Pickworth, Rutland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The village of Pickworth in the county of Rutland is a small hamlet in a region characterised by Rutland County Council as the Clay Woodlands of the Rutland Plateau (a Jurassic Limestone Plateau).
In the 13th century Pickworth was quite a substantial village, but by the end of the 14th century was almost non-existent. It now comprises a small church, a disused Methodist chapel, a few large houses and a couple of rows of terraced and council houses, with a population of maybe 50.
At the southern boundary of the village is a crossroads leading to Great Casterton about 3 miles to the south, the A1 road at Tickencote Warren to the West, Castle Bytham to the North and an unmaintained dirt track to Ryhall Heath to the East.
The current church, All Saints, was built in 1821 and lies to the West of the village. Maps previously showed the spire of the demolished church under the name Mockbeggar to the west of the current village site.
The remains of the old medieval village lie mainly to the West of the current village center in an area referred to as Top Pickworth. The only visible remains, other than earthworks, is a stone arch.
Also just to the West of the village lies the remains of a lime kiln. In 1817 this was the workplace of local poet John Clare. About two miles South-East is Walk Farm, formerly known as Walkherd Lodge, which was the home of Martha "Patty" Turner, who became John Clare's wife. Both the lime kiln and Walk Farm featured in a television documentary that was made about the poet in the late 1960s.
About two miles to the West of the village is the site of the battle of Lose-coat Field in 1470. It has been claimed that the village was de-populated as a result of the fighting.
