Cogges
Encyclopedia
Cogges is a district beside the River Windrush
in Witney
, Oxfordshire
, 0.5 miles (804.7 m) east of the town centre. It had been a separate village and until 1932 it was a separate civil parish.
of Saint Mary
, the former Vicarage and Cogges Manor Farm
. There was also formerly an 11th century fortified manor house
. Two moat
s survive south of the parish church. One was called Castle Yard, and excavation within the curtilage of the other has revealed massive 12th century foundations.
are Romanesque
and may be either late Saxon or early Norman
. The south aisle was added late in the 12th century, but the two arches of the arcade
between the nave and south aisle were rebuilt in the 13th century. The chancel
and chancel arch were enlarged and rebuilt in the middle of the 13th century. In about 1340 the north chapel
was added, linked with the chancel by an arcade of two bays
and with the 14th century effigy of a lady under one of the arches. The north aisle and adjoining bell tower
were built in about 1350 in the Decorated Gothic style. The present east window of the chancel is also Decorated Gothic. The tower's upper stages are octagonal, possibly in reference to a style of church towers in Normandy
whence the monk
s from Fécamp would have originated. In the 15th century a Perpendicular Gothic style clerestorey was added to the nave and the roofs of the nave, aisles and chancel were all rebuilt in the shallow-pitched late-mediaeval manner. Late in the 15th century the Perpendicular Gothic west window of the nave was inserted. The windows of the north chapel were decorated with stained glass
depicting the heraldry
of the de Grey family
. During the English Civil War
in the 17th century the church was damaged and the heraldic glass was destroyed.
of the Benedictine
Abbey of Fécamp
was founded at Cogges in 1103. The priory became closely associated with the running of the parish church. In 1441 Henry VI
seized the priory and its estates and gave them to Eton College
, which thus acquired control of the parish church as well. The priory fell into disrepair but the remains of a 13th century building have survived in an altered form, with an intermediate floor inserted to make it a two-storey building. Early in the 17th century a wing was added to the surviving building to make it into a farmhouse. In 1859 Eton College sold the priory house to the Diocese of Oxford
to become St. Mary's Vicarage. A high, gabled Victorian wing was added to enlarge the house, so that the 13th century core is now sandwiched between 17th and 19th century additions.
The Domesday Book
records that in 1086 Cogges had a water mill, presumably on the River Windrush. For much of its history Cogges had two water mills: one at the southern tip of the parish and the other north of the Priory. The southern mill was originally called Gold Mill, and its name evolved by 1279 to Gill Mill. By 1670 Gill Mill was being used as a fulling mill and in 1702 and 1712 there were two fulling mills on the site. The last known record of Gill Mill being in operation is from about 1803. The northern mill existed by 1272 and was being used as a fulling mill by 1387. It was still in operation in 1702 but had fallen out of use by 1704.
Cogges Manor Farm House (main article: Cogges Manor Farm Museum
) is a 16th and 17th century house built around the remains of one wing of a manor house that originated in the middle of the 12th century. The remains of the 13th century building were altered in the 16th century and a second wing was added after 1667. In 1974 Oxfordshire County Council
bought the house and converted it into a Cogges Manor Farm Museum
.
An open field system
of farming prevailed in the parish until 1787 when an Act of Parliament
enabled the common land
to be enclosed
.
Cogges was a separate civil parish until 1932, when the former village became part of Witney and the remaining rural parts were divided between the civil parishes of Ducklington
and South Leigh
.
River Windrush
The River Windrush is a river in the English Cotswolds, forming part of the River Thames catchment.The Windrush starts in the Cotswold Hills in Gloucestershire northeast of Taddington, which is north of Guiting Power, Temple Guiting, Ford and Cutsdean...
in 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'....
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, 0.5 miles (804.7 m) east of the town centre. It had been a separate village and until 1932 it was a separate civil parish.
History
The former village centres upon three historic buildings: 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 Saint Mary
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
, the former Vicarage and Cogges Manor Farm
Cogges Manor Farm Museum
The original Manor House was a Cotswold stone building dating from the middle of the 13th century. It originally comprised four ranges built around a courtyard. Of these the 13th century kitchen and part of the hall survive from one range and the dairy incorporates remains of one of the other...
. There was also formerly an 11th century fortified manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
. Two moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
s survive south of the parish church. One was called Castle Yard, and excavation within the curtilage of the other has revealed massive 12th century foundations.
Parish church
St. Mary's parish church had been established by the second half of the 11th century. The walls of the naveNave
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...
are Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
and may be either late Saxon or early 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...
. The south aisle was added late in the 12th century, but the two arches of the 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....
between the nave and south aisle were rebuilt in the 13th century. 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...
and chancel arch were enlarged and rebuilt in the middle of the 13th century. In about 1340 the north chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
was added, linked with the chancel by an arcade of two 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:...
and with the 14th century effigy of a lady under one of the arches. The north aisle and adjoining 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...
were built in about 1350 in the Decorated Gothic style. The present east window of the chancel is also Decorated Gothic. The tower's upper stages are octagonal, possibly in reference to a style of church towers in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
whence the monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s from Fécamp would have originated. In the 15th century a Perpendicular Gothic style clerestorey was added to the nave and the roofs of the nave, aisles and chancel were all rebuilt in the shallow-pitched late-mediaeval manner. Late in the 15th century the Perpendicular Gothic west window of the nave was inserted. The windows of the north chapel were decorated with stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
depicting the heraldry
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
of the de Grey family
Baron Grey of Rotherfield
The title of Baron Grey of Rotherfield was created once in the Peerage of England. On 25 August 1338 Sir John de Grey was summoned to parliament, who was invested as Knight, Order of the Garter ten years later...
. 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...
in the 17th century the church was damaged and the heraldic glass was destroyed.
Benedictine priory
A prioryPriory
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 the Benedictine
Order of Saint Benedict
The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
Abbey of Fécamp
Fécamp Abbey
Fécamp Abbey is a Benedictine abbey in Normandy, northern France.The abbey was the first producer of Bénédictine, a herbal liqueur, based on brandy.-First foundation:...
was founded at Cogges in 1103. The priory became closely associated with the running of the parish church. In 1441 Henry VI
Henry VI of England
Henry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents. Contemporaneous accounts described him as peaceful and pious, not suited for the violent dynastic civil wars, known as the Wars...
seized the priory and its estates and gave them to Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, which thus acquired control of the parish church as well. The priory fell into disrepair but the remains of a 13th century building have survived in an altered form, with an intermediate floor inserted to make it a two-storey building. Early in the 17th century a wing was added to the surviving building to make it into a farmhouse. In 1859 Eton College sold the priory house to the Diocese of Oxford
Diocese of Oxford
-History:The Diocese of Oxford was created in 1541 out of part of the Diocese of Lincoln.In 1836 the Archdeaconry of Berkshire was transferred from the Diocese of Salisbury to Oxford...
to become St. Mary's Vicarage. A high, gabled Victorian wing was added to enlarge the house, so that the 13th century core is now sandwiched between 17th and 19th century additions.
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...
records that in 1086 Cogges had a water mill, presumably on the River Windrush. For much of its history Cogges had two water mills: one at the southern tip of the parish and the other north of the Priory. The southern mill was originally called Gold Mill, and its name evolved by 1279 to Gill Mill. By 1670 Gill Mill was being used as a fulling mill and in 1702 and 1712 there were two fulling mills on the site. The last known record of Gill Mill being in operation is from about 1803. The northern mill existed by 1272 and was being used as a fulling mill by 1387. It was still in operation in 1702 but had fallen out of use by 1704.
Manor Farm
Cogges Manor Farm Museum
The original Manor House was a Cotswold stone building dating from the middle of the 13th century. It originally comprised four ranges built around a courtyard. Of these the 13th century kitchen and part of the hall survive from one range and the dairy incorporates remains of one of the other...
) is a 16th and 17th century house built around the remains of one wing of a manor house that originated in the middle of the 12th century. The remains of the 13th century building were altered in the 16th century and a second wing was added after 1667. In 1974 Oxfordshire County Council
Oxfordshire County Council
Oxfordshire County Council, established in 1889, is the county council, or upper-tier local authority, for the non-metropolitan county of Oxfordshire, in the South East of England, an elected body responsible for the most strategic local government services in the county.-History:County Councils...
bought the house and converted it into a Cogges Manor Farm Museum
Cogges Manor Farm Museum
The original Manor House was a Cotswold stone building dating from the middle of the 13th century. It originally comprised four ranges built around a courtyard. Of these the 13th century kitchen and part of the hall survive from one range and the dairy incorporates remains of one of the other...
.
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...
of farming prevailed in the parish until 1787 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....
enabled the 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...
to be enclosed
Enclosure
Enclosure or inclosure is the process which ends traditional rights such as mowing meadows for hay, or grazing livestock on common land. Once enclosed, these uses of the land become restricted to the owner, and it ceases to be common land. In England and Wales the term is also used for the...
.
Cogges was a separate civil parish until 1932, when the former village became part of Witney and the remaining rural parts were divided between the civil parishes of Ducklington
Ducklington
Ducklington is a village and civil parish on the River Windrush south of Witney in West Oxfordshire.-History:Ducklington is one of the first Saxon parishes to be recorded in Oxfordshire. In a charter of AD 958 King Edgar the Peaceable granted at Ducklington to his Minister, Eanulf...
and South Leigh
South Leigh
South Leigh is a village and civil parish on Limb Brook, a small tributary of the River Thames, about east of Witney in Oxfordshire.-Manor:South Leigh was not mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, but was recorded in 1190 as Stanton Lega....
.