Everdon
Encyclopedia
Everdon is a village
in the Daventry district
of the county of Northamptonshire
in England
some two miles (3 km) south of Daventry.
Nearby The Stubbs is a wood belonging to the Woodland Trust
, a UK conservation
charity
. The village's former school is now an activities centre for conservation studies.
To its north is the hamlet of Little Everdon
and to its south the shrunken village of Snorscombe
.
. Land for 1 plough
. 2 villains and 2 bordars and 6 acres (24,281.2 m²) of meadow
.
In the middle ages, Everdon Priory
was a small Benedictine
priory
, located at the eastern end of the village, close to a group of fish pools, which are still extant. It was a daughter house of the abbey of Bernay
, in Normandy
, and was granted lordship of the manor
of Everdon. Like most alien priories, it was dissolved in 1415 under an Act of Henry V
. In 1440 Henry VI
granted the property of the priory to the newly-founded Eton College, which established a manor house
on the site. A junior branch of the Spencer family from Badby
took up the lease of the Eton College Manor house around 1500. The manor of Everdon should not be confused with the neighbouring manor of Little Everdon
, where the Cluniac monks of Daventry Priory had a mill and land.
The land was inclosed by Act of Parliament in 1764:
1801 111 houses 585 inhabitants
1811 116 houses 578 inhabitants
1821 122 houses 640 inhabitants
A charity school was established in Everdon in 1813, and in the same year an independent meeting house opened.
In the spring the area is covered with its famous carpet of bluebells, extremely well known throughout the County. Everdon Stubbs is currently open to the public and has recently had a large amount of conservation work, mainly carried out by a local business, E M Pell Ltd.
Local ironstone was used in the construction of the church, and it is believed that the Bernay Monks were involved in the work, importing their own stonemason from France to complete the work. The parts of the building still visible, which date from the 14th century, include the north doorway, the north aisle and east windows which are detailed with unusual tracery.
Some say that it was the Churchyard of St Mary’s and not St Giles, Stoke Poges
that was the inspiration for Thomas Gray
’s famous elegy “In an English Churchyard”. This theory suggested by Rev. H. Cavalier, the rector of Great Brington in 1926 is based on observations comparing the two churchyards and the lines in the poem.
To coincide with the bluebells of Everdon Stubbs in the spring, a team of village residents host the 'Bluebell Teas' in the village hall, with the hope that people visiting the woods will drop by. It is well supported by many villagers.
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...
in the Daventry district
Daventry (district)
The Daventry district is the largest local government district of western Northamptonshire, England. The district is named after the town of Daventry which is the administrative headquarters and largest town...
of the county of Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
in 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...
some two miles (3 km) south of Daventry.
Nearby The Stubbs is a wood belonging to the Woodland Trust
Woodland Trust
The Woodland Trust is a conservation charity in the United Kingdom concerned with the protection and sympathetic management of native woodland heritage.-History:...
, a UK conservation
Conservation ethic
Conservation is an ethic of resource use, allocation, and protection. Its primary focus is upon maintaining the health of the natural world: its, fisheries, habitats, and biological diversity. Secondary focus is on materials conservation and energy conservation, which are seen as important to...
charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
. The village's former school is now an activities centre for conservation studies.
To its north is the hamlet of Little Everdon
Little Everdon
Little Everdon is a small hamlet in the civil parish of Everdon. Lying on the Nene Way long-distance footpath, its parkland, large stone houses and manor house are typical of English countryside....
and to its south the shrunken village of Snorscombe
Snorscombe
Snorscombe is a ruined hamlet, located to the south of Everdon in the English county of Northamptonshire. Its rural location, now on private land, makes it extremely hard to access.- History :The hamlet was once a thriving community...
.
History
Domesday entry: Bishop of Bayeux's fief. William held half a hide in Great Everdon. Soke of land lies in FawsleyFawsley
Fawsley is a hamlet and civil parish in the Daventry district of the county of Northamptonshire, England. The population at the 2001 census was 32....
. Land for 1 plough
Plough
The plough or plow is a tool used in farming for initial cultivation of soil in preparation for sowing seed or planting. It has been a basic instrument for most of recorded history, and represents one of the major advances in agriculture...
. 2 villains and 2 bordars and 6 acres (24,281.2 m²) of meadow
Meadow
A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
.
In the middle ages, Everdon Priory
Everdon Priory
Everdon Priory was a priory in Northamptonshire, England. The village of Everdon is located about 6km south-east of the town of Daventry....
was a small Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
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...
, located at the eastern end of the village, close to a group of fish pools, which are still extant. It was a daughter house of the abbey of Bernay
Bernay, Eure
Bernay is a commune in the west of the Eure department about fifty km from Évreux in northern France. The city is in the Pays d'Ouche and the Lieuvin...
, 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:...
, and was granted lordship of the manor
Manor
-Land tenure:*Manor, an estate in land of the mediaeval era in England*Manorialism, a system of land tenure and organization of the rural economy and society in parts of medieval Europe based on the manor*Manor house, the principal house of a manor...
of Everdon. Like most alien priories, it was dissolved in 1415 under an Act of Henry V
Henry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
. In 1440 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...
granted the property of the priory to the newly-founded Eton College, which established a 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...
on the site. A junior branch of the Spencer family from Badby
Badby
Badby is a village and a rural parish of about in the Daventry district of the county of Northamptonshire, England.-Location:Badby is about south of Daventry, on the A361 Daventry to Banbury road. It is bisected west to east, at about above sea level, by the upper reaches of the River Nene...
took up the lease of the Eton College Manor house around 1500. The manor of Everdon should not be confused with the neighbouring manor of Little Everdon
Little Everdon
Little Everdon is a small hamlet in the civil parish of Everdon. Lying on the Nene Way long-distance footpath, its parkland, large stone houses and manor house are typical of English countryside....
, where the Cluniac monks of Daventry Priory had a mill and land.
The land was inclosed by Act of Parliament in 1764:
1801 111 houses 585 inhabitants
1811 116 houses 578 inhabitants
1821 122 houses 640 inhabitants
A charity school was established in Everdon in 1813, and in the same year an independent meeting house opened.
Everdon Stubbs
Everdon Stubbs is a deciduous woodland covering an area of approximately 100 acre (0.404686 km²) and was once a famous hunting covert. The land now covered by the woods was originally grazing land for Wild Boar, through which Everdon gets its name (from Old English eofer-dūnboar hill').In the spring the area is covered with its famous carpet of bluebells, extremely well known throughout the County. Everdon Stubbs is currently open to the public and has recently had a large amount of conservation work, mainly carried out by a local business, E M Pell Ltd.
St. Mary's Church
Located at the centre of the village, the church dates from the 14th century, and was built in the decorated style. It has been suggested that an earlier structure may have sat at this site prior to the current building. The list of incumbents reveals that a rector, Eias Capellinus de Everdone, was appointed in 1218 and the font certainly predates the current church.Local ironstone was used in the construction of the church, and it is believed that the Bernay Monks were involved in the work, importing their own stonemason from France to complete the work. The parts of the building still visible, which date from the 14th century, include the north doorway, the north aisle and east windows which are detailed with unusual tracery.
Some say that it was the Churchyard of St Mary’s and not St Giles, Stoke Poges
Stoke Poges
Stoke Poges is a village and civil parish in the South Buckinghamshire district of Buckinghamshire, England. It is in the south of the county, about three miles north of Slough and a mile east of Farnham Common....
that was the inspiration for Thomas Gray
Thomas Gray
Thomas Gray was a poet, letter-writer, classical scholar and professor at Cambridge University.-Early life and education:...
’s famous elegy “In an English Churchyard”. This theory suggested by Rev. H. Cavalier, the rector of Great Brington in 1926 is based on observations comparing the two churchyards and the lines in the poem.
Village Events
The village has a very good community spirit and regularly holds several annual functions, one of which is the Grand Fete, usually held on the bank holiday Monday in August. In more recent times, the Everdon Bonfire and Fireworks party, which began in 2006, has become a very successful event, raising funds for the church restoration fund.To coincide with the bluebells of Everdon Stubbs in the spring, a team of village residents host the 'Bluebell Teas' in the village hall, with the hope that people visiting the woods will drop by. It is well supported by many villagers.
External links
- Everdon.info & Everdon.com Village Websites