Rickling, which includes Rickling Green, is a village in the civil parish of Quendon and Rickling, in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England. The village is situated approximately north from the town of Bishop's Stortford. Saffron Walden, at, and the larger village of Newport, at, lie to the north-east. Rickling, which has been part of the parish of Quendon and Rickling since the 1940s, is north-west from the smaller village of Quendon. It is the site of the village's church, All Saints, and a few houses. Rickling Green, from Rickling, is conjoined to Quendon.
History
The name Rickling is found in the Domesday Book as Richelinga, and means 'Ricola's people' – Ricola was the wife of Sledd of Essex in the 6th century. It is recorded as having quite a large population of 34 households, and it paid substantial taxes of eight geld units. It is not known definitively why the main population today at Rickling Green is so far from its church at Rickling, but it has been suggested this may have been due to the plague. Another theory is that, over time, the villagers settled closer to the once busy drovers' road that runs through Quendon.
Amenities
There is a small primary school in Rickling Green, serving the village and surrounding communities and joined in federation with Farnham primary school, with the schools sharing one head teacher and governing body. There is also a public house, The Cricketers Arms, Rickling Green, which overlooks the green. The village green is also home to Rickling Ramblers Cricket Club. Cricket has been played on the green since 1850 and takes place throughout the summer months.
Landmarks
All Saints' Church, Rickling, a Grade I listed building, is a 13th-century flint church, although the nave's unusual proportions may indicate a pre-conquest date. The chancel, south aisle and west tower were built in 1340. There were later alterations in the 15th and 16th centuries, with further additions and restoration in the 19th century. Significant features include the 14th-century chancel screen and the pulpit. Rickling Hall, a Grade II* listed farmhouse, stands on the site of a former castle and includes a moated castle mound to the south of the present building. Rickling and Rickling Green contain a number of other listed buildings, many of them dating from the 17th century.
