Carlton Guided Walk 20th July 2023
Visits: 4
Carlton Guided Walk
Over thirty members took part in a guided walk of Carlton, led by the most capable and knowledgeable Chris Peat. We learned all about many of the houses and buildings in Carlton which has three listed properties, Manor House Farm, Stone House Farm and of course St. Andrew’s Church. We started our walk west to Church Cottage which is regrettably under threat of demolition. It was once the bakery in Carlton but there were insufficient features within the cottage to enable it to be protected by a listing. We were shown the stone plinth which supported the walls, and it could be seen that the stones used were of different materials, odd sizes and rounded. This suggests they were not mined but collected from the fields to use as building materials. Higher-quality buildings used quarried stone laid in courses. We then crossed the road to Manor House Farm, the official listing makes interesting reading:” Partially limestone rubble though extended in brick, with plain tiled roofs. Two storeyed, gable onto street, but lower rear wing parallel to it, containing doorway in small lean-to. Main block of two units with 3-light casement and 4-light sash windows, with one bay to left added in brick. Lower section towards street with the doorway and 16-light sash window to first floor in gable. Partial cambered heads of blocked window openings visible. Rear wing has blocked window and 3-light casements to ground floor, 16 pane sash windows above. Gable and axial stacks.” The listing suggests it is 18th Century, but Chris believes it is at least 17th Century. As a portion is built of Carlton Stone with small stone window frames, I think it must be much earlier and agree with Chris. Similar properties in Market Bosworth date to the 16th Century. We moved onto the village green passing another property due for demolition, this time a lovely Victorian house. Such a shame that a house which has stood since 1886 is to be demolished. We passed a house where carpentry was done to the Malt Shovel which was the original village pub. There were two pubs in Carlton but this one had long since become a private residence.
On to the village green and the old schoolhouse. The schoolhouse was built in 1848 by the trustees of the Dixie Grammar School to educate the poor of the parish. This was the same year that the schoolhouse was built in Park Street Market Bosworth and the year the Old Rectory on Rectory Lane was completed. We then went by Little Lane, so called because each Friday the two schoolteachers took the children on a nature ramble. The bigger children went off along Congerstone Lane and the smaller children went along the fields, hence the Little Lane. Carlton Parish Council have added an information board similar to the one in the grounds of The Gate Hangs Well. We emerged behind the Old Rectory, welcomed by two very friendly donkeys, from where we could see the Carlton Charity Lands established in 1317, the Battlefield Line Railway and the Ashby Canal. On our way back to the church we passed the Victorian letter box which was once within the wall of the Post Office but when the building became a residence it was moved to the churchyard wall.
Once back in the church we enjoyed the newly created community space, oh and lots of tea and cake! All the cake was donated as was Chris’s time and so the proceeds over £180 were to go to the Friends of St Andrews for the maintenance of the church building. There was a lot more, I have omitted more than have included here but I hope you have a flavour of our cream tea walk in Carlton.
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