BARROWBY: South Kesteven #60 of 83

BARROWBY – Village on a Hill Returning to South Kesteven this weekend, next up we have Barrowby. This sits on a high ridge about two miles west of Grantham, looking out across the Vale of Belvoir towards Belvoir Castle and, on a clear day, even Lincoln Cathedral on the horizon The name Barrowby first appears in written form in the Domesday Book as “Bergebi”. Linguists link it to Old Norse “berg” and Old Danish “by”, meaning a farmstead or village on the hill. The name fits its setting perfectly, perched as it is, above the surrounding landscape like a lookout. Archaeological finds tell us people were here long before written records. Prehistoric flints, arrowheads and pottery have been discovered, along with Iron Age and Romano‑British material, By late Anglo‑Saxon times, Barrowby had begun to take shape as a more permanent place. Barrowby had a sizeable manor held by Robert Malet, with a church, a priest, a watermill and 60 acres of meadow. Nearby Casthorpe also appears as a settlement, although that’s much reduced in size now as we’ll see in this episode A medieval manor house once stood where Barrowby Old Hall stands today, partly ringed by the earthworks of its former moat. By the nineteenth century, the Duke of Devonshire owned about half the parish, while Sir J. C. Thorold held roughly a quarter The landmark that best defines Barrowby today is All Saints Church, a Grade I listed building rising above the rooftops. Its tower is a familiar sight from miles around. The church has long been the spiritual anchor here, where the wind moves through old yews in its grounds ---- Barrowby is known best for that church, sure, but the Old Hall site with its moat traces, and the remains of medieval ridge‑and‑furrow fields is just as important. Further out, but within the parish lie the deserted medieval village of Casthorpe and the site of Newbo Abbey People here have mostly been farmers, labourers and tradesfolk linked to nearby Grantham. Rectors of All Saints, local landowners like the Devonshire and Thorold families, and those who worked their estates, all left their mark. Written folklore for Barrowby is surprisingly thin. Instead, the landscape itself does much of the storytelling. During the Second World War though, the area witnessed an air crash involving a German aircraft So to sum up, Barrowby is a hilltop village with deep roots. It has a Norse name, prehistoric finds, a Domesday manor, the site of a medieval abbey nearby a fine church at its heart. With the wide Lincolnshire landscape always just over the garden wall, this is a great place to explore **** #Barrowby, #Grantham, #Lincolnshire, #SouthKesteven, #Churches, #Halls, #Windmills, #Shops, #Houses, #Greens, #Football, #Scouts, #Allotments, **** Some of the following music tracks may appear in this video: Brendan Perkins - “Foxsnow” (B. Perkins)    • Foxsnow   Brendan Perkins - “Mickey's House” (B. Perkins)    • Mickey's House   The Keyhouse - "Voices" (H. Flunder)    • Voices   The Keyhouse - "Circles" (H. Flunder)    • The Keyhouse - Circles (official audio)   Helen Flunder - "Sun" (H. Flunder)    • Helen Flunder - 'Sun' (Official Audio)   Helen Flunder - “Angels” (H. Flunder)    • Helen Flunder - Angels (Official Audio)   Helen Flunder - “C Song” (H. Flunder)    • Caistor and the Lincolnshire Wolds   Ending Song made by Suno AI I have me a Facebook page too!   / the-village-idiot-226069228730989   And now an INSTAGRAM - @andythevillageidiot Come and join The Village People! (Subscribers only!)   / 1037756120085304   Please consider buying me a coffee to support the channel! The more I get the faster I'll get to your parish! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thevilla... Join this channel to get access to perks:    / @thevillageidiot