Colsterworth Village History
Early Settlement
Colsterworth is a village of a great road and a small river. The Romans built Ermine Street
from London (Londinium) to Lincoln, and then on to York (Eboracum) keeping mainly to
the tops of the low limestone hills. Its path north of the village, known as the Highdyke was
relatively high and dry and few native villages arose there. The earlier Jurassic Way ran
parallel to Ermine Street and the many springs encouraged the rise of native settlements
on the western escarpment. Similarly Mareham Lane ran south to north along the eastern
escarpment.
The infant river Witham however cut a valley in the hills and wandered northwest down to
Grantham and on to Lincoln and Boston. There are springs in this valley and early
settlement is indicated by evidence of flint working Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age.
The later Iron Age was surpassed by the Romans who continued to exploit the ironstone
outcrops at Colsterworth as they also did at Corby (Glen) and Castle Bytham. As well as
the Villa on the Witham, sherds of Roman pottery can still be found on the ploughland and
"cowscrapes". In theory, there is still a Roman "Restfort" to be found near Colsterworth.
There was also a lesser east-west road where migrants from the fens crossed the valley
into the midlands. Before Colsterworth there was Twyford - the two bridges/fords crossed
westward over the Witham and the settlement appears to have originated in early AngloSaxon times.
Colsterworth arose from the families of charcoal burners, no doubt associated with
ironstone working - the early beginnings which led to major development of open cast and
underground workings in the 20th century.
Doomsday Book
The first written account of the early village at the time of the Norman Conquest. William
distributed lands to his lords as "tenants-in-chief", and some late reverted to the king or
queen. The Doomsday records give an insight into village size. The Colsterworth area had
three main landlords, the village being held by the "Queens Thane". Twyford was held by
William's niece Judith and the Saxon Archbishop of York (who also held "Uifs Torp" (farm)
_ Woolsthorpe. The three manors formed one Parish around the Church, which has early
Saxon origins.
Twyford, in 1087, was bigger than Colsterworth (without Woolsthorpe) and Bourne Road
formed the boundary. The road to Buckminster proceeded via North Witham and
Sewstern.
The early Medieval Period was one of decline - the Diocese Return in the 16th century
does not mention Twyford families. The area may have retained some connection with
Stamford when controlled by the Rutland Manners family around 1800. Various 19th
century Directories and the 1805 Enclosure still gave reference to Twyford.
Colsterworth
After the death of the "Queen's Thane" the lands reverted to Queen Matilda who had
Robell de Tankerville as her Chamberlain in Grantham. He gave to William Prior of St
Barbara (St Bailia) the manor of Beckford and "lands in Colsterworth". After Rebell's
departure the small priory of St Bailia at Colsterworth (below the church) remained owning
the manor "lordship" for some 300 years until suppressed by Henry V in 1414. An old
Turnor estate map shows the location of the Priory near the Witham, but not its size outlines of the fishponds still exist.
After the Suppression, the lands passed to the Duke of York and subsequently to the
Yorkist Kings. For many years the area suffered from the ravages of various warring
factions. Colsterworth revenues were used for the priests College at Fotheringhay.
In 1460 the Lancastrian Margaret of Anjou sacked Grantham and Stamford and probably
Colsterworth en route. After the War of the Roses the Tudor kings maintained
Fotheringhay until the Reformation when it was suppressed. The "manor" was acquired by
the Marquis of Northampton but it was given later by Queen Elizabeth I to Lord William
Cecil who no doubt used Colsterworth revenue in building Burghley House at Stamford.
After the Civil War having been seized by Parliamentarian Robert Elston it was retained by
him at the Restoration.
Woolsthorpe
At the time of Doomsday it was part of the Colsterworth manor but became independent
by the 13th century. In 1320 William Mortimer held Woolsthorpe "from the King for half a
Knight's Fee", but from then onwards it passed through the hands of the Sleafords and
Piggotts and Richard Thinielby of Irnham who sold it to Gilbert Bury of Ashwell in 1562. At
the Enclosure in 1805-08 Colsterworth and Woolsthorpe were in the Soke of Grantham
but Twyford was not. The Soke was abolished in 1835 and the two "manors" were
administered by JPs.
The national fame of Colsterworth is that Isaac Newton was born and reared at
Woolsthorpe - much has been written elsewhere on this subject. After Sir Isaac Newton's
death the manor passed to his heir John Newton. In 1733 it was bought by Sir Edmund
Turnor and added to the Stoke Rochford estate.
Colsterworth manor passed by marriage to the Storey family and many properties were
held by the Cholmondeleys of Easton. Most of Twyford remained owned by the Manners
family.
This time was the beginning of a more prosperous age for Colsterworth. The Grantham to
Stamford Turnpike was opened in 1752 followed four years later by the Bourne Turnpike
road which linked the Great North Road turnpike to the Lincoln to Peterborough road.
Colsterworth became a Post town and trading centre which reached its peak of prosperity
by 1856. White's Directory records a Police Officer, collector, carrier's cart, letter carriers,
a Relieving Officer, Registrar and Parish Clerk. Artisans listed, a farrier, watchmaker,
braizier and turner, fellmonger, gardeners, 2 surveyors, a worsted maker, 2 maltsters, 4
stonemasons, a brickmaker, woodman, dressmaker, painter, plumber glazier, 3 saddlers,
a hairdresser, cattle dealer, timber and coal merchants, 6 bakers, 5 blacksmiths, 8
cordwainers, 5 butchers, 11 grocers, 7 tailor/drapers. There were 3 surgeons and 5
schools (the National School had been established by the Turnor family in 1824). The
resident clergyman was the Reverend Matthew Sharpe in the Rectory although the living
was held (in 1841) by Rev Thomas Mirehouse Prebendary of South Grantham in
Salisbury Cathedral. He passed it to his brother W J Mirehouse who resided at Scraptoft
and also held Eaton in Gordano, Stapledon Fishpond and Harlaxton at various times.
At this time 23 "farmers" were recorded - some possibly no more than labourers. The
great "expansion" of Colsterworth was due to Stage Coach traffic using 7 inns and 6
beerhouses. There were three mail deliveries - two from Stamford and the south, and one
from Grantham and the north (8pm despatched next morning).
The average churches' attendance in 1851 was Parish Church 200 and Weslyan 200 - this
latter figure was affected by attendance at Dunkirk Reformed church (120) and
Woolsthorpe Primitive (37) in a private house. The village population at the 1851 census
was 1174 and the church/chapel attendance as 400 adults and 200 children.
The Grantham to Nottingham canal was completed in 1793 and after the Stoke railway
tunnel was completed in 1852 the turnpike traffic declined. The population fell from 1345
to 764 (in 1921). Many farm workers moved to the new industrial towns. The revival of the
village came with the motor car when the A1 road replaced The Great North Road and the
commencement of opencast ironstone mining about 1900. The Stanton Iron Company
mechanised the area about 1920 near Stainby, and Appelby Frodingham opened up
Colsterworth. Stewart and Lloyds absorbed Appelby Frodingham before they were all
nationalised into British Steel. After the scarred landscape was restored from 1952
onwards, the mines all closed in 1973/4.
For several years the mines railway to Stoke carried the "Flying Scotsman" and other
engines from Stapleford to the main railways north and south. The mine's Sports Club is
still used by the village and the underground mines at Easton Highdyke are now part of
Christian Salvesen etc potato food makers.
The village church was extensively renovated by the Mirehouse family in 1896/7. Further
details of Church History are contained elsewhere on the website.
Acknowledgements for much of the Colsterworth history must be made to Professor Baird
and reverend Mirehouse.
A W Adams
3 January 2003