Whilton

Origin: A round hill

Domesday: Alan holds 1 hide. There is land for 2 ploughs. In demesne is 1 plough and 2 slaves and 2 villans with a priest and 6 bordars have another plough. There are 5 acres of meadow and a mill rendering 40d. It was worth 10s, now 60s. Bovi held it freely.

A tiny village strung along a minor road off the A5. To reach the village you cross over the canal (at Whilton Locks), under the motorway (M1), and under the midland mainline railway and in spite of that the place is really quite peaceful


	The village embraces a jumble of different house styles as it has evolved over the years from an attractive thatched cottage at the Brington end through stone to modern brick.

		The church (locked) is a redder stone than many in the area and embraces a number of styles and extensions.

By Whilton Locks is a building which was once a mill but is now a bar cum conference suite attached to a go-cart racing centre. The mill race is there and some of the mill equipment incorporated in the bar.

		My 2^nd great grandfather, Thomas Gardner, who had been born in Greatworth moved to Whilton in about 1846 and was employed as a miller. The position is confused by another Thomas Gardner (born in Kilsby) also being a miller in Whilton at the same time (but about 15 years older than my Thomas). I can find no relationship between the two. But here is the milling machinery that Thomas (which one I don’t know!) would have operated

If you have any information on Whilton in the mid to late 1800s or Thomas Gardner (or his wife Kate Maria wait) then please contact me


	For a description of the village in the late 1800s a PO Directory of 1869 is attached.