Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for CALLINGTON

CALLINGTON, formerly Kellington, a small town, a parish, and a subdistrict in Liskeard district, Cornwall. The town stands on a gentle acclivity, near the river Lynner, 6 miles N of St. Germans r. station, and 11 S of Launceston. It consists chiefly of one broad street, irregularly built; is a seat of petty sessions, and a polling-place; and has a head post office,‡ (designated Callington, Cornwall,) two banking offices, a hotel, a church, two dissenting chapels, a literary institution, and a free school. The church was built, on the site of a previous one, in 1460; is perpendicular English; was restored in 1859; and contains a very curious old Norman font, and an elaborate monument to Lord Willoughby de Broke. A fine gabled sculptured cross is in the churchyard. Many of the inhabitants are miners. A weekly market is held on Wednesday; and fairs on the second Thursday of March and Nov., and on the first Thursday of May and after 19 Sept. The town was made a borough in the time of Elizabeth; and sent two members to parliament, till disfranchised by the act of 1832.—The parish comprises 2,492 acres. Real property, £6,962; of which £700 are in mines. Pop., 2,202. Houses, 347. The manor belonged to successively the Champernounes, the Ferrers, the Dennises, the Brokes, and others. Kit-Hill, about 2 miles N of the town, consists of granite, is 1,067 feet high; and commands an extensive view. Stream tin and copper ore are worked. The living is a rectory, annexed to the rectory of Southill, in the diocese of Exeter.-The subdistrict contains six parishes. Acres, 28,984. Pop., 8,899. Houses, 1,595.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a small town, a parish, and a subdistrict"   (ADL Feature Type: "cities")
Administrative units: Callington CP/AP       Callington SubD       Liskeard RegD/PLU       Cornwall AncC
Place: Callington

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