East Hagbourne
Encyclopedia
East Hagbourne is a village and civil parish about 1.3 miles (2.1 km) south of Didcot
and 11 miles (17.7 km) south of Oxford
. It was part of Berkshire
until the 1974 boundary changes
transferred it to Oxfordshire.
is derived from Hacca's Brook, a stream that flows through the village. East Hagbourne was sometimes called Church Hagbourne.
East and West Hagbourne
have been separate villages since the time of Edward the Confessor
, when Regenbald, a priest of Cirencester
, held the manor
of East Hagbourne. Regenbald continued to hold the manor after the Norman conquest of England
in 1066 and compilation of the Domesday Book
in 1086. Regenbald died in the reign of Henry I
, who then granted East Hagbourne manor to the Augustinians Cirencester Abbey
(founded 1117). The abbey continued to hold the manor until 1539, when it surrendered its lands to the Crown
in the Dissolution of the Monasteries
.
of the Church of England parish church
of Saint Andrew
may have been built in the 12th century. The south aisle was added early in the 13th century. It is linked with the nave by a three-bays
arcade
. It was followed a few years later by the south chapel, which is alongside the chancel
and linked to it by a two-bay arcade. The chancel arch was built in the middle of the 13th century. The north aisle, also of three bays, was added about 1340, followed by the Decorated Gothic north chapel, which is alongside the chancel and linked with it by a two-bay arcade.
On the floor of the north chapel are memorial brasses
commemorating Claricia Wyndesor - quare fieri fecit istam capellam (died 1403) and her husband John York fundator istius Ile (died 1404). Nikolaus Pevsner
takes this to mean that the north chapel was built early in the 15th century, which surprised him as its Decorated Gothic style had been succeeded by Perpendicular Gothic around 1350. However, the south aisle and south chapel were rebuilt in the Perpendicular Gothic style early in the 15th century so Page and Ditchfield conclude that the brasses of Clarice Windsor and John York were formerly in the south chapel and moved at a later date.
The south chapel has a squint
into the chancel. The chapel was re-roofed in the 17th century.
The arch supporting the west bell tower
is 14th century Decorated Gothic but style of the rest of the tower is Perpendicular Gothic. A Perpendicular Gothic clerestorey was added to the nave in the 15th century. The east window of the chancel is also Perpendicular, from late in the 15th century.
The tower has a ring
of eight bells. The oldest bell was cast in 1602 by Joseph Carter, who in 1606 became the Master Founder at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
. Two more were cast by Ellis Klight of Reading
in 1641 and the fourth by Henry Knight in 1670. Another was cast in 1751 by Thomas Lester, Master Founder at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. The treble bell was cast in Hagbourne by Robert Wells in 1770 and the tenor was cast by his son (also Robert) in 1781. Mears and Stainbank at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry cast the youngest bell in 1910.
St. Andrew's is now a member of the Churn Benefice
.
ashlar
stone details. It is no longer a chapel but is now a private house.
Buildings and structures of particular interest are:
in 1644, Oliver Cromwell billetted 6000 horsemen in East Hagbourne. During this time it is believed the church and Upper Cross were damaged. A tiny window, only three inches square, in a house on Main Road, is said to have been used to spy on the Cromwellian troops.
On 10 March 1659 fire spread through the village, burning down a considerable number of thatched houses. In 1661 Charles II
issued a proclamation requesting for aid to be sent to the village. A sum was received from Londoners and, in return, East Hagbourne sent money to London after the Great Fire of London
in 1666. The Hagbourne fire could explain the number of well preserved houses from after this era. The village has numerous old timber-framed houses, both around the village cross and along the main street. Coscote Manor, about 0.5 miles (804.7 m) west of the village, is a timber-framed 17th century house with fretwork
bargeboard
s and an Ipswich window.
Hagbourne Church of England
Primary School is in East Hagbourne and was built in 1874.
The Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway
was built through the parish, passing west of the village and east of Coscote on the still extant Hagbourne Embankment - one of the lines most notable civil engineering features, built upon chalk excavated from the passage of the line over the Berkshire downs. It was opened in 1881. There was no station in the parish; the nearest being at Upton and . British Rail
ways closed the line to passenger traffic in 1962 and freight in 1967.
Since December 2006 a South Didcot bypass road has been proposed. This would require the demolition of part of East Hagbourne, particularly houses in the New Road area.
Opposite the school is Hagbourne Village Hall
, shared by East and West Hagbourne and used regularly for village events. In 2010 the building was extended with an additional meeting room, new toilets and storage. There is a large hall (with stage), small hall and kitchen for hire.
East Hagbourne has a public house
, The Fleur de Lys. There is a small Post Office and a village shop in New Road, run by local volunteers.
In 1996, 1999, 2003 and 2004 East Hagbourne was awarded the title of Best Kept Village
in Oxfordshire, while in 2009 the village was one of nine UK finalists in the Royal Horticultural Society
’s Britain in Bloom
competition.
The village holds several events each year. These include an annual fun run
on the May Day bank holiday
, typically of 4.5 miles (7.2 km) to 5.5 miles (8.9 km), which involves a run around the surrounding area, including the villages of Blewbury
and Upton
. There is an annual "scarecrow trail", a village fête
and, in August, a duck race on Hacca's Brook. In recent years a Mummers Play
has toured the village in December.
, part of the BBC
television series Doctor Who
, were filmed in the village in July 1975.
Didcot
Didcot is a town and civil parish in Oxfordshire about south of Oxford. Until 1974 it was in Berkshire, but was transferred to Oxfordshire in that year, and from Wallingford Rural District to the district of South Oxfordshire...
and 11 miles (17.7 km) south of 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...
. It was part of Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
until the 1974 boundary changes
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
transferred it to Oxfordshire.
Manor
East Hagbourne's toponymToponymy
Toponymy is the scientific study of place names , their origins, meanings, use and typology. The word "toponymy" is derived from the Greek words tópos and ónoma . Toponymy is itself a branch of onomastics, the study of names of all kinds...
is derived from Hacca's Brook, a stream that flows through the village. East Hagbourne was sometimes called Church Hagbourne.
East and West Hagbourne
West Hagbourne
West Hagbourne is a village and civil parish in the Berkshire Downs south of Didcot. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire and from the former Wallingford Rural District to the district of South Oxfordshire....
have been separate villages since the time of Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor also known as St. Edward the Confessor , son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England and is usually regarded as the last king of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 to 1066....
, when Regenbald, a priest of Cirencester
Cirencester
Cirencester is a market town in east Gloucestershire, England, 93 miles west northwest of London. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in the Cotswold District. It is the home of the Royal Agricultural College, the oldest agricultural...
, held 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 East Hagbourne. Regenbald continued to hold the manor after the Norman conquest of England
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
in 1066 and compilation of 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...
in 1086. Regenbald died in the reign of Henry I
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
, who then granted East Hagbourne manor to the Augustinians Cirencester Abbey
Cirencester Abbey
Cirencester Abbey in Gloucestershire was founded as an Augustinian monastery in 1117 on the site of an earlier church, the oldest-known Saxon church in England, which had itself been built on the site of a Roman structure. The church was greatly enlarged in the 14th century with addition of an...
(founded 1117). The abbey continued to hold the manor until 1539, when it surrendered its lands to the Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
in 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...
.
Church of England
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...
of the Church of England parish church
Church 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 Andrew
Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew , called in the Orthodox tradition Prōtoklētos, or the First-called, is a Christian Apostle and the brother of Saint Peter. The name "Andrew" , like other Greek names, appears to have been common among the Jews from the 3rd or 2nd century BC. No Hebrew or Aramaic name is recorded for him...
may have been built in the 12th century. The south aisle was added early in the 13th century. It is linked with the nave by a 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:...
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....
. It was followed a few years later by the south chapel, which is alongside 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 linked to it by a two-bay arcade. The chancel arch was built in the middle of the 13th century. The north aisle, also of three bays, was added about 1340, followed by the Decorated Gothic north chapel, which is alongside the chancel and linked with it by a two-bay arcade.
On the floor of the north chapel are memorial brasses
Monumental brass
Monumental brass is a species of engraved sepulchral memorial which in the early part of the 13th century began to partially take the place of three-dimensional monuments and effigies carved in stone or wood...
commemorating Claricia Wyndesor - quare fieri fecit istam capellam (died 1403) and her husband John York fundator istius Ile (died 1404). Nikolaus Pevsner
Nikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
takes this to mean that the north chapel was built early in the 15th century, which surprised him as its Decorated Gothic style had been succeeded by Perpendicular Gothic around 1350. However, the south aisle and south chapel were rebuilt in the Perpendicular Gothic style early in the 15th century so Page and Ditchfield conclude that the brasses of Clarice Windsor and John York were formerly in the south chapel and moved at a later date.
The south chapel has a squint
Hagioscope
A hagioscope or squint, in architecture, is an opening through the wall of a church in an oblique direction, to enable the worshippers in the transepts or other parts of the church, from which the altar was not visible, to see the elevation of the host.Hagioscopes were also sometimes known as...
into the chancel. The chapel was re-roofed in the 17th century.
The arch supporting the west 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...
is 14th century Decorated Gothic but style of the rest of the tower is Perpendicular Gothic. A Perpendicular Gothic clerestorey was added to the nave in the 15th century. The east window of the chancel is also Perpendicular, from late in the 15th century.
The tower 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 eight bells. The oldest bell was cast in 1602 by Joseph Carter, who in 1606 became the Master Founder at 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...
. Two more were cast by Ellis Klight of Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
in 1641 and the fourth by Henry Knight in 1670. Another was cast in 1751 by Thomas Lester, Master Founder at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. The treble bell was cast in Hagbourne by Robert Wells in 1770 and the tenor was cast by his son (also Robert) in 1781. Mears and Stainbank at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry cast the youngest bell in 1910.
St. Andrew's is now a member of the Churn Benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
.
Primitive Methodist
A Primitive Methodist chapel was built in East Hagbourne in the 19th century. It is a red brick building with Gothic RevivalGothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
stone details. It is no longer a chapel but is now a private house.
Other Notable Buildings and Structures
There are at least 45 Listed Buildings of of Special Architectural or Historic Interest currently identified in East Hagbourne. These include the Church of St Andrew (mentioned above) which is the only Grade I listed example in the village. The majority of Listed Buildings in East Hagbourne are individual houses and cottages, particularly on Main Road and Church Close, which are all Grade II and dating from the mid C17th.Buildings and structures of particular interest are:
- The Village Cross (known as the Upper Cross) which is Grade II* listed. This can be found at the junction of Main Road and Church Close. This stone cross dates from the 15th century with 18th century additions. It is raised on a base of 5 deep stone steps.
- Hagbourne Mill Farm Mill, which is Grade II* listed (it is located some way to the south of the village and not generally accessible to the public). This dates from the early 18th century with 'modernisation' dating from c.1828.
- Tomb of the Phillips family, in the churchyard, Grade II* listed. Matthew Phillips, carpenter to the King, is mentioned below. This is an attractive chest tomb in white and grey marble.
- Kings Holme (opposite the chicken orchard) is Grade II listed but has an earlier date than most buildings. The central building dates from the 16th century ('1591' is carved over the back door).
- Tudor House (opposite the School) is a very prominent 3-storey farmhouse with thatched barn opposite the Village Cross, in an attractive setting with village allotments to one side. It has unusual wooden panelling in the front room and an original corkscrew staircase to the rear.
Economic and social history
During the English Civil WarEnglish Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
in 1644, Oliver Cromwell billetted 6000 horsemen in East Hagbourne. During this time it is believed the church and Upper Cross were damaged. A tiny window, only three inches square, in a house on Main Road, is said to have been used to spy on the Cromwellian troops.
On 10 March 1659 fire spread through the village, burning down a considerable number of thatched houses. In 1661 Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
issued a proclamation requesting for aid to be sent to the village. A sum was received from Londoners and, in return, East Hagbourne sent money to London after the Great Fire of London
Great Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of London, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman City Wall...
in 1666. The Hagbourne fire could explain the number of well preserved houses from after this era. The village has numerous old timber-framed houses, both around the village cross and along the main street. Coscote Manor, about 0.5 miles (804.7 m) west of the village, is a timber-framed 17th century house with fretwork
Fretwork
Fretwork is an interlaced decorative design that is either carved in low relief on a solid background, or cut out with a fretsaw, coping saw, jigsaw or scroll saw. Most fretwork patterns are geometric in design. The materials most commonly used are wood and metal. Fretwork is used to adorn...
bargeboard
Bargeboard
Bargeboard is a board fastened to the projecting gables of a roof to give them strength and to mask, hide and protect the otherwise exposed end of the horizontal timbers or purlins of the roof to which they were attached...
s and an Ipswich window.
Hagbourne Church of England
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 is in East Hagbourne and was built in 1874.
The Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway
Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway
The Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway was a cross-country railway running north-south between Didcot, Newbury and Southampton although it actually reached the latter by running over the London and South Western Railway tracks from Shawford Junction, south of Winchester...
was built through the parish, passing west of the village and east of Coscote on the still extant Hagbourne Embankment - one of the lines most notable civil engineering features, built upon chalk excavated from the passage of the line over the Berkshire downs. It was opened in 1881. There was no station in the parish; the nearest being at Upton and . 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 line to passenger traffic in 1962 and freight in 1967.
Since December 2006 a South Didcot bypass road has been proposed. This would require the demolition of part of East Hagbourne, particularly houses in the New Road area.
Amenities and events
In addition to St Andrew's Church, East Hagbourne has a Church of England Primary School on Main Road.Opposite the school is Hagbourne Village Hall
Village hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
, shared by East and West Hagbourne and used regularly for village events. In 2010 the building was extended with an additional meeting room, new toilets and storage. There is a large hall (with stage), small hall and kitchen for hire.
East Hagbourne has a public house
Public 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 Fleur de Lys. There is a small Post Office and a village shop in New Road, run by local volunteers.
In 1996, 1999, 2003 and 2004 East Hagbourne was awarded the title of Best Kept Village
Best kept village
A best kept village is a village that has won an annual competition in the UK for its tidiness, appropriateness and typicality...
in Oxfordshire, while in 2009 the village was one of nine UK finalists in the Royal Horticultural Society
Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 in London, England as the Horticultural Society of London, and gained its present name in a Royal Charter granted in 1861 by Prince Albert...
’s Britain in Bloom
Britain in Bloom
RHS Britain in Bloom, supported by Anglian Home Improvements, is the largest horticultural campaign in the United Kingdom. It was first held in 1963, initiated by the British Tourist Board based on the example set by Fleurissement de France. It has been organised by the Royal Horticultural Society ...
competition.
The village holds several events each year. These include an annual fun run
Fun run
A fun run is a friendly race that involves either road running or cross country running with participants taking part for their own enjoyment rather than competition. A fun run will usually be held to raise funds for a charity, with sponsors providing the revenue to cover organisational costs...
on the May Day bank holiday
Bank Holiday
A bank holiday is a public holiday in the United Kingdom or a colloquialism for public holiday in Ireland. There is no automatic right to time off on these days, although the majority of the population is granted time off work or extra pay for working on these days, depending on their contract...
, typically of 4.5 miles (7.2 km) to 5.5 miles (8.9 km), which involves a run around the surrounding area, including the villages of Blewbury
Blewbury
Blewbury is a village and civil parish at the foot of the Berkshire Downs about south of Didcot. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire.-Prehistory:...
and Upton
Upton, Oxfordshire
Upton is a spring line village and civil parish at the foot of the Berkshire Downs, south of Didcot in the Vale of the White Horse district, Oxfordshire, England...
. There is an annual "scarecrow trail", a village fête
Fête
Fête is a French word meaning festival, celebration or party, which has passed into English as a label that may be given to certain events.-Description:It is widely used in England and Australia in the context of a village fête,...
and, in August, a duck race on Hacca's Brook. In recent years a Mummers Play
Mummers Play
Mummers Plays are seasonal folk plays performed by troupes of actors known as mummers or guisers , originally from England , but later in other parts of the world...
has toured the village in December.
Film and television
Several episodes of The Android InvasionThe Android Invasion
The Android Invasion is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 22 November to 13 December 1975. It marks the last appearance of UNIT Character Sergeant Benton...
, part of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, were filmed in the village in July 1975.
Notable Residents
- Matthew Phillips (c.1689-1736), Carpenter to King George IGeorge I of Great BritainGeorge I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
and King George IIGeorge II of Great BritainGeorge II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
of Great Britain, lived in East Hagbourne and is buried in St Andrew's churchyard. - TV chef Keith FloydKeith FloydKeith Floyd was a British celebrity chef, television personality and restaurateur, who hosted cooking shows for the BBC and published many books combining cookery and travel...
married in East Hagbourne and lived in a cottage in the village for a short time.