Shustoke
Encyclopedia
Shustoke is a village in the North Warwickshire
district of the county of Warwickshire
in England
.
Shustoke is an ancient village and it existed before Domesday. In 1086 Shustoke was recorded as 'Scotescote' meaning Scots Cottage, as cote means cottage, dwelling or house.
The parish church is St Cuthbert's and was erected in 1307 on the site of an earlier church or chapel. Some remains of a Celtic-type churchyard cross and reused Norman
masonry can be seen. The parish registers are some of the earliest in the country and date from the reign of Henry VIII
. Some are in the handwriting of Sir William Dugdale (see below).
There are many interesting buildings in the parish. Some around the church are typical Arden timber-framing with brick in-fill, dating from the 17th century. Others are The Alms Houses, the moat
ed Shustoke Hall, and a Tithe Barn
at the nearby hamlet
of Church End. It also lies on the Heart of England Way
.
More recently Shustoke Reservoir and the Whitacres (Nether Whitacre
, Over Whitacre
and Whitacre Heath
) have become important in the storage and distribution of drinking water. The pumping station and reservoir originally belonged to the Water Department of the City of Birmingham
, but now they are the responsibility of the Severn Trent Water Authority. The reservoir is a popular leisure site for sailing and walking.
Joseph Harrison, the early seventeenth-century vicar of Shustoke, appears to have enjoyed some notoriety as a drunkard. The justices of the Warwick quarter sessions at Easter, 1635 record that the late vicar was "a man of very lewd condition, much subject to drunkenness" and ruled that William Bull, his father-in-law, was to be responsible for supporting his surviving wife and child. (Quarter Sessions Order Book, Vol. I, p. 210).
Sir William Dugdale (Sir William I), born in the building now known as 'The Old Rectory' in Shawbury Lane on 12 September 1605, is widely regarded as the county's first and greatest antiquarian. He built and lived in Blyth Hall
and was a strong royalist supporter of King Charles I
during the Civil War, being appointed as his 'Garter Principal King of Arms
'. On 10 May 1660 at Coleshill
he read out the proclamation announcing that Charles' son Charles II
was now the King of England
. Dugdale's descendants later bought land near Atherstone
(the site of the former Merevale Abbey) where they built Merevale Hall
. Many of the artefacts of Sir William Dugdale can be seen here, including his ceremonial tabard
as Garter Principal King of Arms
clothes.
During the English Civil War
Shustoke is listed among the towns paying arrears to the garrison at Tamworth in an account drawn up by Captain Thomas Layfield for the period from 1 November 1645 to 1 May 1646. At a weekly rate of £7.5 the total arrears amounted to £108.10. (SP 28/136/31)
The Griffin, a pub in Shustoke was featred in the BBC
programme Oz and Hugh Raise the Bar
. During the series, Oz Clarke
and Hugh Dennis
travelled around the UK collecting the best British drinks before selling the drinks at The Griffin.
North Warwickshire
North Warwickshire is a local government district and borough in Warwickshire, England. The main town in the district is Atherstone where the council is based...
district of the county 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...
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...
.
Shustoke is an ancient village and it existed before Domesday. In 1086 Shustoke was recorded as 'Scotescote' meaning Scots Cottage, as cote means cottage, dwelling or house.
The parish church is St Cuthbert's and was erected in 1307 on the site of an earlier church or chapel. Some remains of a Celtic-type churchyard cross and reused Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
masonry can be seen. The parish registers are some of the earliest in the country and date from the reign of 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...
. Some are in the handwriting of Sir William Dugdale (see below).
There are many interesting buildings in the parish. Some around the church are typical Arden timber-framing with brick in-fill, dating from the 17th century. Others are The Alms Houses, the moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
ed Shustoke Hall, and a Tithe Barn
Tithe barn
A tithe barn was a type of barn used in much of northern Europe in the Middle Ages for storing the tithes - a tenth of the farm's produce which had to be given to the church....
at the nearby hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of Church End. It also lies on the Heart of England Way
Heart of England Way
The Heart of England Way is a long distance walk of around through the Midlands of England. The walk starts from Milford Common on Cannock Chase and ends at Bourton on the Water in the Cotswolds passing through the counties of Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Gloucestershire.The walk provides links...
.
More recently Shustoke Reservoir and the Whitacres (Nether Whitacre
Nether Whitacre
Nether Whitacre is a small village in the North Warwickshire district of the county of Warwickshire in England.It is one of 'The Whitacres' - Nether Whitacre, Over Whitacre and Whitacre Heath although Whitacre Heath is actually the heath of Nether Whitacre and not a separate parish.The village...
, Over Whitacre
Over Whitacre
Over Whitacre is a hamlet in the North Warwickshire district of the county of Warwickshire in England.It is one of 'The Whitacres' – Over Whitacre, Nether Whitacre and Whitacre Heath, although Whitacre heath is actually the heath of Nether Whitacre and not a separate parish.The hamlet appears in...
and Whitacre Heath
Whitacre Heath
Whitacre Heath is a small village in the North Warwickshire district of the county of Warwickshire in England.It is one of 'The Whitacres' - Whitacre Heath, Nether Whitacre and Over Whitacre. Whitacre Heath is actually the heath of Nether Whitacre and not a separate parish.Whitacre Heath is newer...
) have become important in the storage and distribution of drinking water. The pumping station and reservoir originally belonged to the Water Department of the City of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, but now they are the responsibility of the Severn Trent Water Authority. The reservoir is a popular leisure site for sailing and walking.
Joseph Harrison, the early seventeenth-century vicar of Shustoke, appears to have enjoyed some notoriety as a drunkard. The justices of the Warwick quarter sessions at Easter, 1635 record that the late vicar was "a man of very lewd condition, much subject to drunkenness" and ruled that William Bull, his father-in-law, was to be responsible for supporting his surviving wife and child. (Quarter Sessions Order Book, Vol. I, p. 210).
Sir William Dugdale (Sir William I), born in the building now known as 'The Old Rectory' in Shawbury Lane on 12 September 1605, is widely regarded as the county's first and greatest antiquarian. He built and lived in Blyth Hall
Blyth Hall
Blyth Hall is a privately owned mansion house situated near Shustoke, Warwickshire. It is a Grade I listed building.The estate was purchased by William Dugdale a prominent antiquarian in 1625 who shortly thereafter built himself a new house on the site...
and was a strong royalist supporter of King Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
during the Civil War, being appointed as his 'Garter Principal King of Arms
Garter Principal King of Arms
The Garter Principal King of Arms is the senior King of Arms, and the senior Officer of Arms of the College of Arms. He is therefore the most powerful herald within the jurisdiction of the College – primarily England, Wales and Northern Ireland – and so arguably the most powerful in the world...
'. On 10 May 1660 at Coleshill
Coleshill, Warwickshire
Coleshill is a market town in the North Warwickshire district of Warwickshire, England, taking its name from the River Cole. It has a population of 6,343 and is situated east of Birmingham.-Location:...
he read out the proclamation announcing that Charles' son 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...
was now the King of 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...
. Dugdale's descendants later bought land near Atherstone
Atherstone
Atherstone is a town in Warwickshire, England. The town is located near the northernmost tip of Warwickshire, close to the border with Staffordshire and Leicestershire and is the administrative headquarters of the borough of North Warwickshire.-History:...
(the site of the former Merevale Abbey) where they built Merevale Hall
Merevale Hall
Merevale Hall is a private country house in Merevale, near Atherstone, Warwickshire. It is a Grade II* listed building.The Manor of Merevale was granted in 1540 to Sir Walter Devereux. The Devereux estates were sequestered in 1601 following the attainder and execution of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl...
. Many of the artefacts of Sir William Dugdale can be seen here, including his ceremonial tabard
Tabard
A tabard is a short coat, either sleeveless, or with short sleeves or shoulder pieces, which was a common item of men's clothing in the Middle Ages, usually for outdoors. It might be belted, or not...
as Garter Principal King of Arms
Garter Principal King of Arms
The Garter Principal King of Arms is the senior King of Arms, and the senior Officer of Arms of the College of Arms. He is therefore the most powerful herald within the jurisdiction of the College – primarily England, Wales and Northern Ireland – and so arguably the most powerful in the world...
clothes.
During the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
Shustoke is listed among the towns paying arrears to the garrison at Tamworth in an account drawn up by Captain Thomas Layfield for the period from 1 November 1645 to 1 May 1646. At a weekly rate of £7.5 the total arrears amounted to £108.10. (SP 28/136/31)
The Griffin, a pub in Shustoke was featred in 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...
programme Oz and Hugh Raise the Bar
Oz and Hugh Raise the Bar
Oz and Hugh Raise the Bar is a BBC television programme of which one series has been broadcast. It is presented by wine expert Oz Clarke and comedian and actor Hugh Dennis. In the series, Oz and Hugh travel around the UK collecting the best British drinks before selling them at a pub in Shustoke....
. During the series, Oz Clarke
Oz Clarke
Robert "Oz" Clarke is a British wine writer, television presenter and broadcaster.-Biography:Clarke’s parents were a chest physician and a nursing sister. He was brought up near Canterbury with a brother and a sister. Clarke became a chorister at Canterbury Cathedral and subsequently won a choral...
and Hugh Dennis
Hugh Dennis
Peter Hugh Dennis is an English actor, comedian, writer, impressionist and voice-over artist, best known for his work with comedy partner Steve Punt. He is also known for his position as a permanent panelist on the TV comedy show Mock The Week...
travelled around the UK collecting the best British drinks before selling the drinks at The Griffin.