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Kington St. Michael

Kington St Michael
Kington St Michael.JPG
South end of the village
Kington St Michael is located in Wiltshire
Kington St Michael
Kington St Michael
Kington St Michael shown within Wiltshire
Population 704 (in 2011)
OS grid reference ST902776
Civil parish
  • Kington St Michael
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town Chippenham
Postcode district SN14
Dialling code 01249
Police Wiltshire
Fire Dorset and Wiltshire
Ambulance South Western
EU Parliament South West England
UK Parliament
Website www.kingtonstmichael.com
List of places
UK
England
Wiltshire
51°29′49″N 2°08′35″W / 51.497°N 02.143°W / 51.497; -02.143Coordinates: 51°29′49″N 2°08′35″W / 51.497°N 02.143°W / 51.497; -02.143

Kington St Michael is a village and civil parish about 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Chippenham in Wiltshire, England.

Kington St Michael is about 0.7 miles (1.1 km) west of the A350 which links Chippenham with junction 17 of the M4 motorway; the village is about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) southwest of the junction.

It is largely a linear village based on its main street, which runs from southeast to northwest, where Honey Knob Hill leads into open countryside towards Grittleton.

The nearby Easton Piercy is a hamlet and part of the parish.

There is evidence of habitation of the area in the New Stone Age and Bronze Ages. The first named settlement dates to about AD 934, when it was known as "Kington". Later known as "Kington Minchin" during the early existence of Kington St. Michael Priory, it became "Kington St Michael" in 1279 when the church was rededicated to St Michael.

A market cross was adjacent to the Priory and according to Aubrey, sold staple foods. A Michaelmas Fair was also noted for its "ale and geese".

The main activity in the village was agriculture for many years, although there is some evidence of a small textile industry. In about 1760 the Chippenham to Malmesbury road (now the A350) was made a turnpike, and Kington benefited from the increase in traffic, by the end of the 18th century supporting "tailors, two blacksmiths and a carpenter ... [and] a slaughterhouse, malthouse and public house". By 1851 the range of occupations reported in the village had expanded further.

The Church of England parish church of St Michael is Grade II* listed. The church is from the 13th century, with a chancel arch of c. 1150 and an 18th-century tower. Restoration in 1858 by J.H. Hakewill led Pevsner to describe the church as "terribly over-restored".


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Wikipedia

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