Offenham
Encyclopedia
Offenham is a large rural village and civil parish in the Wychavon
district of Worcestershire
, England
, located about three miles east of Evesham
, in the Vale of Evesham. The River Avon
flows through Offenham. The civil parish extends beyond the area of the settlement of Offenham and includes Blackminster Middle School and the Blackminster Trading Estate. It was awarded the title of Calor Worcestershire Village of the Year in 2004.
by the Benedictine
Abbot
s of Evesham Abbey
in the 13th century, the old grange stood where Court Farm now stands. The grange was established to enclose the large flocks of sheep needed by the Abbots to trade wool with Flanders
.
During the Dissolution of the Monasteries
the grange became crown property and Henry VIII
granted both Offenham and Evesham to Philip Hoby
, one of his English Ambassadors. The grange and park later became the property of the Hazelwood family until the mid-18th century when it was sub-divided, by this time the village had formed an adequate farming and market gardening community.
Offenham village is noted for its 64 ft maypole
, the tallest of only six permanent maypoles remaining in England. On May Day
there is maypole dancing, morris dancing and the crowning of the Queen of the May. It is not known for how long Offenham has had a maypole but the tradition dates back to medieval times.
The village church was built in 1538 and rebuilt in 1861/2 by Fredrick Preedy who was born in Offenham in 1820.
, British impressionist
and actor, was born in Offenham.
Wychavon
Wychavon is a local government district in Worcestershire, England. Its council is based in Pershore. Other towns in the district include Droitwich Spa, Evesham and Broadway. The district extends from the south-east corner of Worcestershire north and west...
district 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...
, 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...
, located about three miles east of Evesham
Evesham
Evesham is a market town and a civil parish in the Local Authority District of Wychavon in the county of Worcestershire, England with a population of 22,000. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon...
, in the Vale of Evesham. The River Avon
River Avon, Warwickshire
The River Avon or Avon is a river in or adjoining the counties of Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire in the Midlands of England...
flows through Offenham. The civil parish extends beyond the area of the settlement of Offenham and includes Blackminster Middle School and the Blackminster Trading Estate. It was awarded the title of Calor Worcestershire Village of the Year in 2004.
History
Offenham was founded as a monastic grange and medieval deer parkMedieval deer park
A medieval deer park was an enclosed area containing deer. It was bounded by a ditch and bank with a wooden park pale on top of the bank. The ditch was typically on the inside, thus allowing deer to enter the park but preventing them from leaving.-History:...
by the 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...
Abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
s of Evesham Abbey
Evesham Abbey
Evesham Abbey was founded by Saint Egwin at Evesham in England between 700 and 710 A.D. following a vision of the Virgin Mary by Eof.According to the monastic history, Evesham came through the Norman Conquest unusually well, because of a quick approach by Abbot Æthelwig to William the Conqueror...
in the 13th century, the old grange stood where Court Farm now stands. The grange was established to enclose the large flocks of sheep needed by the Abbots to trade wool with Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
.
During 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...
the grange became crown property and Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
granted both Offenham and Evesham to Philip Hoby
Philip Hoby
Sir Philip Hoby was a 16th century English Ambassador to the Holy Roman Empire and Flanders....
, one of his English Ambassadors. The grange and park later became the property of the Hazelwood family until the mid-18th century when it was sub-divided, by this time the village had formed an adequate farming and market gardening community.
Maypole
Maypole
A maypole is a tall wooden pole erected as a part of various European folk festivals, particularly on May Day, or Pentecost although in some countries it is instead erected at Midsummer...
, the tallest of only six permanent maypoles remaining in England. On May Day
May Day
May Day on May 1 is an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival and usually a public holiday; it is also a traditional spring holiday in many cultures....
there is maypole dancing, morris dancing and the crowning of the Queen of the May. It is not known for how long Offenham has had a maypole but the tradition dates back to medieval times.
St. Mary & St. Milburgh Church
Notable residents
Alistair McGowanAlistair McGowan
Alistair McGowan is a British impressionist, stand-up comic, actor, singer and writer best known to British audiences for The Big Impression , which was, for four years, one of BBC1's top-rating comedy programmes - winning numerous awards, including a BAFTA in 2003...
, British impressionist
Impressionist (entertainment)
An impressionist or a mimic is a performer whose act consists of imitating the voice and mannerisms of others. The word usually refers to a professional comedian/entertainer who specializes in such performances and has developed a wide repertoire of impressions, including adding to them, often to...
and actor, was born in Offenham.