West Kington
West Kington is a village in the civil parish of Nettleton, in Wiltshire, England. The village lies in the steeply wooded valley of the Broadmead Brook, a source of the Bybrook River, and is close to the county boundary with Gloucestershire. It is 6 miles (10 km) southeast of the Gloucestershire market town of Chipping Sodbury. In 1931 the parish had a population of 225.[1] On 1 April 1934 the parish was abolished and merged with Nettleton.[2] The hamlet of West Kington Wick is 0.6 miles (0.97 km) southeast of the village at grid reference ST 8163 7665.
| West Kington | |
|---|---|
St Mary the Virgin parish church | |
West Kington Location within Wiltshire | |
| OS grid reference | ST809778 |
| Civil parish | |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Chippenham |
| Postcode district | SN14 |
| Dialling code | 01249 |
| Police | Wiltshire |
| Fire | Dorset and Wiltshire |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
| 51°29′39″N 2°16′34″W / 51.4941°N 2.2762°W | |
Buildings edit
The Church of England parish church of St Mary the Virgin has a 13th and 15th century west tower.[3] The rest of the church was rebuilt in 1856 to designs by the architect S.B. Gabriel of Bristol.[3] It is Grade II* listed.[4]
The farmhouse called Latimer Manor dates from the 16th century and is also Grade II* listed.[5] It is believed to be named after Hugh Latimer, who had the living of West Kington in the early 16th century.
Notable people edit
Hugh Latimer, later Bishop of Worcester, was vicar of West Kington church from 1531, prior to the controversy in the reformation which led to his martyrdom in Oxford.[6]
Television producer Dilys Breese retired to the village and is buried there.[7]
In popular culture edit
The music video for the song "The Safety Dance" by the Canadian band Men Without Hats was filmed in West Kington in the summer of 1982.[8]
References edit
- ^ "Population statistics West Kington AP/CP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- ^ "Relationships and changes West Kington AP/CP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- ^ a b Pevsner, Nikolaus; Cherry, Bridget (revision) (1975). Wiltshire. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. p. 564. ISBN 0-14-0710-26-4.
- ^ Historic England. "Church of St Mary, West Kington, Nettleton (1022974)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
- ^ Historic England. "Latimer Manor, West Kington (1183476)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
- ^ "Church of St. Mary the Virgin, West Kington". Wiltshire Community History. Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
- ^ Paine, Barry (17 October 2007). "Obituary: Dilys Breese". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
- ^ Men Without Hats - The Safety Dance - Music Video