Scofton

Scofton was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Scotebi, of Norse origin, possibly meaning 'Skopti 's farm'. The Old English form is Skofton, as recorded in county assize records of 1280, eventually becoming its modern form from 1316 onwards. Osberton was also listed in Domesday, and is believed to mean 'the farmstead of Osbeorn'. Bilby was Bilebi in Domesday and was a named for a person, Bil. Rayton was at the time of Domesday, Rolvetune and Rouuetone, which may have meant 'reeve farm', or was possibly a derivative of the nearby river. == Geography ==

Scofton is surrounded by the following local areas: • Bilby and Blyth to the north • Osberton to the south • Ranby to the east • Rayton and Worksop to the west. This area lies in the south west within Bassetlaw district and north west in Nottinghamshire county. The core of the hamlet is accessed from the B6079 Worksop-Ranby road. Surrounding the settlement is predominantly a farming area, interspersed by farms, occasional residential dwellings and some small forested areas. Scofton stands on the north bank of the River Ryton, with the Chesterfield Canal also nearby. The lands of Osberton lie to the south. The wider area is low-lying, at a land elevation of , with a peak by northern Rayton of . == Governance ==

The area, except Bilby is not parished, being previously in the Municipal Borough of Worksop until 1974. Bassetlaw District Council manage the lowest levels of public duties in the settlements. Nottinghamshire County Council provides the highest level strategic services locally. == History ==

Scofton By the time of Domesday in 1086, Scofton was in the ownership of William the Conqueror, and Osberton was held by Swein / Wulfgeat of Madeley. Scofton then was part of the wider manor of Mansfield also held by the King. By the late-16th century, the Jessop family (from Broomhall, Sheffield) were owners of Scofton Hall which was a manor house. Soon after this Scofton Hall was demolished and the landscape cleared to allow a more open view from Osberton Hall. Robert Fitz Ranulph was a local lord in the 12th century and offered Osberton church to Worksop Priory, with his descendants confirming the gift. The church had been run down by 1227, when an assessment of it was done by Archbishop Gray, ruling it to be deconsecrated into a place to support the local poor. Sir Thomas Chaworth, a 15th-century landowner, granted further land to the priory. with a form of residence in use by this period. One of the more notable descendants was Dame Mary Bolles, who in 1635 was created a Baronetess by King Charles I, a title usually granted to men in the period. The estate through marriage eventually passed to William Leek of Halam in the 1660s. Leek exchanged Osberton with John Thornagh (of Fenton) in 1682 and Osberton became a winter residence. Osberton stayed with the family into the 18th century, and it's possible the manor developed into a hall of some form by this time, possibly as a result of expansion of this house. There was also a mill in the location. In the mid-1770s, building began on the Chesterfield Canal, following the course of the River Ryton through the estate. The canal opened in 1777, with the main access over the canal by means of a bridge close to Osberton Hall. At John Thornhagh-Hewett's death in 1787, Osberton, and his other estates passed to his daughter, Mary Arabella, who had married in 1774 Francis Ferrand Foljambe. In 1798 Fojambe purchased Scofton Hall from the Sutton family, along with the adjacent Rayton area, and soon afterwards, the nearby Bilby estate from the Vane family. The estate farms were noted throughout the later part of the 19th century for its Osberton Shorthorns cows, with much of the farmland around. the parkland used for grazing. In 1896, a replacement school was built at Scofton, on former paddocks. The site was used until 1949 and has since been converted into the village hall. By the 20th century Bilby Hall had been partially torn down and the remainder converted into cottages. Bilby Hall surroundings were later converted to kennels, and demolished mid-20th century, with just a woodland area, pair of cottages, section of lawn and former lake in place. Osberton Hall and the immediate grounds were sold by the Foljambe family in 1987, although the wider area, including Scofton village and Bilby, still form part of the Foljambe family estate. == Culture and community ==

Village hall, Scofton This was originally a school for children of the estate workers, this was built as a replacement for an earlier school constructed during the establishment of the estate village in the 1820-1830s. It remained in this use until 1949, from when it was changed into use as a community hall. Osberton horse trials This is an annual equestrian event, held usually in September or October. It was begun in 1970 by George Michael Foljambe, continued by descendents and maintains the family interest in horses. Competitions include show jumping, dressage, shire horse display and classes. It is accessed by means of the A1 road. == Landmarks ==

Chesterfield Canal/Cuckoo Way The section of canal in the area was built in 1774, the overall aim primarily to move minerals such as coal and lead. The canal was in full use by 1777. Later developments with railway and road transport eventually caused the canal to become little used by the 1960s. From that period efforts were made to restore the remaining lengths by the village, and is presently available for leisure purposes. Several locks run through the portion of the area. The long distance Cuckoo Way path reuses the towpath of the canal. Listed buildings Several items of architectural interest are registered as listed throughout the local area at mainly Grade II, including: Osberton • Osberton Hall (Grade II*) • Dower House • Brewery and water towers • Stables • Summer house on an island in a nearby lake Scofton • Church of St John Bilby • Bilby farmhouse == Religious sites ==

St John the Evangelist, Scofton In memory of his first wife who died in 1830 during birth of their child, Francis John Savile Foljambe built a church, just across the lake by Osberton, on the previous site of Scofton Hall, which had been pulled down in around 1800, and of which a small portion of its offices remained until then. This church was consecrated by the Archbishop of York in 1833. It was a private chapel until 1876 when it became part of a separate ecclesiastical parish, the boundary of which coincided with the Osberton estate. It was restored in the 1970s, and is used for worship into present times. == References ==