Littleton, Spelthorne
Littleton | ||
---|---|---|
Shire county | ||
Region | ||
Country | England | |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom | |
Post town | Shepperton | |
Postcode district | TW17 | |
Dialling code | 01932 | |
Police | Surrey | |
Fire | Surrey | |
Ambulance | South East Coast | |
UK Parliament | ||
Littleton is a
The village is separated from
History
Early recorded history
Court rolls such as
In 1341 the parish was
Ownership of the manorial land
- Littleton Manor
Littleton is first mentioned by name and it was mentioned as such as a manor in 1165–67, when it was held as one
- Astlam Manor
First mention is in 1600, when Katharine Ryse, widow, conveyed the manor to Francis Townley. Nicholas Townley held it in 1650-1 but sold it in 1660 to the Wood family. An extent of that year reveals a brick-built manor house, outhouses, barns, stables, dovehouse, mill-houses, orchards, gardens and tenants' private back lots.[3]
- Other land
Other land, in particular, tenements belonged to early
- Ownership of the rectory
The
19th century to date
In 1848, based on the most recent census there were 111 inhabitants who mostly farmed its 1,060 acres (430 ha) of arable and pasture land, much of which, as "a light gravel", was brought into cultivation "comparatively recently"; the surface was flat, and the lands bordering on the river Thames still subject to partial flooding – this was in 1935 by building the
Church charities operated in 1911, endowed historically by:
- Mrs Elizabeth Wood
- Robert Wood, LL.D. (1737)
- The estate of Lieutenant-General David Wood (1872)
- Rev. Thomas Harwood, DD, rector (1731)
- Thomas Wood and Thomas Wood, junior
- Edward Elton
- Rev. Henry Allen, DD, rector[3]
Littleton House, destroyed, was built for Thomas Wood, ranger of
Littleton was in 1860 a parish of inverse shape to Shepperton (which held in all but Shepperton Green close to the Thames), by forming roughly an inverse triangle. Its main area was where the reservoir is north of a narrow strip which tapered down to Chertsey Bridge on the River Thames.
Littleton contributed most of the 707 acres (286 ha) covered by Queen Mary Reservoir, the construction of which began in 1931.[6]
In 1911 the historian
"The village is one of the least spoilt in the county. It is built almost entirely of red brick, and presents a cheerful and peaceful aspect as it clusters about the church. There has never been either public house or shop in the parish, and the only trade represented is that of the blacksmith. ... There are 1138 acres in the parish, of which 325 acres are arable, 524 acres are permanent grass, and 270 acres are woodland, and 19 acres are water. (fn. 8) The population is principally dependent on agriculture. The soil is sandy loam, and the subsoil gravel. The chief crops are wheat, barley, clover, mangold-wurzel, peas, and beans."[3]
Littleton saw three radical changes in the middle of 20th century: agriculture being limited to two farms (one run from beyond the village boundary), the surrender of most of its land to build the reservoir, and the construction of more homes. The village is for most purposes a residential, somewhat inseparable, very green-buffered part of Shepperton.
Landmarks
Shepperton Studios covers most of the west of Littleton, and has used some of the River Ash and adjoining woodland in certain feature films.
Littleton Manor was home to the Wood family:
Astleham Manor Cottage in large grounds survives by the Ash with remaining woodland to its north. It is a Grade II listed building.[8]
Parish church
The Church of England parish church of St Mary Magdalene is now part of a united benefice with the parish of St Nicholas, Shepperton.[9]
The building is Grade I listed. The chancel and south aisle are 13th-century, on 12th-century foundations. The north aisle is 14th-century. In the 16th century the west tower and nave clerestory were built. In the tower are three bells cast in 1666 by William I Eldridge, who had bell-foundries at Wokingham and Chertsey.[10] Early in the 18th century the fourth stage of the tower was added. On the north side of the chancel are two vestries: the first added in 1705 and the second about 1730.[11]
Fittings include 15th-century choir stalls with cusped ogee arches and panelling in the spandrels said to have come from Winchester, a complete set of late medieval pews, restored, and very restored rood screen of circa 1500, fine Flemish altar rails with C-scroll carving on the newels, very deep rich carving depicting the 10 commandments and eagles in chancel of circa 1700, an early Georgian wooden pulpit with arcaded tracery and small narrow high window into the south-east angle between nave and chancel to provide light, an Octagonal stone font with elaborate quatrefoil pierced and crocketed font cover of ogee domed section above, on a square pier, a hatchment on North tower wall.[11]
In the nave there used to be a set of six Italian Trecento pilaster panel paintings, painted in about 1365–70 and attributed to Jacopo di Cione and his workshop.[11] Each depicts a different Christian figure: the evangelists John and Luke, the monks Anthony the Great and Peter Damian, and two members of the Camaldolese order: Beata Paola (died 1368) and Bruno Bonifacio.[12] How they came to be at the church is not known. They were first recorded early in the 19th century by the art collector William Young Ottley (1771–1836). Since about 2009 they have been on loan to the National Gallery.[13]
In the 1830s the Wood family had 24
Former chantry
Its
Demography and housing
Super Output area | Detached | Semi-detached | Terraced | Flats and apartments | Caravans/temporary/mobile homes | Shared between households[1] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Spelthorne 012B | 155 | 98 | 207 | 126 | 2 | 0 |
The average level of accommodation in the region composed of detached houses was 28%, the average that was apartments was 22.6%.
Super Output area | Population | Households | % Owned outright | % Owned with a loan | hectares[1] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Littleton and Charlton | 1,587 | 656 | 40.5 | 45.1 | 128 |
The proportion of households in the settlement who owned their home outright compares to the regional average of 35.1%. The proportion who owned their home with a loan compares to the regional average of 32.5%. The remaining % is made up of rented dwellings (plus a negligible % of households living rent-free).
The most relevant super output area is Spelthorne 012B. Land in and around the film studios, and slopes of the reservoir which still figure as the Littleton side of it, whether within the
Notes and references
- Notes
- References
- ^ wardeach which covers part of a neighbouring town or village. For example, Laleham is split between two wards. Retrieved 16 December 2013
- ^ Gridreferencefinder.com Distance measuring tools.
- ^ Page, William, ed. (1911). "Littleton". A History of the County of Middlesex. Victoria County History. Vol. II: General, Ashford, East Bedfont with Hatton, Feltham, Hampton with Hampton Wick, Hanworth, Laleham, Littleton. London: Constable and Company. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ^ Lewis, Samuel, ed. (1848). "Littleton St Mary M.". A Topographical Dictionary of England. London: Samuel Lewis and Company. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
- ^ OS Map with Listed Buildings and Parks marked Archived 24 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Reynolds, Susan, ed. (1962). "Shepperton: The hundred of Spelthorne (continued)". A History of the County of Middlesex. Victoria County History. Vol. III. London: Oxford University Press for the Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ^ Historic England. "Littleton Manor (Grade II*) (1029672)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ^ Historic England. "Astleham Manor Cottage (Grade II) (1188053)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- A Church Near You. Church of England.
- ^ Dovemaster (31 October 2012). "Bell Founders". Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers. Central Council of Church Bell Ringers. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
- ^ a b c Historic England. "Church of St Mary Magdalene (Grade I) (1377699)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ^ "The Littleton Pilaster Saints". National Gallery. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
- ^ a b Giles, Barbara (2012) [2002]. Saint Mary Magdalene Church Little Middlesex, A Simple Guide. Littleton: Parochial Church Council of St Mary Magdalene, Littleton.