Colston Bassett


Colston Bassett is an English village in the Vale of Belvoir, in the Rushcliffe district of south-east Nottinghamshire, close to its border with Leicestershire. Lying by the River Smite, it had a population in 2001 of 225, including Wiverton Hall. This increased to 399 at the 2011 Census.

Place name

The name, first recorded in the Domesday Book as Coletone, is from the Old Norse personal name Kolr, and the Old English tūn "farm or village", and so means "Kolr's farm or village". The suffix Bassett is from the holder of the estate in the 12th century, Ralph Bassett, a judge appointed by Henry I.

Amenities

The village dairy, which opened in 1913, is one of only five that are permitted to name their blue cheese Stilton cheese. It also manufactures smaller quantities of White Stilton and Shropshire Blue.
Colston Bassett contains an old market cross, a ruined church of St Mary, Colston Bassett Preparatory School for children between 4–11 years, a pub, the Martins Arms, a riding school, and animal boarding kennels.
The parish church is St John's Church, Colston Bassett.

Transport

Colston Bassett has weekday, daytime bus services to Radcliffe on Trent and Nottingham. The nearest railway stations are at Radcliffe and Bingham, with daily services to and beyond Nottingham and Grantham.
The A46 trunk road between Leicester and Newark on Trent passes 1.9 miles to the west of the village, and the A52 between Nottingham and Grantham 5.6 miles to the north. The M1 motorway between London and Leeds can be reached at Junction 25.