Bilton is a suburb of

Rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Av ...

, England, located about south-west of Rugby town centre. It is also a

ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...

of the

Borough of Rugby The Borough of Rugby is a local government district with borough status in eastern Warwickshire, England. The borough comprises the town of Rugby where the council has its headquarters, and the rural areas surrounding the town. The borough has a ...

, which at the 2021 Census had a population of 6,544. It comprises much of the western half of the town. Historically a village in its own right, Bilton was incorporated into Rugby in 1932.

History

Historically a village in its own right (many residents continue to refer to the area as a village), Bilton's name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon ''Beolatun'' (Beola's town), and it was mentioned 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 manus ...

as both ''Beltone'' and ''Bentone''. The parish Church of St. Mark in Bilton dates from the mid-14th century, but was expanded and restored in 1873. It is now grade II* listed. In the early 20th century, Bilton was enveloped by the suburban expansion of Rugby. In 1932, when Rugby became a

municipal borough Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002. Broadly similar structures existed in S ...

, the

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 authorit ...

of Bilton was abolished, and most of its territory incorporated into the new borough, with the remainder going to

Dunchurch Dunchurch is a large village and civil parish on the south-western outskirts of Rugby in Warwickshire, England, approximately southwest of central Rugby. The civil parish which also includes the nearby hamlet of Toft, had a population of 4,12 ...

. In 1931 the parish had a population of 5966. In the 1960s, two large

housing estate A housing estate (or sometimes housing complex or housing development) is a group of homes and other buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Popular throughout the United States ...

s were built at Bilton; the Admirals Estate and the Woodlands Estate, to the north and the south of the old village centre respectively: The Admirals Estate had its streets named after Admirals of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

, whilst the streets in the Woodlands Estate, were given names with

Shakespearean William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

connections, as the estate was laid out in 1964, the quarter centenary of William Shakespeare's birth. The old village centre of Bilton still survives. The

village green A village green is a common open area within a village or other settlement. Historically, a village green was common grassland with a pond for watering cattle and other stock, often at the edge of a rural settlement, used for gathering cattle t ...

of Bilton contains the remains of an ancient stone cross. Bilton Hall in the old village is a

grade I 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 ...

, the earliest parts of which date from 1623. To the north of Bilton is the area known as

New Bilton New Bilton is a suburb of Rugby, Warwickshire, in England, situated to the west of the town centre. New Bilton is also a ward of the Borough of Rugby whose population at the 2021 census was 8,166. The area straddles the A428 main road, known loca ...

. To the east is the area of Overslade, to the south is the village of

, and to the west is the suburban village of Cawston.

Amenities

Most of the local amenities in Bilton are clustered around Main Street and The Green, including a number of shops and businesses, a

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional ser ...

, and two

public houses A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

; ''The Black Horse'' and ''The George''.

Education

Primary schools in Bilton include: Bawnmore Infant School, Bilton C. of E. Junior School, Bilton Infant School, Henry Hinde Infant and Junior Schools and Crescent School. Secondary schools include: Bilton School and

Rugby High School for Girls Rugby High School is a selective grammar school situated in the Bilton area of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. The school motto is “She Sets Heights In Her Heart”. It takes girls aged 11–18 and boys 16–18. To attend this school, all st ...

Notable residents

*The writer and politician

Joseph Addison Joseph Addison (1 May 1672 – 17 June 1719) was an English essayist, poet, playwright and politician. He was the eldest son of The Reverend Lancelot Addison. His name is usually remembered alongside that of his long-standing friend Richar ...

(1672-1719) lived at Bilton Hall. *The television presenter and actor

Peter Purves Peter John Purves (; born 10 February 1939) is an English television presenter and actor. He played Steven Taylor in ''Doctor Who'' under the First Doctor, a role he continued to play in audio dramas for Big Finish Productions. He later became ...

lived in Bilton between 1987 and 1992. *The 1960s pop singer

Billy J. Kramer William Howard Ashton (born 19 August 1943), known professionally as Billy J. Kramer, is an English pop singer. With The Dakotas, Kramer was managed by Brian Epstein during the 1960s and scored hits with several Lennon–McCartney composition ...

married a local woman, Ann Ginn, at St Mark's Church in Bilton in 1968, and lived locally for a number of years.

Gallery

File:St Mark's Church, Bilton 6.19.jpg, St Mark's Church File:Bilton-Church Walk - geograph.org.uk - 2282148.jpg, Bilton Hall File:Bilton stone cross 7.20.jpg, Old stone cross remains File:Old Bilton - Church Walk - geograph.org.uk - 79277.jpg, Church Walk

References

External links

Map and statistics for Bilton wardBilton Evangelical ChurchBilton C.of E. Junior SchoolBilton Archives - Our Warwickshire
{{authority control Areas of Rugby, Warwickshire Former civil parishes in Warwickshire