Long Clawson
Long Clawson is a small village in Leicestershire, England.
There is some debate about the origin of the village's name; one theory[citation needed] is that there were once two villages named Clawson and Claxton, which grew together and became Long Clawson.[1] The “Long” part of the name probably arose because the village is over a mile in length although with 14 sharp bends.
It is a village with a rural history. Its position in the Vale of Belvoir has afforded the area with rich soil ideal for pasture. Servicing the many farms in the area for at least 900 years the rich dairy heritage has led to the production of Stilton cheese on a famous scale. The Long Clawson dairy is one of the largest producers of this cheese. There are many thriving farms in the area which is still very much a rural area with many attractions for ramblers and walkers including the nearby Grantham Canal.
The village features in the 1086 Domesday Book as Clachestone, but there is evidence of much earlier settlements. Very near to the Manor House, indeed embedded into the tarmac footpath against the wall of that property, there is an ancient megalith. The Long Clawson Stone is approximately 3 feet long and allegedly a fragment of a larger ancient stone.[2] The Manor House itself boasts an ancient fish pond that is still stocked.[3]
Like many larger village settlements, the number of businesses in the village has declined in recent years. Once boasting five pubs, numerous small stores and traders along with its own police presence the village now only has one pub, the Crown and Plough and a few shops. The community is strong and thriving, however, with a growing population. This may well be due to its proximity for commuting to Melton Mowbray, Nottingham and the success of the dairy. Around 100 new houses were built in the village in the early part of the 21st century and the primary school has doubled the number of its pupils. Local demographic information shows the population to be 970 as of 2003.
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[edit] Religion
The village has a long history and its churches reflect this. They include St Remigius' Anglican church, a Methodist church[4] and a Baptist Church (dating from 1845) The latter two are attractive 20th century red brick buildings, though the Primitive Methodist chapel of 1868 is now a private residence.
The parish church of St Remigius, which is often simply referred to as "Saint Remi's", has a dedication shared with few other churches. It dates from around the 14th century and its walls, like those of the nearby manor house, are of a local stone which is richly red in hue. The church, which seats 300, was thoroughly restored in 1893 and contains a medieval effigy of cusader William Bozon. The Society of Genealogists holds copies of the parish registers covering marriages from 1558 - 1837 which can be studied at their library in London.
The present Methodist Church was opened in 1956. Methodism was introduced into the village Clawson by a Mrs Hind through her contact with the Wesleyan Society in 1797. After joining a small society at Nether Broughton she formed a society in Long Clawson, with meetings held in the kitchen of her home. Later a licence was obtained and William Parkes home was registered for public worship and was known as 'The Consecrated Barn'. The first chapel was built in 1801 and in 1816 was improved by the addition of a gallery. In 1840 a new chapel was built on the present site at a cost of £1100. In 1873 a schoolroom and a Minister's vestry were added. A Manse was built alongside the chapel in 1887. In 1954 the chapel burnt down. A committee was quickly formed to raise funds for a replacement and on 25 June 1955 the foundation stone for the new building was laid. The new chapel opened on 29 September 1956.
[edit] Long Clawson Dairy
Long Clawson has one of only six dairies in England where Stilton cheese is manufactured. Long Clawson Dairy was founded in 1911 after 12 farmers from the Vale of Belvoir came together to produce authentic Stilton cheese.
Long Clawson Dairy was founded in 1911 when 12 farmers from the Vale of Belvoir, Leicestershire, formed a co-operative to produce Stilton® Cheese in the village of Long Clawson. As a traditional company, Long Clawson Dairy is well known for its quality and innovation in Stilton® and Blended Cheese Markets.
The company has prospered and today is supplied by over 40 farms, all from within the Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire area. As Stilton® is protected by a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) it can only be made with milk from these Counties. Long Clawson Farms range in size, producing between 350,000 to over 4 million litres of milk per year.
Long Clawson have more than 30 products in their portfolio including Blue Stilton®, Blue Shropshire, Blue Vinney plus many blended cheeses, all operating from 3 separate sites.
Long Clawson Cheese can be purchased from leading supermarket retailers and selected independent stores. We also supply to the foodservice, wholesale and export markets.[5]
The dairy employs about 200 people and produces 6,700 tonnes of cheese in 60 varieties every year. Exports account for about 20% of the company's business. The company had a turnover of about £54m in 2008.[6]
Long Clawson Dairy scooped a total of 11 trophies at the International Cheese Awards 2011, which took place at the Nantwich Show in Cheshire, including being crowned 'Reserve Champion UK' and 'Reserve Supreme Champion' for the Dairys 'Blue Stilton' after seeing off thousands of competitors across the globe.[7]
[edit] Other landmarks
The village has a recently restored windmill that dominates the skyline from the south. The windmill, located at Mill Farm, has a characteristic Lincolnshire-style cap (white painted ogee-shaped)[8] and is a Grade II listed building.[9]
[edit] References
- ^ History of Long Clawson, Accessed 27 December 2009
- ^ Long Clawson Stone - Standing Stone, 16 August 2004
- ^ Long Clawson - Melton Online, Accessed 27 December 2009
- ^ Long Clawson Methodist Church, 21 January 2009
- ^ "Long Clawson Dairy - About us", 16 August 2011
- ^ Leicester Mercury "Cheese firm given £2.5m to create jobs and more Stilton", 23 December 2009
- ^ "Melton Times" "Clawson Dairy triumphs at international cheese awards", 3 August 2011
- ^ Lincolnshire Mills Group website
- ^ Long Clawson Windmill at imagesofengland.org
[edit] External links
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