Church Micro 1319 - Kirby-Le-Soken Traditional Cache
Church Micro 1319 - Kirby-Le-Soken
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(micro)
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No clues to find, just a straightforward cache on the public
footpath behind the church so that you can enjoy looking around
this lovely church. Tree cover might mean it's a bit out, so you
are forewarned! Good luck!
It seems the word Kirby is formed from two words of Norse and
possibly Norse/Saxon origin - "Kirk" (church), whose origin is
almost certainly Norse and "By" (dwelling or habitation, township
or village), which could be Norse or Anglo Saxon. The translation
seems to result in the rather mundane "village by the church" but
this suggests that Viking raiders arrived to find an established
community centred on the church and stayed long enough to leave
their mark.
"Le Soken" seems Norman in origin but the concept of a soke is
possibly Danish, as it seems to occur in areas where Danes help
power. It denotes an area that has some special privilege granted
to it - above that of a manor and indeed the land comprising a soke
does not have to be together in one piece. The lands of local sokes
were held by St. Paul's back beyond Domesday and although the
status has been diluted down the years as the laws of the land
changed the name remains.
So - the origins of the name are definitely open to interpretation
but we know it was fused from the strands of the words of those
early villagers back in the mists of time - an idea that somehow
seems to fit the landscape.
Today Kirby-le-Soken is a small village in North East Essex, an
agricultural and increasingly residential corner of the county.
Although the village has managed to stay distinct and separate from
the growing conurbations of Frinton-on-Sea and Walton-on-the-Naze
(formerly Walton-le-Soken), it is a developed and working village,
not a time capsule.
The first mention of a church at Kirby-le-Soken is in 1297, it was
delapidated by 1833 and a major rebuild left only the tower and
part of the north wall and chancel from the original church.
If any body would like to add to this series, please do, but could
you please let sadexploration know first, so he can keep track of
the Church numbers and names to avoid duplication.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
ghpxrq va gur gerr