Tilton on the Hill

Tilton on the Hill
Tilton on the Hill

 Tilton on the Hill shown within Leicestershire
Population 450 
OS grid reference SK 743 056
    - London 85.2 mi (137.1 km)  South
District Harborough
Shire county Leicestershire
Region East Midlands
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town LEICESTER
Postcode district LE7
Dialling code 0116
Police Leicestershire
Fire Leicestershire
Ambulance East Midlands
EU Parliament East Midlands
UK Parliament Rutland and Melton
List of places: UK • England • Leicestershire

Tilton on the Hill is a village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire. It lies 2 miles north of the A47, on the B6047 to Melton Mowbray. Halstead civil parish (grid reference SK750056) was merged with Tilton in 1935, while the deserted medieval village of Whatborough (SK772059) was merged in 1994. Marefield remains a separate civil parish, but is part of the Tilton Electoral Ward.[1] St. Peter's Tilton, the parish Church is in the parish of Halstead, as is the vicarage.

Tilton on the Hill is one of the highest places in East Leicestershire at 719 feet (219 m) above sea level, with the Mill House standing at the highest point. The centre of the village was designated a Conservation Area in 1975, with the boundaries updated in 1994 and 2005.[2]

In 2009, the village was named as the Best Village in Leicestershire in the Calor Village of the Year competition and also won Calor Sustainability Village of the Year for the Midlands.[3]

Contents

Services

The village has one public house called the Rose & Crown and one general store. The village is served by Kyriacou's Fish 'n' Chip van twice a week.[4]

The Village Hall stands near the centre of the village.[5]

The village's post office was replaced by an 'Outreach Service' in 2008, serving the village on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons.

Tilton railway station on the Great Northern Railway was closed in 1953. The railway cutting is a Geological Site of Special Scientific Interest and is owned and managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.

Churches

There are two churches in Tilton on the Hill: St. Peter's Tilton on the Hill (Church of England) and Halstead Methodist Chapel.

St. Peter's Church

The first known mention of a religious establishment in Tilton is a reference in the Domesday Book to a priest. Much of the current church dates to the 13th and 14th Century and is a landmark for miles around. In 1854 substantial restoration work was carried out, which led to the removal of the gallery at the west end of the church, as well as the medieval chancel screen.

St. Peter's contains the tombs of Sir Johan de Diggebye and his wife, dated 1269.[6] The tomb of Sir Everard Digby is dated 1509.

Halstead Methodist Chapel

Halstead Methodist Chapel, a Wesleyan chapel, was built in 1813 on land let on a 99 year lease by T. Sikes esq.[7] for a nominal 3 peppercorn rent. The chapel was enlarged in 1834, again in 1862 and restored in the late 1980s. Confusingly, while the entrance to Halstead Methodist Chapel lies in Halstead, it is predominantly built on land in Tilton.

Scheduled Ancient Monuments

There are 5 Scheduled Ancient Monuments in Tilton on the Hill[8]:

S.A.M. Number   S.A.M. Description Grid reference
17014 Moated site at Tilton SK 7453 0519
105 Churchyard Cross SK 743 056
106 Mound 220yds north-west of church SK 742 058
186 Defended enclosure on Robin-a-Tiptoe Hill SK 773 042
17090 Whatborough deserted medieval village SK 7716 0593

St. Peter's Church is grade I listed, while a further 18 buildings are grade II listed[9]

References

  1. ^ Harborough District Council Wards retrieved 3 January 2009
  2. ^ Tilton Conservation Area: Proposed Boundary Changes: 2005 Harborough District Council
  3. ^ This is Leicestershire 28th September 2009
  4. ^ Kyriacou's Family Fish & Chip Van
  5. ^ Tilton Village Hall
  6. ^ St. Peter's Church guide
  7. ^ *History, Gazetteer and Directory of the Counties of Leicestershire and Rutland, William White . Published 1863
  8. ^ Harborough Scheduled Ancient Monuments, Appendix C
  9. ^ Heritage Gateway Listed Buildings online

External links