WEDDINGTON CASTLE - An Online History

Kelly's Directory of Warwickshire, 1896 (p 265)

WEDDINGTON, in Domesday "Watitune", is a parish about 1 mile north from the Nuneaton station, of the London and North Western Railway in the North-Eastern division of the county. Atherstone division of Hemlingford hundred, Attleborough petty sessional division, Nuneaton union and county court district, rural deanery of Atherstone, Archdeaconry of Coventry and diocese of Worcester. The parish is intersected by the Trent Valley railway and the River Anker. The church of St. James, originally Norman, is an edifice of red brick, with Bath stone facings in the Early English style, erected in 1733 by Humphrey Adderley, on the foundations of an older edifice, and consists of a chancel, nave, north transept, south porch and low western tower, containing a bell; the transept, which formed part of the ancient church, is Norman, and there is a very fine Norman font; in the transept is a monument to Humphrey Adderley, an ancestor of the rebuilder of the church, dated 1598, and in the chancel a remarkably fine painting of "The Crucifixion," said to be by Vandyke; in 1881 the church was completely restored by subscription, at a cost of £1,572, under the direction of Sir Arthur W. Blomfield M.A., A.R.A., F.S.A. architect, when a chancel arch, south porch and vestry were added: in 1882 a new organ was erected, and in 1883 a stained east window was presented by H. C. Shawe esq. as a memorial to two of his children: there are 120 sittings. The register dates from the year 1663. The living is a rectory, average tithe rent-charge £152; net yearly value £248, including 64 acres of glebe with residence, in the gift of and held since 1872 by the Rev. Richard Samuel Bracebridge Heming Hall M.A. of St. John's College, Cambridge. Weddington was once the property of the Astley family, but in the time of Queen Elizabeth it was purchased by Humphrey Adderley. Weddington Hall, the seat of Henry Cunliffe Shawe esq. J.P. is a very fine building, in the Tudor style, partly castellated, and standing in a small and beautiful park: the pleasure grounds of 18 acres are tastefully laid out and exceedingly well kept. Henry Cunliffe Shawe esq. who is lord of the manor and the rector are the principle landowners. The soil is rich loam; subsoil, marl. The chief crops are wheat, barley, oats, beans and turnips. The area is 911 acres; rateable value £2,145; the population in 1891 was 100.

Parish clerk, Charles Pendry.

Wall Letter Box, cleared at 8.35 a.m. & 6.30 p.m. week days; 12.50 p.m. sundays. Letters through Nuneaton, which is the nearest money order and telegraph office, arrive at 7.00 a.m.

The children of this place attend the school at Nuneaton.

French Capt. Alfd. Crofton. The Grove.

Hall Rev. Richard Samuel Bracebridge Heming MA. Rectory.             

Taylor George William. White house.

Shawe Henry Cunliffe J.P. Weddington hall.

Marlow William, farmer, Glebe farm.

Richardson Wm. farmer, Church farm.

Taylor George William, farmer

Teather Charles, farm bailiff to H.C. Shawe esq.