Knockin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Knockin is a village and civil parish located on the B4396 in Shropshire, England. It lies in the borough of Oswestry. It comprises mainly historic detached buildings in a rural setting. Much of Knockin was owned by the Earl of Bradford until it was sold off in lots to meet other financial demands. The Earl still owns the cricket pitch and other small pockets of land in the area. The local public house is called the Bradford Arms and displays the Bradford family coat of arms. The pub also has an impressive clock with three faces, hung outside above the main entrance. The motto displayed on the sign is that of the Bridgeman Earls of Bradford "Nec temere nec timide" (Neither rashly nor timidly) indicating a policy of progress with prudence.
The parish church of St Mary at Knockin was founded by Ralph Le Strange between 1182 and 1195. It has a Norman chancel, nave and north aisle but the building was heavily restored in 1847. Its graveyard was consecrated in 1817 and before then all burials took place at Kinnerley. The bricked-up doorway which can be seen in the chancel is because the building was once a chapel to an adjacent castle and the entrance recalls the time when the priest entered from the fortress side.
All that remains of Knockin Castle today is a large tree-covered mound of earth. It was a moated site between two knolls and may have been built by Henry II in the 12th century. A little while after his death it passed into the hands of John le Strange, whose family were also responsible for building the church which stands close to the castle site. Like most Shropshire castles which are now only marked by grassy sites, its stones live on in a number of buildings in the area.
The village has a thriving village shop which is something of a rarity nowadays. It was once featured on television because of its sign "The Knockin Shop", but in reality, the 'o' in Knockin is pronounced the same as the 'o' in London making it more Knuckin than Knockin.
Knockin is also home to one of the radio telescopes that make up the Jodrell Bank MERLIN (Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network) radio telescope array linking six observing stations that together form a powerful telescope with an effective aperture of over 217 kilometres.
Knockin also has a modern medical centre.
Just on the outskirts of Knockin is Lower Heathwaen, home of Heathwaen Log-cabins and Fishery.
