Sedgeberrow
Encyclopedia
Sedgeberrow is a village and civil parish in the Wychavon
district of Worcestershire
, England
, about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Evesham
. It stands beside the River Isbourne, a tributary of the River Avon.
Sedgeberrow is an ancient manor
. In AD 777 King Offa of Mercia
granted Segcgesbearuue or Secgesbearuue to King Ealdred
, of Hwicce, which was part of the Kingdom of Mercia
. Ealdred in turn granted Sedgeberrow to the Bishop of Worcester. In 1086 the Domesday Book
recorded that Seggesbarwe was held by the monks of Worcester Priory
. In 1539-40 the Crown dissolved the Priory
and in 1542 it granted Segebarowe to the Dean and Chapter
of Worcester Cathedral
. After the English Civil War
the Commonwealth of England
sold off Sedgborowe manor house in 1651 and its lands in 1654. In 1660 the Stuart monarchy was restored
and Sedgeberrow was restored to the Dean and Chapter. In 1859 the manor was transferred to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners
, who continued to hold it until the 20th century.
The Church of England parish church
of Saint Mary the Virgin
was consecrated in 1331. It has a small western bell tower with a spire
and three bells. The oldest was cast in 1623 by Godwin Baker of Worcester
, the next by Henry Bagley of Chacombe in 1665 and the last by Abraham Rudhall of Gloucester
in 1718. The church was restored in 1868 and a vestry was added in 1900, but its original 14th century form is largely unchanged. The parish is now part of the Benefice of Hampton
with Sedgeberrow and Hinton-on-the-Green
.
A 17th century half-timbered cottage in the southern part of the village includes the remains of an earlier stone building. The remains include two gothic
windows, from which the authors of the Victoria County History concluded that the building was probably a chapel.
After the dissolution of the monasteries, Worcester Priory's manor house in Sedgeberrow was demolished and a half-timbered court house was built on the site. A chimney stack on one side of the house bears the date 1572. Several half-timbered cottages in the village from the 17th century also survive.
Sedgeberrow is on the main road between Evesham and Cheltenham
. In the 18th century this road was improved as the Cleeve and Evesham Turnpike. In 1923 the road was classified as part of the A435
. More recently the part of the A435 between Teddington, Gloucestershire
and Alcester
has been reclassified as part of the A46 road
. The main road now passes Sedgeberrow on a bypass slightly north of the village, crossing the Isbourne on a new bridge.
On 20 July 2007 the Isbourne burst its banks and flooded the village. The Environment Agency
has flood defences for the village but they were overwhelmed.
The village has a public house
, the Queen's Head. In 2007 It was acquired by the Hook Norton Brewery
.
Sedgeberrow has a Women's Institute that meets at the village hall
. Although the village has always been in Worcestershire, the WI belongs to the Gloucestershire
Federation of Women's Institutes.
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...
, about 3 miles (4.8 km) south 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...
. It stands beside the River Isbourne, a tributary of the River Avon.
History
The Toponymy has evolved through forms including Secgesbearawe in the 10th century, Seggesbereg or Shegeberwe in the 13th century and Seggeberugh in the 14th century. Other forms of the name from different periods are cited in the course of the history of the manor.Sedgeberrow is an ancient 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...
. In AD 777 King Offa of Mercia
Offa of Mercia
Offa was the King of Mercia from 757 until his death in July 796. The son of Thingfrith and a descendant of Eowa, Offa came to the throne after a period of civil war following the assassination of Æthelbald after defeating the other claimant Beornred. In the early years of Offa's reign it is likely...
granted Segcgesbearuue or Secgesbearuue to King Ealdred
Ealdred of Hwicce
Ealdred was king of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Hwicce, jointly with Eanberht and Uhtred.In 757 Eanberht, Uhtred, and Ealdred, granted land to Bishop Milred, and in 759 to Abbot Headda. In 778 Ealdred received a grant of land from Offa, King of Mercia....
, of Hwicce, which was part of the Kingdom of Mercia
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
. Ealdred in turn granted Sedgeberrow to the Bishop of Worcester. In 1086 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...
recorded that Seggesbarwe was held by the monks of Worcester Priory
Worcester Cathedral
Worcester Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Worcester, England; situated on a bank overlooking the River Severn. It is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Worcester. Its official name is The Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Mary the Virgin of Worcester...
. In 1539-40 the Crown dissolved the Priory
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...
and in 1542 it granted Segebarowe to the Dean and Chapter
Chapter (religion)
Chapter designates certain corporate ecclesiastical bodies in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Nordic Lutheran churches....
of Worcester Cathedral
Worcester Cathedral
Worcester Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Worcester, England; situated on a bank overlooking the River Severn. It is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Worcester. Its official name is The Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Mary the Virgin of Worcester...
. After the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
the Commonwealth of England
Commonwealth of England
The Commonwealth of England was the republic which ruled first England, and then Ireland and Scotland from 1649 to 1660. Between 1653–1659 it was known as the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland...
sold off Sedgborowe manor house in 1651 and its lands in 1654. In 1660 the Stuart monarchy was restored
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
and Sedgeberrow was restored to the Dean and Chapter. In 1859 the manor was transferred to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners
Ecclesiastical Commissioners
Ecclesiastical Commissioners were, in England and Wales, a body corporate, whose full title is Ecclesiastical and Church Estates Commissioners for England. The commissioners were authorized to determine the distribution of revenues of the Church of England, and they made extensive changes in how...
, who continued to hold it until the 20th century.
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 Mary the Virgin
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...
was consecrated in 1331. It has a small western bell tower with a spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
and three bells. The oldest was cast in 1623 by Godwin Baker of Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
, the next by Henry Bagley of Chacombe in 1665 and the last by Abraham Rudhall of Gloucester
Rudhall of Gloucester
Rudhall of Gloucester was a family business of bell founders in the city of Gloucester, England, who between 1684 and 1835 produced over 5,000 bells. The business was founded by Abraham Rudhall and the earliest ring of bells he cast was for St Nicholas' Church, Oddington in 1684. He came to be...
in 1718. The church was restored in 1868 and a vestry was added in 1900, but its original 14th century form is largely unchanged. The parish is now part of the Benefice of Hampton
Hampton, Worcestershire
Hampton is an area of Evesham in Worcestershire, England having formerly been a separate village.It is linked to the nearby town of Evesham by the ancient Hampton Ferry.-Hampton floods July 2007 :...
with Sedgeberrow and Hinton-on-the-Green
Hinton-on-the-Green
Hinton-on-the-Green is a village and civil parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire in England. It is situated at the foot of Bredon Hill about two miles south of Evesham....
.
A 17th century half-timbered cottage in the southern part of the village includes the remains of an earlier stone building. The remains include two gothic
English Gothic architecture
English Gothic is the name of the architectural style that flourished in England from about 1180 until about 1520.-Introduction:As with the Gothic architecture of other parts of Europe, English Gothic is defined by its pointed arches, vaulted roofs, buttresses, large windows, and spires...
windows, from which the authors of the Victoria County History concluded that the building was probably a chapel.
After the dissolution of the monasteries, Worcester Priory's manor house in Sedgeberrow was demolished and a half-timbered court house was built on the site. A chimney stack on one side of the house bears the date 1572. Several half-timbered cottages in the village from the 17th century also survive.
Sedgeberrow is on the main road between Evesham and Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
. In the 18th century this road was improved as the Cleeve and Evesham Turnpike. In 1923 the road was classified as part of the A435
A435 road
The A435 is a main road in England running between Birmingham and Cirencester .-Birmingham to Alcester:...
. More recently the part of the A435 between Teddington, Gloucestershire
Teddington, Gloucestershire
Teddington is a village and parish in Gloucestershire, England.The village boasts an ancient church that is thought to be over 1000 years old. The interior wall has a partially faded mural of The Lion and the Unicorn that may date from the 17th century....
and Alcester
Alcester
Alcester is an old market town of Roman origin at the junction of the River Alne and River Arrow in Warwickshire, England. It is situated approximately west of Stratford-upon-Avon, and 8 miles south of Redditch, close to the Worcestershire border...
has been reclassified as part of the A46 road
A46 road
The A46 is an A road in England. It starts east of Bath, Somerset and ends in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, but it does not form a continuous route. Large portions of the old road have been lost, bypassed, or replaced by motorway development...
. The main road now passes Sedgeberrow on a bypass slightly north of the village, crossing the Isbourne on a new bridge.
On 20 July 2007 the Isbourne burst its banks and flooded the village. The Environment Agency
Environment Agency
The Environment Agency is a British non-departmental public body of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and an Assembly Government Sponsored Body of the Welsh Assembly Government that serves England and Wales.-Purpose:...
has flood defences for the village but they were overwhelmed.
Amenities
Sedgeberrow has a Church of England First School.The village 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 Queen's Head. In 2007 It was acquired by the Hook Norton Brewery
Hook Norton Brewery
Hook Norton Brewery is a regional brewery in Hook Norton, Oxfordshire, England, founded in 1849. The brewing plant is a traditional Victorian "tower" brewery in which all the stages of the brewing process flow logically from floor to floor; mashing at the top, boiling in the middle, fermentation...
.
Sedgeberrow has a Women's Institute that meets at the 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...
. Although the village has always been in Worcestershire, the WI belongs to the Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
Federation of Women's Institutes.