Woodborough’s Heritage

Woodborough, a Sherwood Forest Village, recorded in Domesday

Kelly’s Directory 1900

Woodborough is a parish and large straggling village, 6½ miles north north-east of Nottingham and 3½ miles from Lowdham station on the Nottingham and Lincoln line of the Midland Railway, in the Rushcliffe division of the county, Wapentake of Thurgarton, Basford Union, Nottingham Petty Sessional division and County Court district, rural deanery of Gedling, arch-deaconry of Nottingham and diocese of Lincoln. The church of St Swithun is an edifice of stone consisting of chancel, nave, aisles with porch and a low embattled western tower with four pinnacles containing four bells, dating from 1612 to 1680 and a clock; there are remains of a good Norman doorway; the chancel is Decorated and tower of Perpendicular date, the nave and aisles being in a later and debased style. The chancel retains very fine sedilia, an aumbry on the north side and on either side of the communion table are stone brackets with figures of Edward III and his queen. Some remains of the oaken rood screen still exist and a few specimens of ancient stained glass, the east window is also stained. The font is Norman; the church plate includes a chalice and alms dish dated 1676 and a flagon of 1802. The church was restored during the period 1891-2 at a cost of £2600 and affords 200 sittings. The churchyard is now closed. A cemetery of 1 acre was opened in 1879 which has a lych gate but no chapel. Living is a vicarage, gross yearly value £250 with 55 acres of glebe and residence in the gift of the Bishop of Manchester and held since 1896 by the Rev’d Samuel Bond MA of Magdalene College, Cambridge. Baptists, Primitive Methodists and Wesleyan have each a chapel. Poor have £3 10s yearly. The people are employed in framework knitting. This was a Roman settlement. Woodborough Hall, seat of Charles Hose Hill Esq, JP is a very ancient mansion situated on a pleasant lawn at the extreme end of the village. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners are lords of the manor. Principle landowners are Roby Liddington Thorpe Esq. of Nottingham; Sir Charles Seely, bart., of Sherwood Lodge, Arnold; Charles Shaw Esq; Tom Potter Esq. of Daybrook; Francis Ley Esq. of Epperstone; W.L. Huskisson Esq. of Epperstone and William Bradshaw Esq. of Nottingham. Soil is clay and sand, sub-soil clay and sand. Chief crops are wheat, barley, oats, beans and peas. Area is 1944 acres. Rateable value £3891. Population in 1891 was 768. Woodborough Dumble is 2½ miles west.

Parish Clerk – William Foster

Post Office – John Foster sub-postmaster, letters arrive through Nottingham at 7.35 a.m. despatched at 6.10 p.m.

Postal orders are issued from here but not paid. The nearest money order and telegraph office is at Calverton, 2 miles distant.

Endowed School, built in 1878 at a cost of £1600 for 200 children, average attendance 130.

The school has an income of £74 yearly left by Rev’d M. Wood in 1706 and a house for the master. George Biggs master, Miss C. Holmes mistress.

Carriers to Nottingham, John Leafe and John North, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Bond, Rev’d Samuel, BA - Vicarage

Cauldwell, Mrs - Thorneywood

Hill, Charles Hose JP - Woodborough Hall

Henry, Mrs   

Commercial

Alvey, Joseph - Boot repairer

Bish, Herbert - Bag hosier

Bish, John - Market gardener

Blagg, John Aldred - Farmer & cattle dealer

Bradley, Selina Miss - Manageress

Burnett, Arthur Mrs - Stud Farm

Burton, John E. - Market gardener

Clayton, Joseph - Clerk to the cemetery

Co-operative Stores Limited

Dixon, Arthur H - Grocer

Donnelly, Mark - Framesmith

Dring, George - Farmer

Dring, Henry - Bag hosier

Dring, James - Bag hosier

Dunthorne, James - Farmer

Footitt, George - Market gardener

Foster, Arthur - Market gardener

Foster, Charles Ernest - Shopkeeper & P.O.

Griffiths, Lydia Mrs - Four Bells Public House

Hallam, Henry - Farmer

Hallam, William - Smith

Hogg, Charles - Market gardener

Hogg, William - Joiner

Kelk, John - Farmer

Kelk, John Robinson - Cow keeper

Leafe, John - Carrier

Leafe, Joseph Richard - Beer retailer

Lovitt, Thomas - Farmer

Marriott, Joseph - Shopkeeper

Marshall, William, New Inn & Market gardener

Mellows, Thomas Robert - Baker

North, John - Coal dealer and carrier

Nurcombe, Thomas Arthur - Joiner & wheelwright

Patching, William - Bricklayer

Pollard, John - Tailor

Poole, John - Farmer

Poole, John P - Farmer, Bank Farm.

Richardson Ann Mrs - Shopkeeper

Richardson, Bish - Grocer & Market gardener

Richardson, William - Market gardener

Ridgard, William Henry - Newsagent

Robinson, Edward - Bag hosier

Roe, John - Market gardener

Sears, John - Nags Head Public House

Slaney, Frank - Farmer

Southern, William - Market gardener

Stevenson, James - Farmer

Tomlinson, Martha Mrs - Butcher

Turtle, John - Farmer

Ward, Elizabeth Mrs - Wheelwright

Ward, Herbert - Farmer

White, Frederick Herbert - Butcher

White, John - Market gardener