Bledington
Encyclopedia
Bledington is a village and civil parish
in the Cotswold
district of Gloucestershire
, England
, located about four miles south-east of Stow-on-the-Wold
and six miles south-west of Chipping Norton. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 503.
The bells are frequently rung and practice is usually held on a Monday evening.
Mid-morning services on the 3rd & 4th Sundays seek to cater for families, as this and youth work are high priorities. The benefice now has a Families & Youth Work Curate living in Bledington Vicarage.
There is also a very regular older congregation which enjoys the Prayer Book services at 8 am and 6 pm.
The village has a Prayer Group. Independently there is a Mothers & Toddlers Group ('Bledington Baby & Toddler Group'), and the well-established Bledington Care Committee.
, was awarded Dining Pub of the Year by the Good Pub Guide in 2001, and also provides accommodation.
in 2011, putting it in the top 9% of primary schools nationally.
element of the shop is now continued in the King's Head a couple of mornings each week and the Bledington Shop Committee is endeavouring to re-establish a community shop in Bledington in new premises, pending planning permission.
The Festival has grown every year since it was established in 2000 when Thomas Trotter, the current President, gave a recital at Bledington; the popularity of that occasion gave rise to this successful three day Music Festival. Over the years the festival has welcomed many performers. Each concert is unique and outstanding, many artists having performed all over the world.
Charles Benfield ensured a link which touched almost 4 generations of dancers and his enduring enthusiasm eventually enabled the dances to be recorded by Cecil Sharp
and later demonstrated and refined by the Travelling Morrice.
Bledington is close to the Gloucestershire
-Oxfordshire
border. Lying on the Oxfordshire Way, its village green still retains its Victorian maypole
. Its Norman
Church has a bell (1639) proclaiming 'Charles is King', reflecting the views of the local gentry at the time of the Civil War
.
The Bledington area is rich in Morris history, one of the earliest recorded events being a paid performance by Morris dancers at a private house in Sherborne
, 8 miles away, at Whitsun
in 1711. Another recorded event took place in Churchill in 1721 just 3 miles to the north-east of Bledington when a Morris team (probably local) were paid six shillings for dancing at a Whitsun Ale. There is also evidence that sides were active in Rissington, Icomb
and Milton all within 4 miles of Bledington, in the late 1700s.
No recorded incidents of Morris dancing in Bledington itself exist before the mid-19thC, when a side from Bledington were remembered as having danced at Bledington and nearby Fifield. The dances performed by sides from Idbury and Fifield were described to Sharp as being essentially the same as those at Bledington and there was sufficient similarity to the Longborough
dances (taught by Henry Taylor) for men from these villages to dance as one set in 1887. As far as revealed by the records the style we know as Bledington probably first entered the records with John Lainchbury, a farm labourer from Rissington. He was the senior member of the set dancing in Idbury between 1850 and 1870, but the existence of an earlier side has been implied by a local historian.
Charles Benfield began playing the pipe and tabour for the Morris in the 1850s and 'inherited' the instruments from the renowned Sherborne and Northleach
musician Jim 'the laddie' Simpson, who died from an overdose of alcohol in 1856. He eventually went on to become a key character in the local Morris playing for Milton-under-Wychwood
, Idbury, Fyfield and Longborough. By the early 1880s, Benfield eventually led what became known as the junior side comprising dancers born in the 1860s. These included men like George Hathaway, Lewis Hall
, William Roberts and the Kerry (Carey) brothers, who were able to pass on their knowledge to the Travelling Morrice when they visited Bledington in the 1930s. By the late 1880s Benfield found it difficult to maintain a complete side and dancing continued sporadically until the late 1890s
Some of the Bledington dancers were very colourful characters. George Hathaway believed that 'you couldn't dance unless you were three part...'. They toured with other sides like Longborough and Lower Swell
, and there is an interesting description of Fools 'competing' having a breath holding competition with their heads in a rain barrel.
Some 25 Bledington dances have been collected, all but 2 with handkerchiefs.
The B4450, a secondary road linking Stow-on-the-Wold
with Chipping Norton
, runs through Bledington, near Kingham
and through Churchill Village
. Through traffic usually uses the faster A436 between Stow-on-the-Wold
with Chipping Norton
, due to the shorter distance and a 5-minute saving in journey time.
Rail
The village is a short walk from Kingham station
which has trains running to Oxford
, London
and Worcester
.
The Cotswold Line Promotion Group represents users of the railway line between Oxford, Worcester and Hereford and organises special excursions and events.
The River Evenlode
runs past the village.
The history of Bledington (1066–1914) was chronicled by M. K. Ashby
in her book The Changing English Village.
A picture of sheep grazing on the village green in 1986 can be seen on the BBC's Domesday Reloaded webpage.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the Cotswold
Cotswold (district)
Cotswold is a local government district in Gloucestershire in England. It is named after the wider Cotswolds region. Its main town is Cirencester....
district of Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, located about four miles south-east of Stow-on-the-Wold
Stow-on-the-Wold
Stow-on-the-Wold is a market town and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It is situated on top of an 800 ft hill, at the convergence of a number of major roads through the Cotswolds, including the Fosse Way . The town was founded as a planned market place by Norman lords to take...
and six miles south-west of Chipping Norton. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 503.
Church
St.Leonard's Church, Bledington, dates from 1170: 12th century work includes the nave, pillars, tub font & sanctus bellcote: 13th century south aisle; 14th century windows; 15th century tower, stained glass & tiny Chantry chapel: open bell-chamber & ring of six bells.The bells are frequently rung and practice is usually held on a Monday evening.
Mid-morning services on the 3rd & 4th Sundays seek to cater for families, as this and youth work are high priorities. The benefice now has a Families & Youth Work Curate living in Bledington Vicarage.
There is also a very regular older congregation which enjoys the Prayer Book services at 8 am and 6 pm.
The village has a Prayer Group. Independently there is a Mothers & Toddlers Group ('Bledington Baby & Toddler Group'), and the well-established Bledington Care Committee.
Inn
The 16th-century King's Head Inn, overlooking the village greenVillage green
A village green is a common open area which is a part of a settlement. Traditionally, such an area was often common grass land at the centre of a small agricultural settlement, used for grazing and sometimes for community events...
, was awarded Dining Pub of the Year by the Good Pub Guide in 2001, and also provides accommodation.
Bledington School
Bledington has its own primary school, Bledington School, which was awarded 'Outstanding' by OFSTEDOfsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
in 2011, putting it in the top 9% of primary schools nationally.
Bledington Shop Committee
Bledington's village shop closed in 2006. The Post OfficePost office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
element of the shop is now continued in the King's Head a couple of mornings each week and the Bledington Shop Committee is endeavouring to re-establish a community shop in Bledington in new premises, pending planning permission.
Bledington Music Festival
The Bledington Music Festival is an annual music event which takes place over three summer evenings in June and features top class performers from all over the world.The Festival has grown every year since it was established in 2000 when Thomas Trotter, the current President, gave a recital at Bledington; the popularity of that occasion gave rise to this successful three day Music Festival. Over the years the festival has welcomed many performers. Each concert is unique and outstanding, many artists having performed all over the world.
Bledington and Foscot News
The Bledington and Foscot News, a magazine containing local news and events, is distributed monthly and is subsidised by local donations.Village of the Year
The village won the Community category of the 2004 Calor Gloucestershire Village of the Year. The judges "were very impressed with the amount of activity in the community, considering the fact that the population is under 400. Its ability to run a large number of community events, ranging from the annual village fete to two flower shows and a music festival is impressive – as is the range of activities which take place in the village hall. We were also impressed with the provision the village makes for older people through the local church’s Care Committee and with the fact that it supports a village shop."Morris Dancing
It is more than 100 years since the continuum of Morris dancing in the Bledington region came to an end. We cannot be certain of the exact date as the final appearances of the men were sporadic.Charles Benfield ensured a link which touched almost 4 generations of dancers and his enduring enthusiasm eventually enabled the dances to be recorded by Cecil Sharp
Cecil Sharp
Cecil James Sharp was the founding father of the folklore revival in England in the early 20th century, and many of England's traditional dances and music owe their continuing existence to his work in recording and publishing them.-Early life:Sharp was born in Camberwell, London, the eldest son of...
and later demonstrated and refined by the Travelling Morrice.
Bledington is close to the Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
-Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
border. Lying on the Oxfordshire Way, its village green still retains its Victorian maypole
Maypole
A maypole is a tall wooden pole erected as a part of various European folk festivals, particularly on May Day, or Pentecost although in some countries it is instead erected at Midsummer...
. Its Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
Church has a bell (1639) proclaiming 'Charles is King', reflecting the views of the local gentry at the time of the Civil War
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
.
The Bledington area is rich in Morris history, one of the earliest recorded events being a paid performance by Morris dancers at a private house in Sherborne
Sherborne
Sherborne is a market town in northwest Dorset, England. It is sited on the River Yeo, on the edge of the Blackmore Vale, east of Yeovil. The A30 road, which connects London to Penzance, runs through the town. The population of the town is 9,350 . 27.1% of the population is aged 65 or...
, 8 miles away, at Whitsun
Whitsun
Whitsun is the name used in the UK for the Christian festival of Pentecost, the seventh Sunday after Easter, which commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Christ's disciples...
in 1711. Another recorded event took place in Churchill in 1721 just 3 miles to the north-east of Bledington when a Morris team (probably local) were paid six shillings for dancing at a Whitsun Ale. There is also evidence that sides were active in Rissington, Icomb
Icomb
Icomb is a quiet Gloucestershire village in the Cotswolds, close to Stow on the Wold, with typical Cotswold stone cottages, and the parish church of St Mary the Virgin which was built in the mid 13th century. The tomb of Sir John Blaket, a knight who fought with Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt,...
and Milton all within 4 miles of Bledington, in the late 1700s.
No recorded incidents of Morris dancing in Bledington itself exist before the mid-19thC, when a side from Bledington were remembered as having danced at Bledington and nearby Fifield. The dances performed by sides from Idbury and Fifield were described to Sharp as being essentially the same as those at Bledington and there was sufficient similarity to the Longborough
Longborough
Longborough is a village and civil parish north of the market town of Stow on the Wold, Gloucestershire.The village is about east of the A424, around west of the Fosse Way and is on the Heart of England Way....
dances (taught by Henry Taylor) for men from these villages to dance as one set in 1887. As far as revealed by the records the style we know as Bledington probably first entered the records with John Lainchbury, a farm labourer from Rissington. He was the senior member of the set dancing in Idbury between 1850 and 1870, but the existence of an earlier side has been implied by a local historian.
Charles Benfield began playing the pipe and tabour for the Morris in the 1850s and 'inherited' the instruments from the renowned Sherborne and Northleach
Northleach
Northleach is a small Cotswold market town in Gloucestershire, England. It constitutes the major part of the civil parish of Northleach with Eastington.The nearest railway stations are Moreton-in-Marsh, Kingham and Shipton on the Cotswold Line....
musician Jim 'the laddie' Simpson, who died from an overdose of alcohol in 1856. He eventually went on to become a key character in the local Morris playing for Milton-under-Wychwood
Milton-under-Wychwood
Milton-under-Wychwood is a village and civil parish about north of Burford, Oxfordshire, just off the A361 road between Burford and Chipping Norton.-History:The village is one of three named after the ancient forest of Wychwood...
, Idbury, Fyfield and Longborough. By the early 1880s, Benfield eventually led what became known as the junior side comprising dancers born in the 1860s. These included men like George Hathaway, Lewis Hall
Lewis Hall
Lewis R. Hall was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.-Biography:...
, William Roberts and the Kerry (Carey) brothers, who were able to pass on their knowledge to the Travelling Morrice when they visited Bledington in the 1930s. By the late 1880s Benfield found it difficult to maintain a complete side and dancing continued sporadically until the late 1890s
Some of the Bledington dancers were very colourful characters. George Hathaway believed that 'you couldn't dance unless you were three part...'. They toured with other sides like Longborough and Lower Swell
Lower Swell
Lower Swell is a village and a parish in Gloucestershire. It is located at the River Dikler, one mile from Stow-on-the-Wold. The village has "finest countryside, a tranquil village green and plenty of mellow stone cottages". The village church is dedicated to St...
, and there is an interesting description of Fools 'competing' having a breath holding competition with their heads in a rain barrel.
Some 25 Bledington dances have been collected, all but 2 with handkerchiefs.
Transport
RoadThe B4450, a secondary road linking Stow-on-the-Wold
Stow-on-the-Wold
Stow-on-the-Wold is a market town and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It is situated on top of an 800 ft hill, at the convergence of a number of major roads through the Cotswolds, including the Fosse Way . The town was founded as a planned market place by Norman lords to take...
with Chipping Norton
Chipping Norton
Chipping Norton is a market town in the Cotswold Hills in the West Oxfordshire district of Oxfordshire, England, about southwest of Banbury.-History until the 17th century:...
, runs through Bledington, near Kingham
Kingham
Kingham is a village and civil parish in the Cotswolds about southwest of Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.-History:The Church of England parish church of Saint Andrew has a 15th century Perpendicular Gothic west tower. The remainder of the church was rebuilt in 1852-1853...
and through Churchill Village
Churchill, Oxfordshire
Churchill is a village and civil parish about southwest of Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.-History:...
. Through traffic usually uses the faster A436 between Stow-on-the-Wold
Stow-on-the-Wold
Stow-on-the-Wold is a market town and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It is situated on top of an 800 ft hill, at the convergence of a number of major roads through the Cotswolds, including the Fosse Way . The town was founded as a planned market place by Norman lords to take...
with Chipping Norton
Chipping Norton
Chipping Norton is a market town in the Cotswold Hills in the West Oxfordshire district of Oxfordshire, England, about southwest of Banbury.-History until the 17th century:...
, due to the shorter distance and a 5-minute saving in journey time.
Rail
The village is a short walk from Kingham station
Kingham railway station
Kingham railway station in Oxfordshire is between the Oxfordshire village of Kingham and the Gloucestershire village of Bledington, to which it is closer...
which has trains running to Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
.
The Cotswold Line Promotion Group represents users of the railway line between Oxford, Worcester and Hereford and organises special excursions and events.
Other information
Bledington is famed for its ducks which live all around the brook and village green; traffic through the village is warned of "ducks crossing".The River Evenlode
River Evenlode
The River Evenlode is a river in England which is a tributary of the Thames in Oxfordshire. It rises near Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire in the Cotswold Hills and flows south-east passing near Stow-on-the-Wold, Charlbury, Bladon, and Cassington, and its valley provides the route of the southern...
runs past the village.
The history of Bledington (1066–1914) was chronicled by M. K. Ashby
M. K. Ashby
Mabel Kathleen Ashby was an educationalist, writer and historian born in Tysoe, Warwickshire, England.-Early life:...
in her book The Changing English Village.
A picture of sheep grazing on the village green in 1986 can be seen on the BBC's Domesday Reloaded webpage.