Blockley
Encyclopedia
Blockley is a village
and civil parish in the Cotswold district
of Gloucestershire
, England
, about 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of Moreton-in-Marsh
. Until 1931 Blockley was an exclave
of Worcestershire
.
The civil parish includes the hamlets
of Draycott
, Paxford and Aston Magna
, and the deserted hamlets of Northwick
and Upper Ditchford
.
Blockley village is on Blockley Brook, a tributary of Knee Brook. Knee Brook forms the northeastern boundary of the parish and is a tributary of the River Stour
.
granted a monastery at Blockley to Ealhhun
, Bishop of Worcester
for the price of 300 solidi
. In 1086 the Domesday Book
recorded that the Bishop of Worcester held an estate of 38 hides
at Blockley. The Bishops of Worcester retained the estate until 1648, during the English Civil War
, when the Parliamentary Trustees sold it. After the restoration of the English monarchy
the estate was restored to the Bishop of Worcester, whose successors held the manor until at least 1781.
of St. Peter and St. Paul
is late Norman
, built in about 1180. The chancel
is of three bays
but only one of the six Norman lancet window
s, that at the east end of the north wall, survives unaltered. At the end of the 13th century a two-storey extension was added on the north side of the chancel. The upper floor is a chantry chapel and the lower is a vestry. In about 1310 the east window of the chancel
was inserted and at least two of the windows in the south wall of the chancel were enlarged in the Decorated Gothic style. At the end of the 14th century the north aisle was added, linked with the nave
by an arcade
of four bays. The large Perpendicular Gothic window in the middle of the south wall of the chancel was inserted in the 15th century, replacing the Norman original.
The south porch was added in 1630, the clerestorey was added to the nave in 1636 and the north arcade was probably rebuilt in the same century. The bell tower
was built in 1725, probably replacing an earlier one. The west gallery
was inserted in 1735. The church was restored
and the north porch added in 1871. By 1854 the tower had a ring
of six bells, of which the two oldest were cast in 1638 and the remainder in 1679, 1683, 1729 and 1854. Since then the bells have been increased to a ring of eight. The parish is now part of a single benefice with the parishes of Bourton-on-the-Hill
and Paxford.
The Baptist
Chapel was built in 1835.
primary school.
Much of the parish was farmed under an open field system
until 1772, when an Act of Parliament
provided for the enclosure of the remaining common land
s.
The Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway
, built between 1845 and 1851, passes through the parish. Blockley railway station was more than 1.5 miles (2.4 km) northeast of the village and nearer to Paxford. British Rail
ways closed Blockley station in the 20th century but the railway remains open as part of the Cotswold Line
. The nearest station still open is .
Blockley is home to Watsonian Squire
, the largest UK manufacturer of sidecar
s and trailers
for motorcycle
s. It has been based in the village since 1984.
s. The Crown Inn and Hotel is a former coaching inn
. The Great Western Arms belongs to the Hook Norton Brewery
. and
The Post Office
closed in 2007. In May 2008, under a co-operative agreement, the village residents opened a new local not for profit store that is a grocer, newsagent, post office, off-licence and café with free broadband
. An advertisement was filmed for the shop by the director Chris Jury
who lives in the village.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and civil parish in the Cotswold district
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....
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...
, about 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of Moreton-in-Marsh
Moreton-in-Marsh
Moreton-in-Marsh is a town and civil parish in northeastern Gloucestershire, England. The town is at the crossroads of the Fosse Way Roman road and the A44. The parish and environs are relatively flat and low-lying compared with the surrounding Cotswold Hills...
. Until 1931 Blockley was an exclave
Enclave and exclave
In political geography, an enclave is a territory whose geographical boundaries lie entirely within the boundaries of another territory.An exclave, on the other hand, is a territory legally or politically attached to another territory with which it is not physically contiguous.These are two...
of Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
.
The civil parish includes the hamlets
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of Draycott
Draycott, Gloucestershire
Draycott is a small village located in north Gloucestershire between Moreton-in-Marsh and Blockley.It is not mentioned in Domesday Book but was in existence by 1182.- External links :* **...
, Paxford and Aston Magna
Aston Magna
Aston Magna is a hamlet located off Fosse Way in north Gloucestershire between Moreton-in-Marsh and Shipston-on-Stour.- See also :*Corpse roads...
, and the deserted hamlets of Northwick
Northwick Park, Gloucestershire
Northwick Park is a residential estate and business centre near Blockley in Gloucestershire, built in the grounds of the former family seat of the Rushout family, the Barons Northwick. The Northwick Park mansion, now divided into residential accommodation, is a Grade 1 listed building...
and Upper Ditchford
Upper Ditchford
Upper Ditchford is an abandoned village to the west of the Fosse Way between Moreton-in-Marsh and Stretton on Fosse now in the county of Gloucestershire, England but formerly located in Warwickshire....
.
Blockley village is on Blockley Brook, a tributary of Knee Brook. Knee Brook forms the northeastern boundary of the parish and is a tributary of the River Stour
River Stour, Warwickshire
The River Stour is a river in Warwickshire, England. It is a tributary of the Avon, which it joins at Stratford-upon-Avon. The source of the River Stour is in Traitors Ford; it joins the Avon at Clifford Chambers....
.
Manor
In AD 855 King Burgred of MerciaBurgred of Mercia
Burgred or Burhred or Burghred was the king of Mercia .-Rule:Burgred succeeded to the throne in 852, and in 852 or 853 called upon Ethelwulf of Wessex to aid him in subduing northern Wales. The request was granted and the campaign proved successful, the alliance being sealed by the marriage of...
granted a monastery at Blockley to Ealhhun
Ealhhun
Ealhhun was a medieval Bishop of Worcester.He was consecrated between 845 and 848. He died in 872.-References:* Powicke, F. Maurice and E. B. Fryde Handbook of British Chronology 2nd. ed. London:Royal Historical Society 1961-External links:*...
, Bishop of Worcester
Bishop of Worcester
The Bishop of Worcester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury, England. He is the head of the Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury...
for the price of 300 solidi
Solidus (coin)
The solidus was originally a gold coin issued by the Romans, and a weight measure for gold more generally, corresponding to 4.5 grams.-Roman and Byzantine coinage:...
. In 1086 the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
recorded that the Bishop of Worcester held an estate of 38 hides
Hide (unit)
The hide was originally an amount of land sufficient to support a household, but later in Anglo-Saxon England became a unit used in assessing land for liability to "geld", or land tax. The geld would be collected at a stated rate per hide...
at Blockley. The Bishops of Worcester retained the estate until 1648, during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, when the Parliamentary Trustees sold it. After the restoration of the English monarchy
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
the estate was restored to the Bishop of Worcester, whose successors held the manor until at least 1781.
Churches
The Church of England parish churchChurch of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of St. Peter and St. Paul
Feast of Saints Peter and Paul
The Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, or the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, is a liturgical feast in honour of the martyrdom in Rome of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul, which is observed on 29 June...
is late 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...
, built in about 1180. The chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
is of three bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
but only one of the six Norman lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
s, that at the east end of the north wall, survives unaltered. At the end of the 13th century a two-storey extension was added on the north side of the chancel. The upper floor is a chantry chapel and the lower is a vestry. In about 1310 the east window of the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
was inserted and at least two of the windows in the south wall of the chancel were enlarged in the Decorated Gothic style. At the end of the 14th century the north aisle was added, linked with the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
by an arcade
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
of four bays. The large Perpendicular Gothic window in the middle of the south wall of the chancel was inserted in the 15th century, replacing the Norman original.
The south porch was added in 1630, the clerestorey was added to the nave in 1636 and the north arcade was probably rebuilt in the same century. The bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
was built in 1725, probably replacing an earlier one. The west gallery
West gallery music
West Gallery Music, also known as "Georgian psalmody" refers to the sacred music sung and played in English parish churches, as well as nonconformist chapels, from 1700 to around 1850...
was inserted in 1735. The church was restored
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
and the north porch added in 1871. By 1854 the tower had a ring
Change ringing
Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called "changes". It differs from many other forms of campanology in that no attempt is made to produce a conventional melody....
of six bells, of which the two oldest were cast in 1638 and the remainder in 1679, 1683, 1729 and 1854. Since then the bells have been increased to a ring of eight. The parish is now part of a single benefice with the parishes of Bourton-on-the-Hill
Bourton-on-the-Hill
Bourton-on-the-Hill is a village and civil parish in the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England, about two miles west of Moreton-in-Marsh. According to the 2001 Census it had a population of 309....
and Paxford.
The Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Chapel was built in 1835.
Economic and social history
In 1715 the Vicar, the Rev. Dr. Erasmus Sanders, had a new school built for the parish. Blockley still has a Church of EnglandVoluntary controlled school
A voluntary controlled school is a state-funded school in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in which a foundation or trust has some formal influence in the running of the school...
primary school.
Much of the parish was farmed under an open field system
Open field system
The open field system was the prevalent agricultural system in much of Europe from the Middle Ages to as recently as the 20th century in some places, particularly Russia and Iran. Under this system, each manor or village had several very large fields, farmed in strips by individual families...
until 1772, when an Act of Parliament
Acts of Parliament in the United Kingdom
An Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom is a type of legislation called primary legislation. These Acts are passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom at Westminster, or by the Scottish Parliament at Edinburgh....
provided for the enclosure of the remaining common land
Common land
Common land is land owned collectively or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel...
s.
The Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway
Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway
The Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton railway was a company authorised on 4 August 1845 to construct a railway line from the Oxford and Rugby Railway at Wolvercot Junction to Worcester, Stourbridge, Dudley, and Wolverhampton, with a branch to the Grand Junction Railway at Bushbury...
, built between 1845 and 1851, passes through the parish. Blockley railway station was more than 1.5 miles (2.4 km) northeast of the village and nearer to Paxford. British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
ways closed Blockley station in the 20th century but the railway remains open as part of the Cotswold Line
Cotswold Line
The Cotswold Line is an railway line between and in England.-Route:The line comprises all or part of the following Network Rail routes:*GW 200 from Oxford*GW 310 from Wolvercot Junction*GW 300 from Norton Junction*GW 340 from Worcester Shrub Hill...
. The nearest station still open is .
Blockley is home to Watsonian Squire
Watsonian Squire
Watsonian Squire is a British manufacturer of sidecars and trailers for attachment to motorcycles. The company was established in 1912 by Thomas Fredrick Watson as the Patent Collapsible Sidecar Company Ltd. at Balsall Heath, Birmingham, England. The company is also the United Kingdom distributor...
, the largest UK manufacturer of sidecar
Sidecar
A sidecar is a one-wheeled device attached to the side of a motorcycle, scooter, or bicycle, producing a three-wheeled vehicle.-History:A sidecar appeared in a cartoon by George Moore in the January 7, 1903, issue of the British newspaper Motor Cycling. Three weeks later, a provisional patent was...
s and trailers
Motorcycle trailer
Motorcycle trailer is a term used to describe a trailer used either to carry motorcycles or to be pulled behind a motorcycle in order to carry additional gear.-For carrying motorcycles:...
for motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
s. It has been based in the village since 1984.
Amenities
Blockley has two public housePublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s. The Crown Inn and Hotel is a former coaching inn
Coaching inn
In Europe, from approximately the mid-17th century for a period of about 200 years, the coaching inn, sometimes called a coaching house or staging inn, was a vital part of the inland transport infrastructure, as an inn serving coach travelers...
. The Great Western Arms belongs to the Hook Norton Brewery
Hook Norton Brewery
Hook Norton Brewery is a regional brewery in Hook Norton, Oxfordshire, England, founded in 1849. The brewing plant is a traditional Victorian "tower" brewery in which all the stages of the brewing process flow logically from floor to floor; mashing at the top, boiling in the middle, fermentation...
. and
The Post Office
Post 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...
closed in 2007. In May 2008, under a co-operative agreement, the village residents opened a new local not for profit store that is a grocer, newsagent, post office, off-licence and café with free broadband
Broadband
The term broadband refers to a telecommunications signal or device of greater bandwidth, in some sense, than another standard or usual signal or device . Different criteria for "broad" have been applied in different contexts and at different times...
. An advertisement was filmed for the shop by the director Chris Jury
Chris Jury
Chris Jury is an English actor/writer/director with a range of television credits. He is best known for his role as Eric Catchpole in the antique trade drama Lovejoy starring Ian McShane, which he played between 1986 and 1993...
who lives in the village.