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Sutton Cheney
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{{Short description|Village in Leicestershire, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}} {{Use British English|date=July 2015}} {{Infobox UK place |country = England |official_name= Sutton Cheney |coordinates = {{coord|52.599423|-1.386251|display=inline,title}} |map_type= Leicestershire | population = 538 | population_ref = ([[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011]]) |civil_parish = [[Dadlington and Sutton Cheney]] |shire_district= [[Hinckley and Bosworth]] |shire_county= [[Leicestershire]] |region= East Midlands |constituency_westminster= [[Hinckley and Bosworth (UK Parliament constituency)|Hinckley and Bosworth]] |post_town= NUNEATON |postcode_district = CV13 |postcode_area= CV |dial_code= 01455 |os_grid_reference= SK418006 |static_image_name= Listed_buildings_in_the_centre_of_Sutton_Cheney.jpg |static_image_caption= Main Street, Sutton Cheney }} '''Sutton Cheney''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|ʌ|t|ən|_|ˈ|tʃ|iː|n|i}} {{respell|SUT|ən|_|CHEE|nee}}) is a village and former [[civil parish]], now in the parish of [[Dadlington and Sutton Cheney]], in the borough of [[Hinckley and Bosworth]], in the county of [[Leicestershire]], England, near the county border with [[Warwickshire]].<ref name="EX240">OS Explorer Map 232 : Nuneaton & Tamworth: (1:25 000) :{{ISBN|0 319 46404 0}}</ref> In addition to the village of Sutton Cheney itself, the civil parish also contains the villages of [[Dadlington]] and [[Shenton]], a number of farms, and the location of the [[Battle of Bosworth]]. Its closest large towns are [[Nuneaton]] and [[Hinckley]]. Its closest market town is [[Market Bosworth]]. The village of Sutton Cheney is clustered around the intersection of four roads: Ambion Lane leading westwards to the village of [[Shenton]]; Bosworth Road leading northwest to the neighbouring town of [[Market Bosworth]]; Main Street leading northeast to the villages of [[Cadeby, Leicestershire|Cadeby]] or [[Stapleton, Leicestershire|Stapleton]]; and Wharf Lane leading southwest to Sutton Cheney Wharf on the [[Ashby-de-la-Zouch Canal]]. The civil parish of Dadlington and Sutton Cheney is bordered by the civil parishes of [[Market Bosworth]] to the north; [[Cadeby, Leicestershire|Cadeby]] to the northeast; [[Peckleton]] to the east; [[Barwell]], [[Stoke Golding]], and [[Higham on the Hill]] to the south; and [[Sheepy]] to the west. Its population at the 2021 census was 490, down from 538 in 2011 and from 545 in 2001.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11129320&c=Sutton+Cheney&d=16&e=62&g=6444774&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1466444363926&enc=1|title=Civil Parish population 2011|access-date=20 June 2016|publisher=Office for National Statistics|work=Neighbourhood Statistics}}</ref> == History == The area was settled in both [[Bronze Age]] and [[Roman Britain|Roman]] times but the earliest written mention of the village of Sutton Cheney is in the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086 when it was named Sutone. It was mostly owned by [[Crowland Abbey]] with a minor holding in the hands of [[Hugh de Grandmesnil]], a companion of [[William the Conqueror]]. At that time it was recorded as having four households.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://opendomesday.org/place/SK4100/sutton-cheney/|title=Sutton [Cheney] {{!}} Domesday Book|website=opendomesday.org|access-date=2019-11-01}}</ref> The manor took the name 'Sutton Chainell' during the thirteenth century on account of a rich farmer named Chainell who held the village as a tenant of [[Crowland Abbey]] but the name appears variously as Sutton, Sutton juxta Bosworth, Sutton Chenyie, and Sutton Cheynell in deeds and other official registers between the fourteenth and eighteenth centuries.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=The history and antiquities of the county of Leicester : Vol. 4, Part 2.|last=Nichols|first=John|year=1811|location=Leicester|pages=543}}</ref> The army of [[Richard III of England|Richard III]] made camp in the village on 21 August 1485, the night before the [[Battle of Bosworth Field]], and the battle itself took place within the civil parish, near to [[Dadlington]]. Richard died in the battle, which was the last battle of the [[Wars of the Roses]]. It ended the [[Middle Ages]] in England and ushered in the [[Tudor period]]. In 1564 there were 25 families living in Sutton Cheynell and in 1630 the freeholders were Sir William Roberts, Richard May, William Drakeley and John Swinfen.<ref name=":0" /> Sir William Roberts endowed six [[Almshouse]]s for the village in 1612 and his tomb is still extant in the village church, with the inscriptions: 'Sir William Roberts was son of Thomas Roberts and married to his first wife Katherine, daughter of Richard Elkington, and to his second wife Elizabeth, daughter of Valentine Hartopp; but by neither had issue. He lived 79 years and died Feb 24 1633' and 'Here lyeth interred the body of Sir William Roberts, who in his life-time, being devoted both to hospitality and charity, among other memorable works erected, out of a pious mind, a hospital for six poor men adjoining the churchyard and endowed it with 30 pounds worth of land yearly for their maintenance for ever.'<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.leicestershirechurches.co.uk/sutton-cheney-church/|title=Sutton Cheney Church – St James {{!}} Leicestershire & Rutland Church Journal|website=www.leicestershirechurches.co.uk|access-date=2019-11-12}}</ref> Between the seventeenth and twentieth centuries, the village of Sutton Cheney was an [[estate village]], developed to suit the needs of a single farming family, with the Hall as their home. In addition to workers' cottages, a further range of buildings such as a blacksmith's, bakery, and post office provided the essentials of rural life, together with [[Almshouse]]s for poor single men. These have now all been converted to dwellings but the village retains its traditional character and is designated as a conservation area.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hinckley-bosworth.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/1297/appraisal_and_map_-_sutton_cheney.pdf|title=Sutton Cheney Conservation Area Appraisal|website=Hinckley and Bosworth Council|access-date=20 December 2019}}</ref> Today, the majority of the land and approximately half the dwellings are still in the ownership of the estate, with half the dwellings in private ownership.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/land-registry|title=Land Registry}}</ref> Sutton Cheney was formerly a [[chapelry]] in the parish of Market-Bosworth,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/place/11309|title=History of Sutton Cheney, in Hinckley and Bosworth and Leicestershire|publisher=[[A Vision of Britain through Time]]|accessdate=12 July 2023}}</ref> from 1866 Sutton Cheney was a civil parish in its own right, on 1 April 1935 the parishes of Dadlington and Shenton were merged with Sutton Cheney,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10391672|title=Relationships and changes Sutton Cheney Ch/CP through time|publisher=[[A Vision of Britain through Time]]|accessdate=12 July 2023}}</ref> the merged parish was named "Sutton Cheney" until 2023 when it was renamed "Dadlington and Sutton Cheney". In 1931 the parish of Sutton Cheney (prior to the merge) had a population of 207.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10391672/cube/TOT_POP|title=Population statistics Sutton Cheney Ch/CP through time|publisher=A Vision of Britain through Time|accessdate=12 July 2023}}</ref> == Battlefield Heritage Centre == Within the civil parish, on [[Ambion Hill]], is the [https://www.bosworthbattlefield.org.uk/ Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre and Country Park], maintained by Leicestershire County Council as a [[country park]] and learning centre to advance public knowledge about the [[Battle of Bosworth Field]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bosworthbattlefield.org.uk/|title=Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre|language=en|access-date=2019-11-03}}</ref> The battlefield entrance is opposite [https://www.ambionltd.co.uk/ Ambion Firewood & Contractors] The centre also contains the Tithe Barn restaurant and cafe, based in a reconstructed fourteenth century oak timbered barn, donated by the [[Derbyshire County Council]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.richardiii.net/richards_world.php|title=Richard III Society{{!}} RICHARD'S WORLD|website=www.richardiii.net|access-date=2019-11-04}}</ref> Other monuments within the centre include King Richard's Well, where [[Richard III of England|Richard III]] is reputed to have drunk before the battle and a cairn now stands as his monument,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-king-richards-well-bosworth-battlefield-visitor-centre-near-sutton-34767940.html|title=Stock Photo - King Richard's Well, Bosworth Battlefield Visitor Centre, near Sutton Cheney, Leicestershire, England|last=Limited|first=Alamy|website=Alamy|language=en|access-date=2019-11-03}}</ref> and a memorial sundial.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/64893|title=Battle Of Bosworth Field|website=Imperial War Museums|language=en|access-date=2019-11-04}}</ref> == Other attractions and amenities == [[File:Sutton_Cheney_Wharf_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1069350.jpg|thumb|Sutton Cheney Wharf]] [https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/places-to-visit/sutton-cheney Sutton Cheney Wharf] is situated within the civil parish on the [[Ashby-de-la-Zouch Canal]] and maintained by the [[Canal & River Trust]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/places-to-visit/sutton-cheney|title=Sutton Cheney {{!}} Canal & River Trust|website=canalrivertrust.org.uk|language=en|access-date=2019-11-03}}</ref> It gives access through Ambion Wood to the Battlefield Centre and there is also a cafe called [https://www.sutton-wharf.com/ Sutton Wharf] on the site.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sutton-wharf.com/|title=Home|website=www.sutton-wharf.com|language=en-gb|access-date=2019-11-03}}</ref> A heritage steam railway, the [[Battlefield Line Railway]], runs from [[Shenton railway station|Shenton station]], within the civil parish, to [[Shackerstone]]. It is operated by the [https://www.battlefieldline.co.uk/ Shackerstone Railway Society].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.battlefieldline.co.uk/|title=The Battlefield Line Railway, Leicestershire, Shenton railway station, Market Bosworth railway station, Shackerstone railway station.|website=www.battlefieldline.co.uk|access-date=2019-11-03}}</ref> [[File:Battlefield_Line_(9638804544).jpg|thumb|A signal box on the preserved Battlefield Line]] In the village of [[Shenton]] the old village hall is now an art gallery and cafe, the [https://www.facebook.com/whitedoveshenton/ White Dove Gallery], and a group of restored and listed farm buildings now operate as [https://whitemoors.co.uk/ Whitemoors Antique Centre and Tearooms]. The Leicestershire Round, a 200 mile walk around the county of [[Leicestershire]] runs through the civil parish and the village itself, linking it by footpath to the adjacent town and civil parish of [[Market Bosworth]] in a walk through farmland and [[Market Bosworth Country Park]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_publication.php?publication_id=14150|title=Leicestershire Round - LDWA Long Distance Paths Publication Details|website=www.ldwa.org.uk|access-date=2019-11-03}}</ref> == Notable buildings in the village == The village of Sutton Cheney has two [[Georgian era|Georgian]] [[coaching inn]]s. The [http://www.herculesrevived.co.uk/ Hercules Revived] (formerly The Hercules Inn),<ref>{{NHLE|num=1361303|desc=HERCULES INN AND HOUSE TO SOUTH WEST, Sutton Cheney |access-date=2019-11-04}}</ref> is named after the prizewinning horse Hercules owned by the Dixie family of [[Market Bosworth]] in the eighteenth century. It was renovated and restored in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.herculesrevived.co.uk/|title=Hercules Revived website|access-date=1 November 2019}}</ref> The [https://www.royalarms.co.uk/ Royal Arms] (formerly The Greyhound Inn) was re-opened in 2003 as a hotel, restaurant, and wedding venue. [[File:Church of St James, Sutton Cheney.jpg|thumb|Church of St James, Sutton Cheney]] St James' Church<ref>{{NHLE|num=1074245|desc=Church of St James|access-date=1 November 2019}}</ref> dates originally from the early 13th century with repairs and restorations in the centuries since, including the west tower built in brick in the nineteenth century. [[Richard III of England|Richard III]] reputedly heard his last [[Mass in the Catholic Church|Mass]] in the church the night before the [[Battle of Bosworth Field]]. The church is consequently known as "the Battlefield Church" and contains a plaque in remembrance of him.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.leicestershirechurches.co.uk/sutton-cheney-church/|title=Sutton Cheney Church – St James {{!}} Leicestershire & Rutland Church Journal|website=www.leicestershirechurches.co.uk|access-date=2019-11-04}}</ref> Many of the kneelers in the church were embroidered by members of the [http://www.richardiii.net/ Richard III Society] and on 22 March 2015, the funeral cortège of the King paused in Sutton Cheney en route to his burial in [[Leicester Cathedral]]. The six Almshouses founded by Sir William Roberts in 1612 and altered in 1811, as a plaque records, due to "the liberality of Rosamund Kinnersley" are now a private home, having been converted in the late twentieth century.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1074246|desc=THE ALMS HOUSE, Sutton Cheney |access-date=2019-11-04}}</ref> The Hall dates from 1601 with later additions and a Victorian wing.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1074243|desc=HALL FARMHOUSE, Sutton Cheney |access-date=2019-11-04}}</ref> Townshend Farmhouse dates from the early 19th century with an earlier core.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1361301|desc=TOWNSEND FARMHOUSE, Sutton Cheney |access-date=2019-11-04}}</ref> The village has been designated as a conservation area.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hinckley-bosworth.gov.uk/downloads/file/1297/appraisal_and_map|title=Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council download - Sutton Cheney Conservation Area {{!}} Planning and building control {{!}} Conservation {{!}} Conservation areas|last=Council|first=Hinckley & Bosworth Borough|website=www.hinckley-bosworth.gov.uk|language=en|access-date=2019-11-04}}</ref> == Notable residents and visitors == As well as [[Richard III of England|Richard III]], the parish also contained the campsite of [[Henry VII of England|Henry VII]], the victor of the [[Battle of Bosworth Field|Battle of Bosworth]], who was crowned King of England in the adjacent civil parish of [[Stoke Golding]]. The famous mathematician [[Thomas Simpson|Thomas Simpson FRS]] (1710-1761) of [[Market Bosworth]], [[Nuneaton]], and [[Woolwich]] is buried in the graveyard of St James' Church.<ref>'Simpson, Thomas (1710–61)' in The Continuum Encyclopedia of British Philosophy</ref> There is a Latin memorial plaque to him inside the Church to the left of the door. The village's vicar from 1960 until his death in 1986, the [[Edwin Boston|Rev. E. R. "Teddy" Boston]], was notable as a [[traction engine]] and [[light railway]] enthusiast and engineer who constructed the now-dismantled [[Cadeby Light Railway]]. He was immortalised in his friend [[Wilbert Awdry|Rev. Wilbert Awdry]]'s [[The Railway Series]] books (more commonly known as [[Thomas the Tank Engine|the Thomas the Tank Engine books]]) as "the Fat Clergyman". There is a plaque to him in the chancel of St James' Church. == References == {{Reflist}} {{Commons category|Sutton Cheney|position=left}} {{authority control}} [[Category:Villages in Leicestershire]] [[Category:Former civil parishes in Leicestershire]] [[Category:Hinckley and Bosworth]]
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