Saxilby is a large village in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England, about north-west from Lincoln, on the A57 road at the junction of the B1241. It is part of the civil parish of Saxilby and Ingleby, which includes the village of Ingleby. The population of the civil parish in 2001 was 3,679, increasing to 3,992 at the 2011 census.
The name is of Viking origin, Old Norse Saksúlfr + byr, or "farmstead of a man called Saksulfr" and it appears as "Saxebi" in the Domesday Book. In archived documents the village is often referred to as "Saxelby", with the current spelling of Saxilby only being found in common use from the late 19th century onwards.
Early history
The Romans built the Fossdyke which runs through the Saxilby area, but it is unknown whether they settled on the site. Roman pottery has been found in digs in the area, which is what suggests they may have settled in this area. During the 9th century, Viking invaders took many areas of Lincolnshire and some settled in Saxilby. In the 12th century, the Normans began creating Manors and the Manor in the Saxilby area was given to Odo, the Bishop of Bayeux.
Saxilby is situated next to the A57, which runs from Liverpool to Lincoln The B1241 road runs through the village, called Mill Lane from the A57 junction until it meets Church Road where it becomes Sturton Road. Saxilby is served by a number of bus routes:
Saxilby has its own primary school, Saxilby Church of England Primary School which received an overall judgement of Good on their 2012 Ofsted inspection, with one Outstanding feature. A number of secondary schools are located nearby, such as the Queen Elizabeth's High School in Gainsborough and Lincoln Christ's Hospital School on Wragby Road in Lincoln, both of which receive children from the village.
Religion
Saxilby has been served by various different Christian churches including Church of England, Methodist, Wesleyan and, at one point, a St Andrew's Mission House. Today, Saxilby has a 12th-century church dedicated to Saint Botolph and a Methodist church.
Sport
Saxilby Athletic F.C. is a Men's football club that compete in the Lincoln Sunday Football League. Saxilby Athletic J.F.C. is a junior football club with male and female teams in a variety of age groups. The Recreation field, as well as having a football pitch, is also home to Saxilby Cricket Club, Saxilby Bowls Club, and Saxilby Tennis Club.
Amenities
Saxilby has a Co-op : There are various smaller shops the former Post Office on the high street is now a gift and card shop, a fabric shop, two barbers/hairdressers, greengrocer and florist, and a news agents/minimarket. A butchers shop also opened in the former Tongs DIY shop on Bridge Street in February 2018. The two village pubs are the Anglers Hotel, owned by Heineken Star Pubs Ltd, on the High Street and the Sun Inn on Bridge Street which has recently reopened. Saxilby has a small number of restaurants, takeaways and cafés including: a tea room, a café a Pizza Restaurant, a Chinese takeaway, an Asian restaurant on Gainsborough road and a fish and chip shop. The Service station situated on the A57, has now ceased trading. Motor Engineer R Barnard also known as Saxilby Garage can be found on Church Road. The St Andrew's Community Centre is located on the Recreation field and is home to 2 function rooms as well as The Pavilion Bar & Kitchen, the Parish Office, and Saxilby Library. The Village Hall, a former Wesleyan Chapel, is the host to Saxilby Drama Circle, Saxilby Women's Institute and is a venue for many varied events. Saxilby is also home to a very active Scout and Guide community, with all main sections of each movement present. The majority of these groups meet in the Jean Reville Memorial Scout and Guide HQ on Bridge Street.
