rufus, Edward III, and Richard II.
The wide main street, down which farmers once drove their sheep to market, is lasting evidence of its market town status. A market square once stood at the centre, marked by a cross in honour of
Queen Eleanor. Today, the square has gone and the cross is a ruin.
Parish records exist for Navenby from 1681, although bishops' transcripts go back to 1562.
The documents show the village hosted several annual fairs each year: a market fair on 17 October at which farm animals were traded; a feast on the Thursday before
Easter
Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...
;
and a Hiring Fair held each
May Day
May Day is a European festival of ancient origins marking the beginning of summer, usually celebrated on 1 May, around halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice. Festivities may also be held the night before, known as May Eve. T ...
, at which servants gathered to seek employment.
The records also show that part of the parish of Navenby was
enclosed
Enclosure or Inclosure is a term, used in English landownership, that refers to the appropriation of "waste" or "common land" enclosing it and by doing so depriving commoners of their rights of access and privilege. Agreements to enclose land ...
in 1772.
Such was the significance of Navenby at this time that a
workhouse
In Britain, a workhouse () was an institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. (In Scotland, they were usually known as poorhouses.) The earliest known use of the term ''workhouse'' ...
for the parish poor was erected here, although the building was later given over to other uses. A Sick Society was founded in 1811 and a Parish School was built next to St Peter's Church in 1816, paid for by subscription. Following the 1834
Poor Law Amendment Act
The ''Poor Law Amendment Act 1834'' (PLAA) known widely as the New Poor Law, was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed by the Whig government of Earl Grey. It completely replaced earlier legislation based on the ''Poor Relief ...
Navenby parish became part of the Lincoln
Poor Law Union.
19th century
When the market closed in the early 19th century Navenby lost its status as a market town, and once again became an agricultural village. The ''
Penny Cyclopaedia
''The Penny Cyclopædia'' published by the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge was a multi-volume encyclopedia edited by George Long and published by Charles Knight alongside the ''Penny Magazine''. Twenty-seven volumes and three supp ...
'' of 1839, published by The
Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge
The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (SDUK) was founded in London in 1826, mainly at the instigation of Whig MP Henry Brougham, with the object of publishing information to people who were unable to obtain formal teaching or who pr ...
, described the village in this way:
Many buildings were erected in Navenby during the 19th century, including a small
Wesleyan
Wesleyan theology, otherwise known as Wesleyan– Arminian theology, or Methodist theology, is a theological tradition in Protestant Christianity based upon the ministry of the 18th-century evangelical reformer brothers John Wesley and Charles W ...
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
chapel in about 1830, which was completely rebuilt in 1840. A
Temperance
Temperance may refer to:
Moderation
*Temperance movement, movement to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed
*Temperance (virtue), habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion
Culture
*Temperance (group), Canadian danc ...
Hall was built in 1852, later used as a second base by the Wesleyan Reformers.
A Volunteer Fire Brigade was founded in 1844, comprising five men and a manual engine. The Provincial Gas Light and Coke Company began supplying gas lighting to the village in 1857, and in 1867 a railway station was built three-quarters of a mile (1.2 km) west of the village, on the Lincoln-to-
Grantham
Grantham () is a market and industrial town in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, situated on the banks of the River Witham and bounded to the west by the A1 road. It lies some 23 miles (37 km) south of the Lincoln and ...
branch of the
Great Northern Railway.
By 1871, the Dean and Chapter of Lincoln was the principal
landowner and
Lord of the Manor
Lord of the Manor is a title that, in Anglo-Saxon England, referred to the landholder of a rural estate. The lord enjoyed manorial rights (the rights to establish and occupy a residence, known as the manor house and demesne) as well as seig ...
of Navenby.
A
witch bottle was discovered in the foundations of a Navenby farmhouse in 2005, thought to date back to about 1830. Containing pins, human hair and urine, the bottle was believed to protect a household against evil spells.
Modern history
Navenby was an agricultural village at the beginning of the 20th century, but the outbreak of the First World War brought changes for the community. A small
airfield
An aerodrome (Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for publ ...
,
Wellingore
Wellingore is a village and civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 356. It is situated on the A607 road, approximately south from Lincoln. It conjoins the ...
Heath, was opened on land bordering Navenby in 1917, to provide a base for the
Royal Flying Corps
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colors =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries =
, decorations ...
and the
Royal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy, under the direction of the Admiralty's Air Department, and existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps t ...
. The flat landscape, with its cliff-top situation, proved an ideal situation for flight operations.
T. E. Lawrence
Thomas Edward Lawrence (16 August 1888 – 19 May 1935) was a British archaeologist, army officer, diplomat, and writer who became renowned for his role in the Arab Revolt (1916–1918) and the Sinai and Palestine Campaign (1915–1918 ...
, perhaps better known as ''Lawrence of Arabia'', was stationed at nearby
RAF Cranwell
Royal Air Force Cranwell or more simply RAF Cranwell is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England, close to the village of Cranwell, near Sleaford. Among other functions, it is home to the Royal Air Force College (RAFC), which trai ...
just after the war, in 1926, where he wrote a revised version of his ''Seven Pillars Of Wisdom''.
He mentioned Navenby in a letter to a friend at the time, saying:
I'm too shy to go looking for dirt. That's why I can't go off stewing into the Lincoln or Navenby brothels with the fellows. They think it's because I'm superior: proud, or peculiar or 'posh', as they say: and it's because I wouldn't know what to do, how to carry myself, where to stop. Fear again: fear everywhere.
Wellingore airfield closed after the war ended, but it was re-opened in 1935 and its facilities expanded during the winter of 1939–40. By then known as RAF Wellingore, notable officers stationed there included
Wing Commander
Wing commander (Wg Cdr in the RAF, the IAF, and the PAF, WGCDR in the RNZAF and RAAF, formerly sometimes W/C in all services) is a senior commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and air forces of many countries which have historical ...
Guy Gibson
Wing Commander Guy Penrose Gibson, (12 August 1918 – 19 September 1944) was a distinguished bomber pilot in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. He was the first Commanding Officer of No. 617 Squadron, which he led in the "Dam B ...
.
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force, where it originated, as well as the air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. It is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank i ...
Douglas Bader
Group Captain Sir Douglas Robert Steuart Bader, (; 21 February 1910 – 5 September 1982) was a Royal Air Force flying ace during the Second World War. He was credited with 22 aerial victories, four shared victories, six probables, one shared ...
is known to have briefly messed at Wellingore while on
R&R leave from the Battle of Britain too, and both Gibson and Bader were regular visitors to Navenby.
The base served as a satellite field for
RAF Digby
Royal Air Force Digby otherwise known as RAF Digby is a Royal Air Force station located near Scopwick and south east of Lincoln, Lincolnshire, Lincoln, in Lincolnshire, England. The station is home to the tri-service Joint Service Signals Organi ...
until 1944 and as a relief landing ground for
RAF Cranwell
Royal Air Force Cranwell or more simply RAF Cranwell is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England, close to the village of Cranwell, near Sleaford. Among other functions, it is home to the Royal Air Force College (RAFC), which trai ...
from April 1944 until its final closure in 1945, after which it was used as a camp for
prisoners of war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held Captivity, captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold priso ...
from Germany and
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
; the inmates were often made to work on the surrounding farmland.
Navenby lost many men during the two World Wars. The village war memorial, a rough hewn stone
Celtic Cross
The Celtic cross is a form of Christian cross featuring a nimbus or ring that emerged in Ireland, France and Great Britain in the Early Middle Ages. A type of ringed cross, it became widespread through its use in the stone high crosses er ...
mounted on a plinth with a three-stepped base, is in the churchyard of St Peter's. It was manufactured by Messrs G Maile & Son Ltd at a cost of
£200, and unveiled in April 1921. On it are inscribed the names of the 22 casualties from the First World War and the 8 from the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
Following an initial decline in the population of Navenby at the turn of the 20th century, the post-war years saw numbers rise steeply.
This increase can be directly linked to the 35-plus new houses built from the end of
The Great War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
until the 1950s, as well as to other building projects from the 1970s onwards.
Other
post-war
In Western usage, the phrase post-war era (or postwar era) usually refers to the time since the end of World War II. More broadly, a post-war period (or postwar period) is the interval immediately following the end of a war. A post-war period c ...
changes include the move away from a dependence on farming. Although Navenby continues to be surrounded by farms, it is now largely a
dormitory village for Lincoln, Grantham and beyond. Figures from the 2001 census show that, out of a population of 1,666, almost 600 commute to work each day.
Governance
The
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...
of Navenby was originally in the higher division of the ancient
Boothby Graffoe
Boothby Graffoe is a village and civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 223. It is situated approximately south from the city and county town of Lincoln, ...
wapentake
A hundred is an administrative division that is geographically part of a larger region. It was formerly used in England, Wales, some parts of the United States, Denmark, Southern Schleswig, Sweden, Finland, Norway, the Bishopric of Ösel–Wiek, C ...
, in the
North Kesteven
North Kesteven is a local government district in Lincolnshire, England. The district is located to the east of Nottinghamshire, north-east of Leicestershire and south of the city of Lincoln. Its council, North Kesteven District Council, is bas ...
division of the county of Lincolnshire. The term ''wapentake'' dates back to the Vikings and was used to describe a collection of local parishes. It originally meant "show your weapon" and the idea behind the term was that all those in favour of a resolution would raise their sword or axe to show agreement.
![Navenbypanor](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Navenbypanor.png)
''The History of the County of Lincoln'', a book written by Thomas Allen in 1834, states:
Navenby was classed as an ancient parish from the 11th to the 19th century, as it came "under the jurisdiction of a clergyman" and existed before 1597.
Early records show that the Manor of Navenby was granted to the Dean and Chapter of Lincoln in 1292.
The money generated by land rent was used by Roger de Newton, the first incumbent of the chantry chapel at
Harby,
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated Notts.) is a landlocked county in the East Midlands region of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. The traditi ...
, to maintain the building. This followed the death of
Queen Eleanor, wife of
Edward I
Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassal o ...
, while on a visit to Lincoln. Eleanor died at de Newton's manor house at Harby in November 1290 and the chapel was erected in her honour.
The parish began to take on civil as well as ecclesiastical duties following the 16th-century
Dissolution of the Monasteries and the Tudor Poor Law Acts of 1601.
The ecclesiastical parish of Navenby was originally placed in the ''Longoboby Rural Deanery'',
but was transferred to the ''Graffoe Rural Deanery'' in 1968, and it is still part of the ''Diocese of Lincoln''.
Navenby officially became a civil parish in the 19th century and became a member of the ''Lincoln Poor Law Union'' in 1834. The parish was also part of the ''Lincoln Rural Sanitary District''.
The Navenby civil parish boundaries were adjusted in 1931, to include the civil parish of nearby Skinnand.
Following the
Local Government Act 1888
Local may refer to:
Geography and transportation
* Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand
* Local, Missouri, a community in the United States
* Local government, a form of public administration, usually the lowest tier of administrat ...
, Navenby was governed by
Branston Rural District Council
Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the Ad ...
from 1894 to 1931. The village then came under the control of
North Kesteven
North Kesteven is a local government district in Lincolnshire, England. The district is located to the east of Nottinghamshire, north-east of Leicestershire and south of the city of Lincoln. Its council, North Kesteven District Council, is bas ...
Rural District Council from 1931 to 1974, after the
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...
reformed the districts of
Holland
Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...
,
Kesteven
The Parts of Kesteven ( or ) are a traditional division of Lincolnshire, England. This division had long had a separate county administration (quarter sessions), along with the two other Parts of Lincolnshire, Lindsey and Holland.
Etymology
Th ...
and much of
Lindsey Lindsey may refer to :
Places Canada
* Lindsey Lake, Nova Scotia
England
* Parts of Lindsey, one of the historic Parts of Lincolnshire and an administrative county from 1889 to 1974
** East Lindsey, an administrative district in Lincolnshire, a ...
into the
shire county
A non-metropolitan county, or colloquially, shire county, is a county-level entity in England that is not a metropolitan county. The counties typically have populations of 300,000 to 1.8 million. The term ''shire county'' is, however, an unoffi ...
of Lincolnshire.
Today Navenby remains part of the North Kesteven district.
Before the
1832 Reform Act
The Representation of the People Act 1832 (also known as the 1832 Reform Act, Great Reform Act or First Reform Act) was an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom (indexed as 2 & 3 Will. IV c. 45) that introduced major changes to the electo ...
, Lincolnshire sent twelve members to parliament, including two for the county, two for the city of Lincoln and two for the boroughs of
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
,
Grantham
Grantham () is a market and industrial town in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, situated on the banks of the River Witham and bounded to the west by the A1 road. It lies some 23 miles (37 km) south of the Lincoln and ...
, Great
Grimsby
Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town and the administrative centre of North East Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire, England. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes directly to the south-east forming a conurbation. Grimsby is north-east of Linco ...
and
Stamford. As a result of the act, Lincolnshire's electoral divisions were amended,
and Navenby became part of the
South Division Parliamentary District for Lincolnshire. Two
Whig candidates, Henry Handley and
Gilbert John Heathcote, were returned in the first election.
The village remained in the South Division until 1867, when it was transferred to the Mid Division. In 1885 it joined the North Kesteven Division, and in 1918 it became part of the Grantham Division, until 1974.
Today, Navenby has its own
parish council, dealing with issues such as play-area revamps and the protection of public open spaces. The council is based at High Street, Navenby. , the chairman is Steve Woollas. The second tier of local government provided for Navenby is the
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
-controlled
North Kesteven
North Kesteven is a local government district in Lincolnshire, England. The district is located to the east of Nottinghamshire, north-east of Leicestershire and south of the city of Lincoln. Its council, North Kesteven District Council, is bas ...
District Council, which is responsible for housing problems and public health. The council is based at Kesteven Street,
Sleaford
Sleaford is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. Centred on the former parish of New Sleaford, the modern boundaries and urban area include Quarrington, Lincolnshire, ...
. Navenby is part of the Cliff Villages ward and is represented by two local councillors on the district council: Mrs Marianne Jane Overton and Mrs Laura Louise Conway, who both belong to the Rural Independent Group.
Conservative-led Lincolnshire
County Council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.
Ireland
The county councils created under British rule in 1899 continue to exist in Irela ...
provides the top tier of local government for Navenby, with responsibility for highways, sites of special interest and schools. It is based at the County Offices in Newland, Lincoln. Navenby has one representative on this council, Marianne Overton, who also represents
Branston ward. Following the
by-election of December 2016, Navenby is represented at government level by
Caroline Johnson
Caroline Elizabeth Johnson (''née'' Burton; born 31 December 1977) is a British Conservative Party politician and consultant paediatrician who served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Mental Health and Public Health from Septembe ...
, the
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
MP for
Sleaford and North Hykeham constituency, following the resignation of
Stephen Phillips. Prior to Phillips, the
Right Honorable
''The Right Honourable'' ( abbreviation: ''Rt Hon.'' or variations) is an honorific style traditionally applied to certain persons and collective bodies in the United Kingdom, the former British Empire and the Commonwealth of Nations. The term is ...
Douglas Hogg
Douglas Martin Hogg, 3rd Viscount Hailsham, Baron Hailsham of Kettlethorpe (born 5 February 1945), is a British politician and barrister. A member of the Conservative Party he served in the Cabinet as Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Foo ...
QC, stood down from the post before the 2010 election after having to pay back the cost of cleaning his
moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that is dug and surrounds a castle, fortification, building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive ...
.
Navenby was part of the
East Midlands
The East Midlands is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. It comprises the eastern half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It consists of Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Li ...
constituency for the
European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
until
Brexit
Brexit (; a portmanteau of "British exit") was the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February 2020 CET).The UK also left the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or ...
in 2020. Former Conservative turned
Liberal Democrat
Several political party, political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties usually follow a liberal democracy, liberal democratic ideology.
Active parties
Former parties ...
Bill Newton Dunn
William Francis Newton Dunn (born 3 October 1941) is a British politician who served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 1979 to 1994, 1999 to 2014 and again from 2019 until the UK's withdrawal from the EU in 2020. He resigned fro ...
represented the area as an
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament.
When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the ECSC) first met in 1952, its ...
. Newton Dunn lives in Navenby and his European responsibilities included vice-chairman of Foreign Affairs,
Human Rights
Human rights are Morality, moral principles or Social norm, normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for ce ...
, Common Security and Defence Policy Committee. In the 1980s, Newton Dunn coined the much-used phrase "
Democratic deficit
A democratic deficit (or democracy deficit) occurs when ostensibly democratic organizations or institutions (particularly governments) fall short of fulfilling the principles of democracy in their practices or operation where representative and l ...
".
Geography
Topography
The civil parish of Navenby straddles the old
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
Ermine Street
Ermine Street is a major Roman road in England that ran from London (''Londinium'') to Lincoln (''Lindum Colonia'') and York (''Eboracum''). The Old English name was ''Earninga Strǣt'' (1012), named after a tribe called the ''Earningas'', ...
, known locally as High Dyke.
The road runs between the neighbouring villages of
Boothby Graffoe
Boothby Graffoe is a village and civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 223. It is situated approximately south from the city and county town of Lincoln, ...
and
Wellingore
Wellingore is a village and civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 356. It is situated on the A607 road, approximately south from Lincoln. It conjoins the ...
and covers more than . The
Viking Way
The Viking Way is a long distance trail in England running between the Humber Bridge in North Lincolnshire and Oakham in Rutland.
History
The route was officially opened on Sunday 5 September 1976 at Tealby, by the Deputy Chairman of Lincoln ...
, a footpath between the
Humber Bridge in North Lincolnshire and
Oakham
Oakham is the county town of Rutland in the East Midlands of England, east of Leicester, south-east of Nottingham and west of Peterborough. It had a population of 10,922 in the 2011 census, estimated at 11,191 in 2019. Oakham is to the west o ...
in
Rutland
Rutland () is a ceremonial county and unitary authority in the East Midlands, England. The county is bounded to the west and north by Leicestershire, to the northeast by Lincolnshire and the southeast by Northamptonshire.
Its greatest len ...
, also passes through the village.
Navenby is known as a Lincolnshire Cliff Village, as it is situated on a ridge of
Jurassic
The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The J ...
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
called the Lincoln Edge or
Lincoln Cliff
The Lincoln Cliff or Lincoln Edge is a portion of a major escarpment that runs north–south through Lindsey and Kesteven in central Lincolnshire and is a prominent landscape feature in a generally flat portion of the county. Towards its norther ...
. The small cliff is one of the most distinctive hills in Lincolnshire. Lying south of Lincoln and north-northwest of Sleaford, Navenby enjoys warm summers and dry frosty winters.
During the
Ice Age
An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gree ...
, most of the region surrounding Navenby was covered by ice sheets and this has influenced the
topography
Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the land forms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps.
Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sci ...
and nature of the soils. Much of Lincolnshire is low-lying, in some places below sea level, but Navenby's cliff-top position means it is above sea level, giving it commanding views over the
River Witham
The River Witham is a river almost entirely in the county of Lincolnshire in the east of England. It rises south of Grantham close to South Witham at , passes through the centre of Grantham (where it may be closely followed using the Riversid ...
valley.
The parish of Navenby is elongated in an east–west direction, extending east to the Lincoln Heath and west to the River Brant. The size of the parish has varied over the past two centuries. In 1821 it covered ; in 1951 it was .
Housing, streets and nearby places
![Clintlane](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Clintlane.jpg)
Although house prices have traditionally been lower than the national average in Navenby, they have risen quickly in recent years. In 2004, the average house price rose by 8.2% to £163,186, according to the Land Registry, while in 1999 the average was £60,000.
The district surrounding Navenby –
North Kesteven
North Kesteven is a local government district in Lincolnshire, England. The district is located to the east of Nottinghamshire, north-east of Leicestershire and south of the city of Lincoln. Its council, North Kesteven District Council, is bas ...
– remains a relatively inexpensive place to purchase property. Consequently, owner occupation is 77% – which is higher than both the regional and national averages. However, the rising prices of recent years are resulting in housing becoming increasingly "out of reach for those on average incomes".
A 2004 Housing Needs Study, carried out by Fordham Associates for North Kesteven District Council, highlighted the need for 460 "affordable homes" to be built each year for the next five years in Navenby and the surrounding villages.
More than a dozen houses, pubs and other buildings have been granted listed status in Navenby. Houses of specific interest include
Grade II listed
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
Dial House in North Lane, which has a
priest hole
A priest hole is a hiding place for a priest built into many of the principal Catholic houses of England, Wales and Ireland during the period when Catholics were persecuted by law. When Queen Elizabeth I came to the throne in 1558, there were se ...
, and the Old Rectory in North Lane, which was built of Ashlar stone in 1859 by H A Darbyshire, a London architect.
Several of Navenby's street names hint at its past. For example, the street now known as Clint Lane used to be Watery Lane, apparently due to the number of springs that ran along it. The only "watery" part of Clint Lane today is a duck pond. The street includes a mix of 18th-century cottages, Victorian properties, Grade II listed farm buildings and 20th-century homes.
Gas Lane, which is next to Clint Lane, used to be called Meg's Lane. It was renamed Gas Lane after the Provincial Gas Light and Coke Company set up a base there in 1857. The firm later became the Navenby and Wellingore Gas Light and Coke Company. Although the business has long since disappeared, the street name survives.
The street now known as Church Lane used to be Church Street. The road was named for the village church, St Peter's, which is located here, as is a former village school, now a private house. The school was built by subscription in 1816 and carries the inscription "The Benefit Society 1821".
Climate
According to the
Köppen classification Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author an ...
, the
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...
experience a
maritime climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...
characterised by relatively cool summers and mild winters. Compared with other parts of the country, Lincolnshire – and Navenby – are slightly warmer and sunnier in the summer and colder and frostier in the winter. Owing to Navenby's inland position, far from the landfall of most
Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
depressions, it is one of the driest places to live in the UK, receiving, on average, less than of rain per year.
The mean annual daily duration of bright sunshine is four hours and 12 minutes; the absence of any high ground is probably responsible for the area being one of the sunniest parts of the British Isles.
Demography
The
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 2001 UK census was organised by the Office for National ...
found Navenby had 861 households and a population of 1,666, of which 792 were male and 874 female.
This figure shows a population growth of more than 70% in the past 30 years, mainly due to on-going house-building projects.
The 2001 census revealed there were only three
second homes in the village, but that many villagers commuted each day to work.
The great majority of properties are owner-occupied, with just over 100 rented from the council or private landlords. Most of the houses (over 500) are classified as detached, the average number of rooms per property is 6.0 and the average household size is 2.3.
Ethnic diversity is minimal in Navenby. Statistics for 2001 show that of 707 households questioned, 703 were classed as white.
Of those 707 households, 104 were pensioners living alone, 176 were couples without children, 27 were lone parents and 153 couples with dependent children.
343 of the households had at least one vehicle. Sickness rates were surprising high – with 237 households reporting one or more people with limiting long-term illness. A total of 82% call themselves
Christians
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
.
People aged between 25 and 44 represent the majority of Navenby residents, with 451 recorded in 2001.
This is closely followed by people aged 45–64 (442) and children aged 5–15 (221). Children aged under 4 (69) and people aged 16–24 (115) are in the minority. Almost 200 people (190) over the age of 75 were living in Navenby in 2001. The mean age of Navenby's population is 43.5 and the median age is 43.5. In 1851, 136 babies in every 1,000 died in their first year. This figure dropped to 107 per 1,000 in 1911 and three per 1,000 by 2001.
The people of Navenby enjoy a high employment rate, although most work outside the village. Almost 600 commute each day, with the average journey to work being 12.5 miles (20.18 km).
The 2001 census revealed that of 1,186 people questioned aged 16–74, 722 were economically active, with men working an average of 44.8 hours each week and women an average of 31.2.
The service industry was the largest sector of the local economy, employing 67% of all workers, compared to 1841 when 48% worked in agriculture.
Manufacturing work was carried out by 178 people in 2001 and 565 were in the service industries. Of these workers, 371 were classed as managerial and professional. In 1841, just 16.6% of male workers had middle class jobs, but the 2001 census showed this figure had increased to 47.9%.
Those with few or no qualifications numbered 597 in 2001, while 328 had higher diplomas, degrees or further degrees. In contrast, about 53% of children aged 5–14 went to school in 1851, but today 58% of those aged 16–17 stay on at school.
Economy and media
Navenby was originally an
agricultural
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating Plant, plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of Sedentism, sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of Domestication, domesticated species created food ...
village, with most people living off the land or trading goods in the local market. Statistics show that, in 1841, 48% of villagers worked in agriculture,
but today the majority of villagers, 67%, are employed in the
service industry
The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the second ...
and most commute to work away from Navenby.
The village does, however, offer limited work opportunities, with the High Street lined with shops, fast-food stores and public houses. A doctors' surgery, building society and residential care home are based in the village, although the post office closed in January 2011.
The local newspaper for Navenby is the ''
Lincolnshire Echo
The ''Lincolnshire Echo'' is a weekly British regional newspaper for Lincolnshire, whose first edition was on Tuesday 31 January 1893, and is published every Thursday. It is owned by Reach PLC and it is distributed throughout the county.
The ...
'', which includes news and sports reports, as well as job advertisements. The local radio stations for the village are
BBC Radio Lincolnshire
BBC Radio Lincolnshire is the BBC's local radio station serving the county of Lincolnshire.
It broadcasts on FM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios near Newport Arch in Lincoln.
According to RAJAR, the station has a weekly aud ...
on 94.9 FM and
Lincs FM
Lincs FM is an Independent Local Radio radio station serving Lincolnshire and Newark in Nottinghamshire. The station is owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Hits Radio Network.
As of September 2022, the station has a weekly audience of ...
on 102.2 FM. The newest addition to the local airwaves is
Siren FM
Siren Radio, sometimes known as Siren and formerly as Siren FM, is a community radio station based at the University of Lincoln in the United Kingdom. It broadcasts to the city of Lincoln on 107.3 FM and at its websiteOnline''
History
Launched i ...
, a community radio station that broadcasts on 107.3 FM from the
University of Lincoln
, mottoeng = Freedom through wisdom
, established = 1861 – Hull School of Art1905 – Endsleigh College1976 – Hull College1992 – University of Humberside1996 – University of Lincolnshire and Humberside2001 ...
.
Landmarks
The centre of Navenby village is a designated
conservation area
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...
; many of the stone and brick-built houses date back hundreds of years. More than 20 of the properties, as well as the 1935 red telephone kiosk in High Street, have
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
status.
Mrs Smith's Cottage
![Mrssmith1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Mrssmith1.JPG)
Mrs Smith's Cottage is a mid-19th century Grade II
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
made from early
Victorian red bricks. The
range
Range may refer to:
Geography
* Range (geographic), a chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra)
** Mountain range, a group of mountains bordered by lowlands
* Range, a term used to i ...
, the heart of the house, was in daily use for cooking and heating until the mid-1990s. The only access to the bedrooms is by a ladder. Electricity was installed in the 1930s, and the only other visible modern innovations are the coldwater tap – installed to prevent the local council condemning the cottage in the late 1970s – and an inside toilet. The original outside
privy
Privy is an old-fashioned term for an outdoor toilet, often known as an outhouse and by many other names. Privy may also refer to:
* Privy council, a body that advises the head of state
* Privy mark, a small mark in the design of a coin
* Privy Pur ...
and washhouse can still be viewed.
The cottage is named after its last resident, Mrs Hilda Smith, who lived there until 1995, when she was 102 years old. When she died, villagers mounted a campaign to ensure the cottage was kept as "something special" for Navenby.
Today the cottage is run as a museum, granted permission for use as such in March 2000. It is open for much of the year and staffed by volunteers. The old pig sty and storage shed, deemed beyond repair, were demolished and the bricks used to build a purpose-built visitor centre, used for exhibitions about Navenby and the locality.
St Peter's Church
The Grade I listed
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 each Church of England parish (the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative unit; since the 19th century sometimes ca ...
in Navenby is dedicated to
Saint Peter
Saint Peter; he, שמעון בר יונה, Šimʿōn bar Yōnāh; ar, سِمعَان بُطرُس, translit=Simʿa̅n Buṭrus; grc-gre, Πέτρος, Petros; cop, Ⲡⲉⲧⲣⲟⲥ, Petros; lat, Petrus; ar, شمعون الصفـا, Sham'un ...
. Its parish registers survive from 1681 and Bishop's transcripts from 1562. It is difficult to date the building as it has a mishmash of styles, although its origins are probably 13th century.
![Stpeternav](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/Stpeternav.jpg)
St Peter's is made up of three parts, including a mid-19th-century west tower, which replaced the original in 1859–60 after it fell down. The perpendicular clerestory is decorated with shields in quatrefoils and is lit with closely set three-light windows. The tall, decorated chancel has very large windows. The side windows have reticulated tracery. The large east window was partly rebuilt 1875–76, and is of six lights with two large mouchettes nodding to each other, as well as a very large reticulation unit.
The sedilia and piscina are thought to date back to William de Herleston, who was rector from 1325–29. He was Edward I's chancellor and later became Canon of Llandaff Cathedral, Llandaff. A founder's tomb, which is in a slightly different style, is probably that of his successor, John de Fenton, rector until 1332. The Baptismal font, font is a lavish
Victorian affair by Charles Kirk junior, which was shown at the 1862 International Exhibition in London. The Pulpit is Jacobean era, Jacobean and the Rood screen by Temple Moore dates from 1910. The Royal Arms are signed "Thomas Hunton of Lincoln. Painter 1710." There is a late 13th-century grave slab, with an inscription in Norman language, Norman script which says "Pray for Richard de Lue" (Louth, Lincolnshire, Louth).
The church also contains an Easter Sepulchre.
The carving is recognised as one of the finest in Lincolnshire, if not in the country, and receives a mention in virtually every book written on churches and their architecture.
The churchyard is managed as a nature reserve.
In 1982, the parochial church council proposed closing the church as it was denied permission to sell its antique silver to assist with urgent repairs. The Archdeacon, Michael Adie, ruled that such sales were against church policy and that funds must be raised locally.
Transport
Navenby village lies at the eastern end of Navenby parish and is best accessed by road, as the A607 trunk road passes through the heart of the village. Navenby can also be reached from the A15 road (Great Britain), A15 road, which runs past the end of Green Man Lane and links Lincoln with Sleaford. Editors of the website RoadGhosts.com claim this is one of the most haunted roads in Britain.
Navenby once had its own Navenby railway station, railway station, built in 1867 as part of the Lincoln to
Grantham
Grantham () is a market and industrial town in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, situated on the banks of the River Witham and bounded to the west by the A1 road. It lies some 23 miles (37 km) south of the Lincoln and ...
branch of the
Great Northern Railway. It fell victim, however, to the government's post-war railway closure programme, which was designed to modernise the service and return it to profitability.
Some of railway were closed between 1948 and 1962 under this scheme, including Navenby station, which was shut in 1962.
Today, the closest main line stations are Newark North Gate railway station, Newark North Gate and Grantham railway station, Grantham, both on the high-speed
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
to Scotland East Coast Main Line; nearby branch line stations include Lincoln railway station, Lincoln and Sleaford railway station, Sleaford.
Bus services to and from Navenby are limited. The main service is provided by Stagecoach in Lincolnshire, which runs the Number 1 service from Lincoln to Grantham, via Navenby, along the A607 every 30 minutes, from 7 am until 7 pm, every day except Sunday. There is only one bus on a Sunday. The same Number 1 service runs in the opposite direction too, from Grantham to Lincoln via Navenby, every 30 minutes each day except Sunday. ''Hodson's Coaches'' of Navenby runs an extra bus each Sunday to Lincoln.
Education
Navenby is served by its own village school, Navenby Church of England Primary School. It is a voluntary controlled school for children aged 4–11. There is a choice of nearby senior schools for older Navenby pupils, although none are within the village.
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...
County Council operates a preference system for parents, which allows them to choose a preferred school, rather than one for which they are in the catchment area. The closest senior school to Navenby, and the one that is within the Designated Transport Area, is Sir William Robertson High School at Welbourn.
This is a mixed comprehensive school named after Field Marshal William Robertson (British Army officer), William Robertson, who was born in Welbourn and served in the First World War.
![Churchlaneschool](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Churchlaneschool.jpg)
Other senior schools within a 10-mile (16 km) radius include Branston Community Academy, and two grammar schools in nearby Sleaford – Carre's Grammar School for boys and Kesteven and Sleaford High School for girls. Private schools are available in Lincoln. Many local senior schools offer sixth form tuition, and further education courses for students aged 16 and over are also provided by Lincoln College, Lincolnshire, Lincoln College, which is the largest educational institution in Lincolnshire. It has 18,500 students, of whom 2,300 are full-time.
Nearby Lincoln has two higher education institutions, the older Bishop Grosseteste University and the more recent, larger
University of Lincoln
, mottoeng = Freedom through wisdom
, established = 1861 – Hull School of Art1905 – Endsleigh College1976 – Hull College1992 – University of Humberside1996 – University of Lincolnshire and Humberside2001 ...
.
Culture and community
Navenby used to be served by several public houses, but The Butcher's Arms and The Green Man Inn have long been converted into private houses. Now, just the King's Head and The Lion and Royal remain.
The Grade II listed 18th-century King's Head is probably the oldest public house in the village; the nearby Lion and Royal dates from 1824 and is also Grade II listed. It was probably just called "The Lion" when it first opened, but added "Royal" to its name in honour of a special visitor. There is a large emblem over the front door, topped by the Prince of Wales's feathers, presented after the Prince (later Edward VII) stayed there, albeit briefly, in 1870.
The former Green Man Inn, at the junction of Green Man Lane and the A15 road (Great Britain), A15, was once a staging post for travellers and may have also been a court house.
The Lincoln Club was established here in about 1741, catering for the "distinguished gentlemen of Lincolnshire". Francis Dashwood, Sir Francis Dashwood, founder of the notorious Hellfire Club, was a member, as were Lord Monson of Burton and Lord Robert Manners (general), Lord Robert Manners of Bloxholm.
Lincolnshire has a number of local dishes, including stuffed chine and haslet, and Navenby is home to several local food champions. Navenby baker Pete Welbourne was named as Great Britain's Baker of the Year in 2004, for his Lincolnshire Plum Bread recipe,
and Odling Bros butchers' shop has enjoyed repeated success in an annual competition to find the best Lincolnshire pork sausages in the county.
Local legend has it that Navenby is part of the ''Temple Bruer Pentagram''.
The pentagram includes the nearby villages of Temple Bruer – which has strong connections with the Knights Templar of the 12th century – as well as
Wellingore
Wellingore is a village and civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 356. It is situated on the A607 road, approximately south from Lincoln. It conjoins the ...
and Harmston. It appears the sign is centred on the sewage works just west of Navenby.
The pentagram is seen as having magical associations and is often said to have offered protection to witches. It also, however, has links with Christianity, Freemasonry and the Knights Templar, who used the pentagram symbol to represent "infinity, connectiveness and oneness".
Although the A607 trunk road passes through Navenby, the village can also be accessed from the "haunted" A15,
which runs past the end of Green Man Lane. According to local legend, a hanging tree once stood at the junction of the two roads, and those who died there still haunt the area.
Scottish singer Barbara Dickson, OBE, briefly lived in Navenby in the 1970s.
Public services
![Navenbyphone](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Navenbyphone.jpg)
Navenby's water is supplied by the Anglian Water company, and there is a sewage treatment works just west of the village.
Healthcare is provided by the United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, and a doctors' surgery operates in North Lane. The nearest NHS hospital is Lincoln County Hospital, Greetwell Road, Lincoln, which is north of Navenby. The second closest is Grantham and District Hospital, Manthorpe Rd, Grantham. The nearest dentists are also based in Lincoln or Grantham. The East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust operates ambulances in the Navenby area, and the village is also covered by The Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance, based at nearby Royal Air Force Waddington on the edge of Waddington, Lincolnshire, Waddington village.
Other emergency services are provided by Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, whose nearest fire stations are in Lincoln and Grantham, and the Lincolnshire Police Force. The nearest police stations are in Lincoln, Sleaford and Grantham.
Sport and clubs
Navenby has a bowls club, Navenby Bowls Club, with approximately 50 members. The bowls season lasts from May to August and club members take part in three Bowls Leagues; Division 3 of the Cliff Bowls League, Section C of the City Evening League and Division 3 of the Lincoln and District League. At least three evening matches are held each week during the season.
Navenby's FA Chartered Standard junior football club, Navenby Juniors, has teams from Under 7 to Under 18's playing in the Grantham, Mid Lincs and Newark leagues, and a Development Squad for boys and girls aged 4 to 5.
Nearby Lincoln has a professional football (soccer), football team, Lincoln City F.C., nicknamed "The Imps", which plays at the Sincil Bank stadium. Navenby villager Tracey Duxbury was a member of the Lincoln Ladies F.C., Lady Imps team, the women's team attached to Lincoln City, until 2007. She became one of the youngest people to achieve the UEFA B coaching licence in 2006 and now plays with the West Ham United Ladies. More recently, Adam Crookes and Hayden Cann have played for Lincoln City, having represented and grown up in Navenby respectively.
Other clubs include Navenby History Group, which aims to uncover the village's extensive historic past. There is also the Women's Institute, which has celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2007, and Artists of Navenby, a 40-strong group of artists.
See also
* List of civil parishes in Lincolnshire
References
Further reading
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External links
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Navenby village website- Navenby.net
Navenby Archaeology Group website– www.navenbyarchaeologygroup.org
Mrs Smith's Cottage Museum website– mrssmithscottage.co.uk
General historical information on Navenby– GENUKI.org.uk
Photographic views of Navenby today– RayBeckham.co.uk
Details of the 'Navenby Pentagram'– TemplarMechanics.com
The story behind one of the gravestones at St Peter's Church– Navenby.net
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Villages in Lincolnshire
Civil parishes in Lincolnshire
North Kesteven District