West Kington Explained

Official Name:West Kington
Static Image Name:Church of S. Mary the Virgin, West Kington - geograph.org.uk - 123847.jpg
Static Image Caption:St Mary the Virgin parish church
Coordinates:51.4941°N -2.2762°W
Os Grid Reference:ST809778
Civil Parish:Nettleton
Unitary England:Wiltshire
Lieutenancy England:Wiltshire
Region:South West England
Country:England
Constituency Westminster:North Wiltshire
Post Town:Chippenham
Postcode District:SN14
Postcode Area:SN
Dial Code:01249

West Kington is a village in the civil parish of Nettleton, in Wiltshire, England. The village lies in the steeply wooded valley of the Broadmead Brook, a source of the Bybrook River, and is close to the county boundary with Gloucestershire. It is 6miles southeast of the Gloucestershire market town of Chipping Sodbury. In 1931 the parish had a population of 225.[1] On 1 April 1934 the parish was abolished and merged with Nettleton.[2] The hamlet of West Kington Wick is 0.6miles southeast of the village at .

Buildings

The Church of England parish church of St Mary the Virgin has a 13th and 15th century west tower.[3] The rest of the church was rebuilt in 1856 to designs by the architect S.B. Gabriel of Bristol.[3] It is Grade II* listed.

The farmhouse called Latimer Manor dates from the 16th century and is also Grade II* listed. It is believed to be named after Hugh Latimer, who had the living of West Kington in the early 16th century.

Notable people

Hugh Latimer, later Bishop of Worcester, was vicar of West Kington church from 1531, prior to the controversy in the reformation which led to his martyrdom in Oxford.[4]

Television producer Dilys Breese retired to the village and is buried there.[5]

In popular culture

The music video for the song "The Safety Dance" by the Canadian band Men Without Hats was filmed in West Kington in the summer of 1982.[6]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Population statistics West Kington AP/CP through time. A Vision of Britain through Time. 6 December 2023.
  2. Web site: Relationships and changes West Kington AP/CP through time. A Vision of Britain through Time. 6 December 2023.
  3. Book: Pevsner . Nikolaus . Nikolaus Pevsner . Cherry . Bridget (revision) . 1975 . Wiltshire . . Harmondsworth . . 0-14-0710-26-4 . 564.
  4. Web site: Church of St. Mary the Virgin, West Kington. Wiltshire Community History. Wiltshire Council. 3 September 2017.
  5. News: Obituary: Dilys Breese . Paine . Barry . 17 October 2007 . . 15 January 2011.
  6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjPau5QYtYs Men Without Hats - The Safety Dance - Music Video