Great Casterton

infobox UK place
country = England
latitude= 52.6694
longitude= -0.5128
official_name= Great Casterton
population =
unitary_england= Rutland
lieutenancy_england = Rutland
region= East Midlands

post_town= Stamford|postcode_district = PE9
postcode_area= PE |dial_code= 01780
os_grid_reference= TF005090
constituency_westminster= Rutland and Melton

Great Casterton is a village in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England. It is located at the crossing of the Roman Ermine Street and the River Gwash.

The village is approximately three miles to the north-west of Stamford and very close to the county border with Lincolnshire (South Kesteven). Just to the north is Tickencote and a Texaco petrol station.

The A1 road which follows the path of Ermine Street, ran through the centre of the village until the construction of the Stamford bypass in 1960 (now B1081).

The earliest recorded settlement was a Roman fort in the year 44 AD. A civilian settlement developed which was later a walled town and the defences are still apparent. Archaeological excavations have been conducted on the town, a villa near the Gwash and burials including early Anglo-Saxons.

The village has both a primary school (Great Casterton Church of England Primary School) and a secondary school (Casterton Business and Enterprise College).

The village church, dedicated to [http://greatcasterton.leicestershireparishcouncils.org/historyofthechurch2.html St Peter & St Paul] is entered via an arched war memorial remembering both the First and Second world wars. The parish is shared with Tickencote and Little Casterton.

There are two pubs in the village, the [http://www.rutlandpubs.co.uk/detail.asp?id=1047 Plough Inn] and the [http://www.rutlandpubs.co.uk/detail.asp?id=1011 Crown Inn] which has its own [http://www.crown-inn.net/ website] .

There is a very small nature reserve, [http://www.lincstrust.org.uk/reserves/nr/reserve.php?mapref=64 Great Casterton Road Banks] , to the south of the village containing examples of rare plants such as Sulphur Clover and Greater Broomrape.

Guy Sharpe, head of reknowned boxing promotions firm SharpeShooter Entertainment is originally from Great Casterton and recently held one of his bouts in his former farm yard.

External links

* [http://www.rutnet.co.uk/pp/location/detail.asp?id=21 Rutland Website – Great Casterton]
* [http://www.cbec.rutland.sch.uk Casterton Business and Enterprise College]
* [http://www.rutlandprimarypartners.org/index.php Great Casterton Church of England Primary School]
* [http://www.roman-britain.org/places/great_casterton.htm Roman fort]
* [http://greatcasterton.leicestershireparishcouncils.org Great Casterton Parish]
* [http://www.crown-inn.net Crown Inn]