Grassthorpe

Grassthorpe
Nottinghamshire
Town Street, Grassthorpe
Location
Grid reference:	SK795676
Location:	53°12’0"N, 0°48’32"W
Data
Post town:	Newark
Postcode:	NG23
Local Government
Council:	Newark and Sherwood
Parliamentary constituency:	Newark

Grassthorpe is a small village in Nottinghamshire, in the north-east of the county, a mile and a half west of the River Trent. The meadows by the Trent east of the village are known as Grassthorpe Holme. Less than a mile to the north of the village is Normanton on Trent.

History

A former chapel of St James stood in the village. It was converted into a cottage and barn during the reign of Elizabeth I. There is also a disused watermill.

In the 1660s Gresthorpe Hall (ie Grassthorpe) was rented to Robert Shawe who supported the Quaker William Smith of Besthorpe (d. 1672) in speaking to 150 people of the 'lowest and meanest' sort there. Smith was allowed to attend by his Nottingham gaoler Robert White causing a sharp complaint in August 1669 from Rev John Hewes, the vicar of Normanton.

There are three windmills recorded at Grassthorpe.

1. A post mill was moved to Tuxford in 1814.
2. A composite post mill was moved in 1870, again to Tuxford.
3. A tower windmill in an orchard belonged to the Seels family. The windmill was 3 storeys high, 14 feet wide at the base, having 2 pairs of stones and dressing machinery. The top of the mill was pulled down by engine in 1934. At some time previously the sails had been blown down, supposedly being "too heavy".

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Grassthorpe)