Blyth, Nottinghamshire

Description
Blyth, a village and a township in Notts. The village, on a gentle ascent on the Ryton rivulet, 2 1/2 miles W by S of Railskill railway station and 7 NNE of Worksop, has a post, money order, and telegraph office under Rotherham. It was formerly a market-town, and it still has fairs on Holy Thursday and 20 Oct. Area of the township, 1347 acres; population, 566; of the ecclesiastical parish, 1728. The parish also includes the lordship of Hodsock, and the townships of Barnby-Moor-with-Bilby, Ranskill, and Torworth, and part of Styrrup-with-OIdcoates. Blyth Hall, in Blyth township, belonged formerly to the Mellishes, and is now the seat of the Walkers. Serlby Hall, 2 miles N of Blyth village, is the seat of Viscount Galway. The country around these seats, without the parks as well as within, is so rich and ornate as to look like a garden. An hospital for a warden, three chaplains, and a number of leprous persons, was founded at Blyth-Spittal, to the S of Blyth village, by William de Cressy, Lord of Hodesac, but has all disappeared. A Benedictine priory was founded at Blyth village in 1088 by Roger de Builly, and given at the dissolution to Richard Andrews and William Ramsden, and a part of it, called the conventual nave, still stands connected with the nave of the parish church. The living is a vicarage, with Ranskill and Barnby Moor, in the diocese of Southwell; net value, £184 with residence. Patron, Trinity College, Cambridge. The church is a noble edifice in successive characters from Norman to Later English, has a very fine tower, and contains an effigy with armorial bearings of the Mellishes. It was restored in 1885 at a cost of over £3000. There are also a Wesleyan chapel, almshouses, and other charities.