Foston, Leicestershire

Geography

Foston is situated on a ridge on the south side of the valley of the River Sence, between the villages of Kilby 1.06 mi to the east, Countesthorpe to the west 1.1 mi, Peatling Magna 1.61 mi to the south, and the hamlet of Kilby Bridge 1.29 mi to the north. The soils are "Slowly permeable seasonally wet slightly acid but base-rich loamy and clayey soils", according to UK Soil Observatory results. The site of the settlement is situated on Till (a superficial deposit formed up to 2 million years ago in the Quaternary Period) that is underpinned by Blue Lias mudstone (55-120 million years old).

History

The settlement name Foston means "Fotr's farm/settlement": "Fotr" is an Old Norse personal name, and "tūn" in Old English means an enclosure, farmstead, village or estate. Mentioned in the Domesday Book Survey of 1086, Foston was a settlement in the Hundred of Guthlaxton, Leicestershire. It had an estimated population of 26 households in 1086. The village Church of St Bartholomew is a Grade II* listed building. The main body of the church dates to the early 14th century, but parts of the structure are 10th century. The village of Foston is clearly visible on the 1576 map of Warwickshire and Leicestershire, produced (in Latin) by Christopher Saxton as part of his Atlas of England and Wales, but no indication of village settlement size is shown. A survey by John Nichols, published in 1790, stated only four houses in the village of Foston. The number of houses rose to five in 1801, with a population of 24 "employed in agriculture" followed by an increase to six houses in the 1870s, with 27 residents. However, all that is visible today is its church, rectory, a few houses and a farm.

In 1931 the parish of Foston had a population of 36. On 1 April 1935 the parish was abolished and merged with Kilby.

References

References

1. "Kilby parish postcodes".
2. "Soil Type: Soilscapes for England and Wales". UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
3. "Geological Survey of England and Wales 1:63,360/1:50,000 geological map series, New Series (Sheet 170)". [[British Geological Survey]].
4. "Key to English Place-names: Foston, Leicestershire".
5. "Foston, Leicestershire". Open Domesday.
6. {{National Heritage List for England
7. (1576). "Saxton's map of Warwickshire and Leicestershire". Great Britain. Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Taylowe Limited. Terwoort, Lenaert..
8. Nichols, John. (1790). "The supplementary volume to the Leicestershire views: containing a series of excursions in the year 1790, to the villages and places of note in the county". Printed for the author by J. Nichols.
9. Nichols, John. (1807). "The history and antiquities of the county of Leicester : Vol. 4, Part 1". Printed for the author by J. Nichols.
10. "A Vision of Britain Through Time: Foston, Leicestershire". Great Britain Historical GIS Project (2017) 'Great Britain Historical GIS'. University of Portsmouth..
11. "Population statistics Foston AP/CP through time". [[A Vision of Britain through Time]].
12. "Relationships and changes Branston CP/AP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time.