Thorpe Arnold is a farming village and former

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

, now in the parish of

Waltham on the Wolds and Thorpe Arnold Waltham may refer to: Business * Waltham Watch Company, American watch manufacturer, pioneer in the industrialisation of the manufacturing of watch movements * The Waltham system, industrial efficiency system Music * Waltham (band), American rock ...

in the district of Melton, which is approximately northeast of

Melton Mowbray Melton Mowbray () is a market town in the Borough of Melton, Melton district in Leicestershire, England, north-east of Leicester and south-east of Nottingham. It lies on the River Eye, Leicestershire, River Eye, known below Melton as the Rive ...

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire to the north, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire to the south-east, Warw ...

, England. In 1931 the parish had a population of 128. On 1 April 1936 the parish was abolished and to form Waltham.

Geography

Thorpe Arnold is situated on the top of a hill to the north-east of the town of

. It has 35 occupied dwellings (2021). Nearby major cities include

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...

, and

Peterborough Peterborough ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in the City of Peterborough district in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire, England. The city is north of London, on the River Nene. A ...

. In 1870–72, John Marius Wilson's ''Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales'' described Thorpe Arnold as follows:

History

Mentioned in the Domesday Book Survey of 1086, Thorpe (Torp) was a settlement in the

Hundred 100 or one hundred (Roman numerals, Roman numeral: C) is the natural number following 99 (number), 99 and preceding 101 (number), 101. In mathematics 100 is the square of 10 (number), 10 (in scientific notation it is written as 102). The standar ...

Framland Framland was a hundred in north-east Leicestershire, England, roughly corresponding to today's borough of Melton. It was recorded in the ''Domesday Book'' as one of Leicestershire's four wapentakes. The name remains in use as a deanery of the Dio ...

, Leicestershire. It had an estimate population of 48 households in 1086. The Tenant-in-chief, was held by Hugh de Grandmesnil,

Sheriff of Leicestershire This is a list of Sheriffs and High Sheriffs of Leicestershire, United Kingdom. The Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most ...

and Governor of

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...

, who was richly rewarded by

William the Conqueror William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was D ...

for his part in the

Norman Conquest of England The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...

From the 12th century, Thorp is known as Thorp Arnold, having taken the first name of its new owner, Arnold (or ''Ernauld'', Latinised to ''Hernaldus'') de Bois (French: "from the wood/forest") ( Latinised to ''de Bosco'' ("from the wood/forest")), a vassal of the

Earl of Leicester Earl of Leicester is a title that has been created seven times. The first title was granted during the 12th century in the Peerage of England. The current title is in the Peerage of the United Kingdom and was created in 1837. History Earl ...

. His successors also used the first name Arnold. The death of Hernaldus de Bosco (Arnold de Bois) in 1255, a Warden of the Forest, is recorded by

Matthew Paris Matthew Paris, also known as Matthew of Paris (; 1200 – 1259), was an English people, English Benedictine monk, English historians in the Middle Ages, chronicler, artist in illuminated manuscripts, and cartographer who was based at St A ...

in his ''Historia Anglorum'' (1250-1259), folio 170 verso. His arms were ''Argent, two bars and a canton gules''. Arnold I de Bois and his son Arnold II de Bois took an active part in the political life of England and Normandy. Arnold II supported

Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester (1104 – 5 April 1168) was Justiciar of England 1155–1168. The surname "de Beaumont" was given to him by genealogists. The only known contemporary surname applied to him is "Robert son of Count Robe ...

and was rewarded by the earl with a grant of numerous manors in Leicestershire (including Thorpe Arnold, Brentingby, Evington, Humberstone and Elmesthorpe) and in Warwickshire (Clifton-on-Dunsmoor and Shrewley). The "de Bois"

Book of Hours A book is a structured presentation of recorded information, primarily verbal and graphical, through a medium. Originally physical, electronic books and audiobooks are now existent. Physical books are objects that contain printed material, ...

made at Oxford in 1325/30 for Hawise de Bois survives in the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York (MS-M700). In the 17th century, Thorp Arnold was owned by sir

Martin Lister Martin Lister (12 April 1639 – 2 February 1712) was an English natural history, naturalist and physician. His daughters Anne Lister (illustrator), Anne and Susanna Lister, Susanna were two of his illustrators and engravers. J. D. Woodley, 'L ...

, English politician, whose stepdaughter Frances Thornhurst became the mother of

Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, Princess of Mindelheim, Countess of Nellenburg (née Jenyns, spelt Jennings in most modern references; 5 June 1660 (Old Style) – 18 October 1744), was an English courtier who rose to be one of th ...

John Towne John Towne (1711?–1791) was an English churchman and controversialist, archdeacon of Stow from 1765. Life Born about 1711, was educated at Clare Hall, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. in 1732 and M.A. in 1736. Towne became vicar of Thorpe-E ...

(1711?–1791) was vicar of Thorpe Arnold before becoming the

Archdeacon of Stow The Archdeacon of Stow and Lindsey is a senior ecclesiastical officer in the Church of England Diocese of Lincoln. History The Archdeaconry of Stow is an ancient division of Lincoln diocese; the first archdeacons are recorded from around 1092 (t ...

5 September 1765 – 15 March 1791.

Sport

Thorpe Arnold Cricket Club is an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

amateur

cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

club that has been based at the ground east of the village on Waltham Road since 1922. The foundation of the club is unknown, but the earliest known photograph of the club dates back to 1902. In 1931, the club entered the Melton & District League, and in 1947, Thorpe Arnold Cricket Club formed its very first junior team. Thorpe Arnold CC have 2 senior XI teams that compete on Saturdays in the

Leicestershire and Rutland Cricket League The Everards Leicestershire and Rutland Cricket League (Leicestershire Cricket League until 2014) is the top level of competition for the amateur, recreational game of club cricket in Leicestershire and Rutland, England, and since 2002 has been ...

, a Midweek senior XI team in the Burrough and District Evening League, a Sunday XI team that play friendly matches in and around the local district, and a long established junior training section that play competitive cricket in the Leicestershire Youth League.

References

External links

Waltham on the Wolds & Thorpe Arnold Parish Council

Local History Group reveling a timeline for Thorpe Arnold

Thorp Arnold News

Thorpe Arnold Short Term Forecast
Villages in Leicestershire Former civil parishes in Leicestershire Borough of Melton Areas of Melton Mowbray {{authority control