Woodborough’s Heritage

Woodborough, a Sherwood Forest Village, recorded in Domesday



Kelly’s Directory 1922

Woodborough is a parish and large straggling village, 3½ miles north-west from Lowdham station on the Nottingham and Lincoln line of the Midland railway and 7½ north-north-east from Nottingham, in the Broxtowe division of the county, wapentake of Thurgarton. Basford union, Nottingham petty sessional division and county court district, rural deanery of Gedling, archdeaconry of Nottingham and diocese of Southwell. The church of St Swithun is an edifice of stone, consisting of chancel, nave, aisles, south porch and low embattled western tower with four pinnacles and containing 4 bells dating from 1612 to 1680, and clock: there are remains of a good Norman doorway: the chancel is Decorated and the 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 1891-97, at a cost of £2,600 and affords 200 sittings: the churchyard is now closed. The registers date—1547 for baptisms, 1573 for marriages and 1572 for burials, and are in good condition. The living is a vicarage, net yearly value £300 and residences in the gift of the in the gift of the  Bishop of Manchester, and held since 1919 by the Rev’d Myles Atkinson M.A., (vicar) of St. John’s College, Cambridge. The Baptist Chapel, built in 1832, has 200 sittings, and there are Primitive Methodist and Wesleyan chapels. A cemetery of one acre was formed in 1879, at a cost of £300, and has since been enlarged; it has a lych gate but no chapel. The poor have £2 yearly. The people are employed in framework knitting.


Woodborough was a Roman settlement. Woodborough Hall, the seat of Charles Hose Hill J.P. is a very ancient mansion standing on a pleasant lawn at the extreme end of the village. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners are lords of the manor. The principal landowners are Mrs Benson, Lady Charnwood, F.E. Seely, T.D., D.L., J.P. and Charles Hose Hill J.P. The soil is clay and sand; subsoil, clay and sand. The chief crops are wheat, barley, oats, beans and peas, plums and strawberries are also largely grown. The area is 1945 acres; rateable value, is £4085 population was in 1911, 698. Woodborough Dumble is 3½ miles west.


Parish Clerk, James Whitworth.

Post and Telephone Call Office—James Foster. Postmaster. Letters arrive through Nottingham. Epperstone, 1½ miles distant, is the nearest M.O. & T telegraph office.


Public Elementary School built in 1878 for £1600, for 189 children; the school has an income of £74 yearly, left by the Rev’d M. Wood in trust for a house for the master; Archer W. Saunders Headmaster.


Atkinson Rev’d. Myles M.A., Vicarage

Hill Charles Hose J.P. Woodborough Hall

Shipside Thomas. The Yews.


Commercial (Marked thus * farms 150 acres or over)

Alvey Joseph - Boot repairer.

Baggaley Tom - Farmer.

Ball John Thomas - Grocer.

Bish Herbert - Farmer.

Bruce Mary (Mrs) - Grocer.

Burton Albert Edward - Market Gardener.

Cemetery (Joseph Clayton - Clerk)

Cook Joseph - Market Gardener.

Co-operative Stores.

Desborough Samuel - Bag Hosier.

Dring Ann (Mrs) - Farmer.

Dunthorne Arthur - Farmer.

Dunthorne James - Farmer.

Foster Arthur - Market Gardener

*Foster Charles Ernest - Farmer

Foster James - Market Gardener & Post Office.

Hallam John - Farmer.

Hallam Wallace - Farmer.

Hogg William - Joiner.

Kelk John - Farmer.

Leafe John - Carrier.

Leafe Joseph Richard - Beer Retailer.

Marriott Harriet (Miss) - Shopkeeper.

Marshall William - New Inn.

Mellows Thomas Robert - Baker.

Middup William - Farmer.

Morley John - Cow keeper.

Nurcombe Thomas Arthur - Joiner.

Poole Arthur - Farmer - Bank Farm.

*Poole John - Farmer.

Richardson William - Market Gardener.

Rowe Samuel - Market Gardener.

Sears John - Nags Head Public House.

Spencer David - Market Gardener & Assistant Overseer.

*Stanfield Samuel - Farmer.

Stevenson James - Farmer.

Stocks Walter -. Farmer.

Taylor George - Newsagent.

Taylor William - Farmer.

Taylor William - Four Bells Public House.

Turtle John - Farmer.

Ward Herbert - Market Gardener.


Carrier to Nottingham—John Leafe, Wednesdays and Saturdays


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