The Knoll

Sherington's village green or The Knoll is one of the centres of outdoor activity within the village. This triangular shaped area has seen numerous May Day celebrations, with maypole dancing and sideshows. Parts of the various Sherington Feast days have centred around The Knoll for their daytime activities. The communal village pump is here. Water from this was condemned by the water authority in the 1970's, maybe they couldn’t put a water meter on it.

The famous hatchet was buried here by the Oxford and Cambridge Universities in 1935. The bus stop is situated on the western edge of The Knoll with direct through routes to London and Rugby as well as local destinations. The site of Sherington’s only public telephone box is situated next to the Parish Council notice board situated on the southeast corner of The Knoll.

To the south of the green is the village garage. Once a typical country garage selling petrol and all the services needed to keep a car on the road, now only offering car repairs and servicing. Founded by Tom Haynes in 1923, it is now in the hands of the third generation of Haynes's to own and run the garage. The current building is built on the site of Hines's wheelwright and coachworks.

The haulage company next door to the garage was founded by Tom Haynes’s father and transports goods all over Europe. The big red brick garage was built in 1937-38. The Haynes haulage/engineering was founded in the early 1920s. This was added to with the big storage depot was built in the late 1960's. It also houses a small engineering company owned by a relation of the Haynes' family.

To the north of the Knoll are older residential houses. No. 1 The Knoll has an inscription over the front door licensing it to sell..., what, we do not know.

No. 2 and No 3 The Knoll is a larger 2 storey building of similar age. This is an 'L' shaped property which was once a single dwelling, but has now been split into two.

No 4 The Knoll is a new chalet bungalow. This was built in 1984 (at the same time as Knoll Close). It was designed by John Fielding who at the time lived in No. 3 The Knoll in an attempt to show how a new house can be designed to blend with the older properties.

To the east of No. 4 The Knoll, lies a development of houses called Knoll Close. Before the close was built this was the site of the village Saw mill. The Saw mill was owned and operated by the Line family for many years. Next to the saw mill, on Church Road stood George James Hine's wheelwrights.

Knoll Close was built in two phases. The first phase included the connection of bungalows that face the road, these were built in the 1970's. The second phase was built between 1983/4 and has a selection of properties with executive houses at the same time as No.4 The Knoll.

In the 1891 census Mr and Mrs Oldham lived in Knoll Cottage, he was down as being a coach builder and she was down as being a baker. The house still contains the baker's oven. Since that time the property is just purely residential, but two of the older village family names have lived there: firstly the Simco family who continued to bake until the middle of the 20th century, and more latterly the Hickson family lived here.

The Chapel on The Knoll is an redundant Wesleyan Chapel. It was deconsecrated in the early 1970's and now has been converted to a private residence. At one time this was one of four places of worship in the village.

The old thatched cottage, 8 The Knoll, is a Grade 2 Listed Building.

Archive photographs of The Knoll: click on the photo to view full size