Priors Hardwick
Encyclopedia
Priors Hardwick is a village
and civil parish
in the Stratford district
of Warwickshire
, England
. The name derives from the fact that it was originally a manor belonging to the Prior
s of Coventry
.
The proximity to the drover's road known as the Welsh Road
influenced the village and the naming of local landmarks. The cattle drovers used to water their animals at a pond outside the village, which resulted in it being named Cowpool. This is unusual, since locally, such waterholes were named pits, rather than the welsh-derived name pool (pwyll). London End in the village, and various buildings with welsh in their name also derive from the closeness of the road.
The original settlement is on the government's list of Scheduled Ancient Monument
s with most of the village being enclosed in a Conservation Area.
In 1831 the area of the parish was 1600 acres (6 km²), which was reduced to 1535 acres (6 km²) some time between 1881 and 1891
In 1836 the village became part of the Southam Poor Law
Union which ran a workhouse
in Southam
.
Until 1974, the parish belonged to the Southam Rural District
.
The church in the village is dedicated to St. Mary Blessed Virgin.
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...
and civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the Stratford district
Stratford-on-Avon (district)
Stratford-on-Avon is a local government district of southern Warwickshire in England.The district is named "Stratford-on-Avon" to distinguish it from its main town of Stratford-upon-Avon where the district council is based, although this name often causes confusion .The district is mostly rural and...
of Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, 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...
. The name derives from the fact that it was originally a manor belonging to the Prior
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
s of Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
.
History
The oldest houses in the village are centred on the village green, with The Butcher's Arms dated as 1562, although some sources place it back as far as 1375.The proximity to the drover's road known as the Welsh Road
Welsh Road
The Welsh Road, also known as the Welshman's Road or the Bullock Road, was a drover's road running through the English Midlands, used for transporting cattle from North Wales to the markets of South East England....
influenced the village and the naming of local landmarks. The cattle drovers used to water their animals at a pond outside the village, which resulted in it being named Cowpool. This is unusual, since locally, such waterholes were named pits, rather than the welsh-derived name pool (pwyll). London End in the village, and various buildings with welsh in their name also derive from the closeness of the road.
The original settlement is on the government's list of Scheduled Ancient Monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
s with most of the village being enclosed in a Conservation Area.
In 1831 the area of the parish was 1600 acres (6 km²), which was reduced to 1535 acres (6 km²) some time between 1881 and 1891
In 1836 the village became part of the Southam Poor Law
Poor Law
The English Poor Laws were a system of poor relief which existed in England and Wales that developed out of late-medieval and Tudor-era laws before being codified in 1587–98...
Union which ran a workhouse
Workhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
in Southam
Southam
Southam is a small market town in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England. The 2001 census recorded a population of 6,509 in the town.The nearest sizeable town to Southam is Leamington Spa, located roughly 7 miles to the west...
.
Until 1974, the parish belonged to the Southam Rural District
Southam Rural District
Southam Rural District was a rural district in the county of Warwickshire, England. It was created in 1894 and consisted of 26 parishes, a further six parishes were added in 1932, when the Farnborough Rural District was disbanded...
.
Population
According to census information the population figures have been:- in 1831 there were 69 males aged over 20
- Total Population
Year Total Population Males Females 1801 228 110 118 1811 252 120 132 1821 263 132 131 1831 296 153 143 1841 280 138 142 1851 303 159 144 1861 323 182 141 1871 335 190 145 1881 280 141 139 1891 267 131 136 1901 225 115 110 1911 193 89 104 1921 177 88 89 1931 142 72 70 1951 151 72 79 1961 143 73 70 1971 162 n/a n/a
Agriculture
In an 1801 survey the agricultural output of the parish was:| Crop | Area (acre) | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Wheat | 32 | 40% |
| Barley and Oats | 26 | 33% |
| Potatoes | 2 | 3% |
| Peas and Beans | 19 | 24% |
| Turnips or Rape | 0 | 0 |
| Rye | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | 0 |
Occupations
In an 1831 study the following occupations were categorised:| Occupation | Persons | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Farmers employing Labourers | 9 | 13% |
| Farmers not employing Labourers | 1 | 1% |
| Agricultural Labourers | 39 | 58% |
| Manufacturing | 0 | 0% |
| Retail and Handicrafts | 14 | 20% |
| Capitalists, Professionals | 1 | 1% |
| Labourers (non-agricultural) | 2 | 3% |
| Servants | 3 | 4% |
| Other | 0 | 0 |
Population
According to the 2001 census, the parish consists of 79 households with a population of 167 (80 males and 87 females). Of the 79 households, 63 were owner-occupied, 4 were rented from the council, and 12 were rented from a private landlord. 11 households had no car or van, 27 had one car or van, 23 had two and 18 had three or more. the mean population age was 43.88 and the median was 46. The average distance travelled to a fixed place of work was 24.25 km.Landmarks
The major business in the village is The Butcher's Arms, originally a pub, now a Portuguese restaurant.The church in the village is dedicated to St. Mary Blessed Virgin.