Kimbolton, Huntingdonshire, England. Geographical and Historical information from 1932.

KIMBOLTON:
Geographical and Historical information from the year 1932.

"KIMBOLTON, the parish of Kimbolton comprises the town of Kimbolton and the hamlets/villages of Stonely to the east and Wornditch half a mile to the west. Newtown in the north and Over Stow, adjoining Long Stow, also represent old hamlets; the site of the 14th century district of Wekwell (Wertwell, Qwertwell) is now unknown.

Kimbolton stands on the Bedfordshire border, and was the only Huntingdonshire estate of King Harold who is believed to have had a Hunting Lodge here. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, the Manor was forfeited to William I and in 1086 was granted to the de Warrenne family (the Earls of Surrey) when Kimbolton gave its name to a Hundred. The jurisdiction of its lords has always extended into Bedforshire.

The soil and sub-soil of the parish are Oxford clay but chalk is also found and there is gravel in the Kym Valley. The land is mostly pasture and the district was once noted for its shorthorns. There is also a fair amount of arable land which in 1279 amounted to 700 acres, which was a considerable quantity at that date.

Kimbolton has always had woodland; in 1086, there was woodland for pannage which was a league square. From a grove called 'la haire', Richard Russell, who had custody of Kimbolton from 1178 to 1185, took 222 oaks for building a court and chamber in Leicestershire. 'La Haye' or Heywood contained 200 acres belonging to the manor in 1275-9. In the next century, there is mention of 'Lythlehay' (later called Littless Wood) in Stonely between the park called Brythamwyk (Brintelmewick - xii/xiii cent., Brykhamwyke -xvi cent., Brycknell, Brightholme - xvii cent.) in the lord's demesne and Lyminge (now Lymage) Wood in Great Staughton. A keeper of this park and of Hyghwode Wood (later represented by Highpark Farm) was appointed in 1544. The park was part and parcel of the castle's demesnes in 1610; in 1615 the castle was conveyed to Sir Henry Montagu which started the parish's association with the Montagu family. In 1544, Stonely Priory was recorded to have held four groves of wood in Kimbolton. There were two Foresters amongst the 'burgense and cottars' in 1279.

The River Kym, which before it enters the western boundary of the parish is known as the River Til, flows south-east through the middle of the parish and town. The land adjoining it is about 100 ft. above sea-level and rises to just under 250 ft. on the northern boundary. The chief hills are: Honeyhill (Honyhill - xvi cent.), Hungry Hill, Over Hills and Warren Hill.

The town of Kimbolton lies along the road from Higham Ferrers to St. Neots in the valley of the Kym, which skirts along its north-east side. As occurs in so many market towns, the main road has been diverted so as the pass through the High Street and Market Place in order (formerly) to collect tolls from passengers and merchandise. In the Market place probably stood the Cross to which there is reference in 1487. The houses of the town have a great deal of timber-framed buildings of 17th century date, as well as brick buildings of the 18th century; many are now converted into shops and inns. The first market was held under a charter granted by King John in 1200 to Geoffrey Fitz Piers, Earl of Essex who at that time held the manor. Kimbolton Castle was built before 1201 when the Earl of Essex received King John in his manor here. The castle was rebuilt and improved several times such that in 1521 it was described as 'a right goodly lodging contained in little room (i.e. small space) within a moated well...'. Queen Katharine (Catherine of Aragon) lived unhappily here in 1534 during Henry VIII's divorce proceedings. In 1615, as already stated, the castle came into the possession of the Montagu family, who became the Earls (and eventually the Dukes) of Manchester; it remained with them well into the 20th century. In 1707, the old south wing fell down and Sir John Vanbrugh was called in to rebuild it. The rebuilding of what is essentially the present castle was completed in 1709. During the 20th century, the castle was adapted as an English public (i.e. fee-paying) school which it still remains at the end of the 20th century.

There was an inclosure award of 1038 acres in Kimbolton which is dated 1769; a further inclosure of 748 acres at Wornditch was dated 1795."