Gelston, Lincolnshire

Gelston
15th-century cross, Gelston
Gelston  Gelston shown within Lincolnshire
OS grid reference	SK913453
– London	105 mi (169 km)  S
Civil parish	Hough-on-the-Hill
District	South Kesteven
Shire county	Lincolnshire
Region	East Midlands
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	GRANTHAM
Postcode district	NG32
Dialling code	01400
Police	Lincolnshire
Fire	Lincolnshire
Ambulance	East Midlands
EU Parliament	East Midlands
UK Parliament	Sleaford and North Hykeham
List of places UK England Lincolnshire

Coordinates: 52°59′50″N 0°38′28″W / 52.997254°N 0.641095°W

Gelston is a village in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It is situated 2 miles (3.2 km) west from the A607 road, 5 miles (8 km) north from Grantham, and in the civil parish of Hough-on-the-Hill,^[1] a village 1 mile (1.6 km) to the north-east.

The village is included in the ecclesiastical parish of Hough on the Hill, part of the Loveden Deanery of the Diocese of Lincoln.^[2]

History

According to A Dictionary of British Place Names, Gelston could be "a farmstead or a village of a man called Gjofull" – 'Gels' from an Old Scandinavian person name and 'ton' Old English for "enclosure, farmstead, village, manor, [or] estate".^[3]

Gelston is referred to in the 1086 Domesday account as "Chevelestune"^[4] in the manor of Hough on the Hill, and in the Loveden Hundred of Kesteven. It had 26 households, 18 villagers, 6 smallholders and 2 freemen, with 16 ploughlands, a meadow of 146 acres (0.6 km²) and a woodland of 200 acres (0.8 km²). In 1066 Earl Ralph was Lord of the Manor; after 1086 this transferred to Count Alan of Brittany, who also became Tenant-in-chief.^[5]

In 1885 Kelly's Directory noted: "at Gelston there is a place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists; and an ancient cross".^[6] The Wesleyan chapel was built in 1839, closed in 1958, and is now a private residence.^[7] The medieval limestone cross dates from the 15th century, is Grade II listed and a scheduled ancient monument.^{[8][9][10][11]}

References

1. "Hough on The Hill Parish Council", Lincolnshire.gov.uk. Retrieved 24 June 2013
2. "...for Brandon, Gelston, Hough on the Hill and surrounding villages in Lincolnshire", Loveden.org.uk. Retrieved 24 June 2013
3. Mills, Anthony David (2003); A Dictionary of British Place Names, pp.203, 525, Oxford University Press, revised edition (2011). ISBN 019960908X
4. "Documents Online: Gelston, Lincolnshire", Great Domesday Book, Folio: 247v; The National Archives. Retrieved 4 July 2012
5. "Gelston", Domesdaymap.co.uk. Retrieved 4 July 2012
6. Kelly's Directory of Lincolnshire with the port of Hull 1885, pp. 490, 491
7. "Monument No. 1378669", National Monuments Record, English Heritage. Retrieved 4 July 2012
8. "Cross, Gelston Green", National Heritage List for England, English Heritage. Retrieved 4 July 2012
9. "Gelston village cross", National Heritage List for England, English Heritage. Retrieved 4 July 2012
10. "Monument No. 504671", National Monuments Record, English Heritage. Retrieved 4 July 2012
11. SK9130245324 Remains of 15th-century cross

External links