 On the east side of the A15 from its similarly named neighbour Aswarby, the land and the farms are all part of the old Whichcote estate of Aswarby Park. The character of the village is still one of simple estate cottages and farms with farm buildings clustered around the houses. The aspect is rural with views over the gently rolling countryside.
A compact but open settlement with curved roadways and green verges it has toward the west end a small triangular village green. The green is surrounded by trees and forming an attractive centrepiece is the circular stone pump house with open timber work supporting the conical Collyweston slate roof. Beside the green is a little brook with a small brick footbridge and nearby a welcome surviving old fashioned red telephone box.
The most dominant building in the village is the church, located beside the green, with a large tower and low pyramidal roof, set on it raised churchyard enclosed by low stone walls.
The village buildings are in both red brick and coursed limestone rubble, with roofing in Welsh slate or the local red pantile. The farmhouses are generally two storeys high with the cottages being one and a half storeys.
An attractive feature in the village is the use of brick gablettes to the cottage first floor windows and 19th-century stacks with quite elaborate brick oversailing courses to the chimney tops.
The houses have front gardens with well defined boundaries in hawthorn hedging, traditional timber fencing, brick or stone walls giving pleasant informality to the village street.
Swarby is an old Scandinavian place name from the old Norse name of Svarri. |
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