Chacombe
Encyclopedia
Chacombe is a village and civil parish in South Northamptonshire
, about 3 miles (5 km) northeast of Banbury
in neighbouring Oxfordshire
. It has sometimes been spelt Chalcombe. The parish is bounded to the west by the River Cherwell
, to the north by a tributary of the Cherwell and to the southeast by the main road between Banbury and Syresham
.
(1154–1189) Hugh de Chacombe, lord of the manor
of Chacombe, founded a priory
of Augustinian
canons
on low-lying land just west of the village close to the stream. Hugh de Chacombe gave the priory endowments including a yardland
at South Newington. In about 1225 the priory's property included eight tenement
s in Banbury, seven of which it retained until the Dissolution of the Monasteries
in the 1530's. By the time of the Hundred Rolls
in 1279 the priory owned a tenement in Warwick
, where it expanded its holdings until it owned a substantial number of tenements and cottages by the time of the Dissolution.
On 27 September 1535 Sir John Tregonwell
reported to Thomas Cromwell:
When the priory was suppressed in 1536 its property included land at Boddington, Northamptonshire
, Rotherby, Leicestershire
and Wardington
, Oxfordshire, and a tenement at Thorpe Mandeville
. Today the only visible remains of the priory are a small chapel apparently built in the 13th century and a set of mediaeval fishponds.
Part of the priory site is now occupied by a house, also called Chacombe Priory. The house has a large Elizabethan
porch and a late 17th century staircase, and was remodelled in the Georgian
era.
of Saints Peter and Paul
is the Norman
font
. The current building is essentially Decorated Gothic from the early part of the 14th century, including the three-bay
arcades
either side of the nave
. The north aisle has a 14th century wall painting of Saint Peter
being crucified upside-down
. It is one of only two wall paintings of Saint Peter's crucifixion known in England, the other being in the parish church at Ickleton
in Cambridgeshire
.
The bell tower
has a ring
of six bells. William Bagley of Chacombe cast four of them including the treble bell in 1694. John Briant of Hertford
cast the present fifth bell in 1790 and the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
cast the present tenor bell in 2009.
The parish of SS. Peter and Paul is now a member of the Chenderit benefice.
, casting more than 440 bells for churches in England including the four 1694 bells in Chacombe parish church. Master-founders at Chacombe included Henry I Bagley (active 1630-84), Matthew I Bagley (active 1679-90), Henry II Bagley (active 1679-1703), William Bagley (active 1687-1712), Henry III Bagley (active 1706-46) and Matthew III Bagley (active 1740-82). Henry II Bagley also ran another foundry at Ecton
and Henry III Bagley also ran one at Witney
.
Chacombe's village school was founded in 1868. It is now Chacombe Church of England (Aided)
Primary School.
In 1900 the Great Central Railway
's branch line between and was built through the northern edge of Chacombe parish. In 1911 the railway opened just north of the village on Wardington Road. British Rail
ways closed the halt in 1956 and the line in 1966.
, the George and Dragon, controlled by Everards Brewery. Chacombe has a village hall.
The Cherwell Edge Golf Course lies in the parish to the south-east of the village.
South Northamptonshire
South Northamptonshire is a local government district in Northamptonshire, England. Its council is based in Towcester.The district is rural and sparsely populated with just over 79,293 people in 2000 and 91,000 in 2008, a 14.8% increase. The largest town in the district is Brackley, which has a...
, about 3 miles (5 km) northeast of Banbury
Banbury
Banbury is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. It is northwest of London, southeast of Birmingham, south of Coventry and north northwest of the county town of Oxford...
in neighbouring Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
. It has sometimes been spelt Chalcombe. The parish is bounded to the west by the River Cherwell
River Cherwell
The River Cherwell is a river which flows through the Midlands of England. It is a major tributary of the River Thames.The general course of the River Cherwell is north to south and the 'straight-line' distance from its source to the Thames is about...
, to the north by a tributary of the Cherwell and to the southeast by the main road between Banbury and Syresham
Syresham
Syresham is a village and civil parish in the English district of South Northamptonshire. It is near Brackley town and close to Silverstone Circuit. It is surrounded by villages and hamlets such as Biddlesden, Whitfield, Northamptonshire, Helmdon, Silverstone and Wappenham, and the border with...
.
Priory
In the reign of Henry IIHenry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
(1154–1189) Hugh de Chacombe, lord of the manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Chacombe, founded a priory
Priory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
of Augustinian
Augustinians
The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...
canons
Canons Regular
Canons Regular are members of certain bodies of Canons living in community under the Augustinian Rule , and sharing their property in common...
on low-lying land just west of the village close to the stream. Hugh de Chacombe gave the priory endowments including a yardland
Virgate
The virgate or yardland was a unit of land area measurement used in medieval England, typically outside the Danelaw, and was held to be the amount of land that a team of two oxen could plough in a single annual season. It was equivalent to a quarter of a hide, so was nominally thirty acres...
at South Newington. In about 1225 the priory's property included eight tenement
Tenement
A tenement is, in most English-speaking areas, a substandard multi-family dwelling, usually old, occupied by the poor.-History:Originally the term tenement referred to tenancy and therefore to any rented accommodation...
s in Banbury, seven of which it retained until the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
in the 1530's. By the time of the Hundred Rolls
Hundred Rolls
The Hundred Rolls are a census of England and parts of what is now Wales taken in the late thirteenth century. Often considered an attempt to produce a second Domesday Book, they are named for the hundreds by which most returns were recorded....
in 1279 the priory owned a tenement in Warwick
Warwick
Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England. The town lies upon the River Avon, south of Coventry and just west of Leamington Spa and Whitnash with which it is conjoined. As of the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 23,350...
, where it expanded its holdings until it owned a substantial number of tenements and cottages by the time of the Dissolution.
On 27 September 1535 Sir John Tregonwell
John Tregonwell
Sir John Tregonwell was an English jurist, a principal agent of Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell in the Dissolution of the Monasteries.-Life:...
reported to Thomas Cromwell:
At Chacombe the prior is newly come, and is competently well learned in Holy Scripture. He is bringing into some order his canons, who are rude and unlearned. I am only afraid that he is too familiar and easy with them.
When the priory was suppressed in 1536 its property included land at Boddington, Northamptonshire
Boddington, Northamptonshire
Boddington is a civil parish in South Northamptonshire, England, about north-east of Banbury off the A361 road.The parish includes the villages of Upper Boddington and Lower Boddington. Upper Boddington is the larger of the two, on a hill close to the boundary between Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire...
, Rotherby, Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
and Wardington
Wardington
Wardington is a village and civil parish in Oxfordshire, about northeast of Banbury. The village consists of two parts, Lower Wardington and Upper Wardington...
, Oxfordshire, and a tenement at Thorpe Mandeville
Thorpe Mandeville
Thorpe Mandeville is a village and civil parish in South Northamptonshire, England about northeast of Banbury in neighbouring Oxfordshire. The hamlet of Lower Thorpe lies just north of the village....
. Today the only visible remains of the priory are a small chapel apparently built in the 13th century and a set of mediaeval fishponds.
Part of the priory site is now occupied by a house, also called Chacombe Priory. The house has a large Elizabethan
Elizabethan architecture
Elizabethan architecture is the term given to early Renaissance architecture in England, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Historically, the period corresponds to the Cinquecento in Italy, the Early Renaissance in France, and the Plateresque style in Spain...
porch and a late 17th century staircase, and was remodelled in the Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
era.
Parish church
The earliest part of 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 Saints Peter and 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 the 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...
font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
. The current building is essentially Decorated Gothic from the early part of the 14th century, including the three-bay
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:...
arcades
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....
either side of 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...
. The north aisle has a 14th century wall painting of Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
being crucified upside-down
Cross of St. Peter
The Cross of St. Peter or Petrine Cross is an inverted Latin cross traditionally used as a Christian symbol, but in recent times also used widely as an anti-Christ symbol .-In Christianity:The origin of this symbol comes from the Catholic tradition that Simon Peter was crucified upside...
. It is one of only two wall paintings of Saint Peter's crucifixion known in England, the other being in the parish church at Ickleton
Ickleton
Ickleton is a village on the Cambridgeshire–Essex border in England. It grew at the point where the ancient Icknield Way crossed the River Cam, so it is likely that some form of habitation has existed on the site since prehistoric times...
in Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
.
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...
has 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. William Bagley of Chacombe cast four of them including the treble bell in 1694. John Briant of Hertford
Hertford
Hertford is the county town of Hertfordshire, England, and is also a civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of the county. Forming a civil parish, the 2001 census put the population of Hertford at about 24,180. Recent estimates are that it is now around 28,000...
cast the present fifth bell in 1790 and the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
Whitechapel Bell Foundry
The Whitechapel Bell Foundry is a bell foundry in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London. The foundry is listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain...
cast the present tenor bell in 2009.
The parish of SS. Peter and Paul is now a member of the Chenderit benefice.
Social and economic history
From 1605 until 1785 the Bagley family of Chacombe were bellfoundersBellfounding
Bellfounding is the casting of bells in a foundry for use in churches, clocks, and public buildings. A practitioner of the craft is called a bellmaker or bellfounder. The process in Europe dates to the 4th or 5th century. In early times, when a town produced a bell it was a momentous occasion in...
, casting more than 440 bells for churches in England including the four 1694 bells in Chacombe parish church. Master-founders at Chacombe included Henry I Bagley (active 1630-84), Matthew I Bagley (active 1679-90), Henry II Bagley (active 1679-1703), William Bagley (active 1687-1712), Henry III Bagley (active 1706-46) and Matthew III Bagley (active 1740-82). Henry II Bagley also ran another foundry at Ecton
Ecton
Ecton is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, England. The village is just east of Northampton, just off the A4500 road. It was one of the first villages in Northamptonshire to be given conservation status...
and Henry III Bagley also ran one at Witney
Witney
Witney is a town on the River Windrush, west of Oxford in Oxfordshire, England.The place-name 'Witney' is first attested in a Saxon charter of 969 as 'Wyttannige'; it appears as 'Witenie' in the Domesday Book of 1086. The name means 'Witta's island'....
.
Chacombe's village school was founded in 1868. It is now Chacombe Church of England (Aided)
Voluntary 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.
In 1900 the Great Central Railway
Great Central Railway
The Great Central Railway was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension . On 1 January 1923, it was grouped into the London and North Eastern...
's branch line between and was built through the northern edge of Chacombe parish. In 1911 the railway opened just north of the village on Wardington Road. 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 the halt in 1956 and the line in 1966.
Amenities
The village has a 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...
, the George and Dragon, controlled by Everards Brewery. Chacombe has a village hall.
The Cherwell Edge Golf Course lies in the parish to the south-east of the village.