Steeple Bumpstead
Encyclopedia
Steeple Bumpstead is a village near Braintree
, Essex
, England
, 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Haverhill
.
The parish church does not actually have a steeple, however the Congregational Church has a small Victorian
one. It is believed that the Steeple referred to was actually located on the A1307 close to what is now the Wixoe pumping Station. The Moot Hall is recorded in the Domesday Book
.
for "place of reeds".
The Knights Templar
had positioned themselves on the river.
Rumour has it that Broadgates House was home to Christopher Robin
from The Winnie the Pooh Stories. This may be the case because when the stories took place he was at the 100 acre (0.404686 km²) wood near his grand father's house and people believe that is Thetford
forest.
Nurse Edith Cavell
died in Brussels on 12 October 1915, shot by a German firing squad for helping Allied soldiers to escape. She became, a legend for bravery and sacrifice. But her ties with Steeple Bumpstead occurred long before that and before she became a nurse. During 1886, Edith was appointed governess to the four children of the Reverend Charles Powell, vicar of Steeple Bumpstead. The vicarage, where a stone plaque commemorates her stay, is no longer the residence of the local vicar, but it is still there, a private residence, on the corner of Chapel Street and Finchingfield
Road. There is, in the 11th century village church, a plaque to Edith Cavell and there is also a road named after her.
There has been a long history on non-conformist belief in the village which continues to this day in the Congregational Church
. A Bumpstead man was burnt to death in the parish for his beliefs. Along the Blois Road, leading from Bumpstead to Birdbrook
, is a field that has been called the ‘Bloody Pightle’, and that is where he is believed to have been martyred. In 1527 John Tibauld and eight other village residents were seized and taken before the Bishop of London
, charged with meeting together in Bower Hall to pray and read a copy of the New Testament
. Although the non-conformists in the village were encouraged by the powerful Bendyshe family that lived at Bower Hall, even their influence could not save Tibauld. He was burned at the stake.
Having fallen into ruin after use as a ‘concentration camp’ in the First World War, Bower Hall was finally demolished in 1926 and the materials sold off. The great staircase found its way to the USA.
Moot Hall
, or ‘the Old Schole’, symbolises Steeple Bumpstead. Built in 1592 by the inhabitants on land rented from the Crown, in the 1830s when it was ‘a school for farmers’ sons’ the villagers forcibly took possession of it, disputing the claim of George Gent of Moyns to have the right to appoint the headmaster. Eventually an Ecclesiastical Court upheld the villagers’ claim.
Colonel J. C. Humphrey, son of the village wheelwright, allegedly invented corrugated iron. He built and lived in the Iron House, North Street, which was sadly demolished in the 1960s. At one time Humphreys Ltd of London claimed to the be ‘largest works in the world’ and held a Royal Warrant
as ‘supplier to His Majesty King Edward VII’.
There are many facilities in Steeple Bumpstead for residents including a local village Mace Store, a Post Office, a Petrol station, an Antiques Shop, and a library in the aforementioned Moot Hall. Steeple Bumpstead is also fortunate enough to have its own medical practice providing first rate care to the community. There are two churches, St. Mary's Church of England and the Congregational Church, each offering various activities for all ages. In addition to these facilities, Steeple Bumpstead has two pubs, The Fox and Hounds and The Red Lion. Both have been refurbished, and are contributing to the quality of life in the village.
Steeple Bumpstead has its own School, Stanley Drapkin Primary School, Steeple Bumpstead. In the latest Ofsted report, Stanley Drapkin Primary School, Steeple Bumpstead was described as follows:
Steeple Bumpstead has a Scout Group: 1st Steeple Bumpstead Scouts, this consists of a Beaver Colony, A Cub Pack and a Scout Troop
. The group in total has circa 100 members. The Cub Pack and Scout Troop meet on Fridays while the Beaver Colony meets on Mondays. An Article on 1st Steeple Bumpstead Scouts has recently been published by the Haverhill Echo written by a member of the Scout Troop on Work Experience. For further information consult The HCV Scout Website. There is also an active Brownies group, and a Girl Guides group.
On the 14th June 2007, the areas close to the "Bumpstead Brook" were flooded due to the stream bursting its banks. As a result many homes along Water Lane, Helions Bumpstead Road, The Ford and around Haverhill Road were flooded. The village was featured on the Friday 15 June BBC's "Look East" evening news as a result.
Steeple Bumpstead was one of the first villages in the country to have its own Village Policeman when County Policing came into being in Essex. In 1840, William Rattigan was one of the very first Essex Police Officers to be assigned a village beat. There was a police officer stationed in the village for 160 years from 1840n to 2000 when the last 'bobby', Ray Howard, retired. For years the village was a hotbed of trouble with many 'riots' and unrest during the agricultural strikes in 1914 and the 1920s. In fact the national agricultural strike of 1914 was started nearby in Castle Camps and the troubles spread to Steeple Bumstead which became a stronghold for the strikers.
Steeple Bumpstead was also mentioned in the first pages of the 2007 novel "The Reavers" by George MacDonald Fraser
.
Braintree (district)
Braintree is a local government district in the English county of Essex. Its main town is Braintree.The main centres of population are Braintree, Witham and Halstead....
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, 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...
, 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Haverhill
Haverhill, Suffolk
Haverhill is an industrial market town and civil parish in the county of Suffolk, England, next to the borders of Essex and Cambridgeshire. It lies southeast of Cambridge and north of central London...
.
The parish church does not actually have a steeple, however the Congregational Church has a small Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
one. It is believed that the Steeple referred to was actually located on the A1307 close to what is now the Wixoe pumping Station. The Moot Hall is recorded in 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...
.
History
Bumstead or Bumsted is Anglo-SaxonAnglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
for "place of reeds".
The Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
had positioned themselves on the river.
Rumour has it that Broadgates House was home to Christopher Robin
Christopher Robin
Christopher Robin is a character created by A. A. Milne, appearing in his popular books of poetry and stories about Winnie-the-Pooh. He has subsequently appeared in Disney cartoons....
from The Winnie the Pooh Stories. This may be the case because when the stories took place he was at the 100 acre (0.404686 km²) wood near his grand father's house and people believe that is Thetford
Thetford
Thetford is a market town and civil parish in the Breckland district of Norfolk, England. It is on the A11 road between Norwich and London, just south of Thetford Forest. The civil parish, covering an area of , has a population of 21,588.-History:...
forest.
Nurse Edith Cavell
Edith Cavell
Edith Louisa Cavell was a British nurse and spy. She is celebrated for saving the lives of soldiers from all sides without distinction and in helping some 200 Allied soldiers escape from German-occupied Belgium during World War I, for which she was arrested...
died in Brussels on 12 October 1915, shot by a German firing squad for helping Allied soldiers to escape. She became, a legend for bravery and sacrifice. But her ties with Steeple Bumpstead occurred long before that and before she became a nurse. During 1886, Edith was appointed governess to the four children of the Reverend Charles Powell, vicar of Steeple Bumpstead. The vicarage, where a stone plaque commemorates her stay, is no longer the residence of the local vicar, but it is still there, a private residence, on the corner of Chapel Street and Finchingfield
Finchingfield
Finchingfield is a village situated in the Braintree district of Essex. It is in the north-west of the county, which is a primarily rural area...
Road. There is, in the 11th century village church, a plaque to Edith Cavell and there is also a road named after her.
There has been a long history on non-conformist belief in the village which continues to this day in the Congregational Church
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
. A Bumpstead man was burnt to death in the parish for his beliefs. Along the Blois Road, leading from Bumpstead to Birdbrook
Birdbrook
Birdbrook is a village and civil parish in Essex, England. It is located approximately southeast of Haverhill, Suffolk and is 34km north from the county town of Chelmsford. The village is in the district of Braintree and in the parliamentary constituency of Saffron Walden. The parish is part...
, is a field that has been called the ‘Bloody Pightle’, and that is where he is believed to have been martyred. In 1527 John Tibauld and eight other village residents were seized and taken before the Bishop of London
Bishop of London
The Bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 458 km² of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames and a small part of the County of Surrey...
, charged with meeting together in Bower Hall to pray and read a copy of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
. Although the non-conformists in the village were encouraged by the powerful Bendyshe family that lived at Bower Hall, even their influence could not save Tibauld. He was burned at the stake.
Moot Hall
Moot hall
A moot hall is meeting or assembly building, traditionally to decide local issues.In Anglo-Saxon England, a low ring-shaped earthwork served as a moot hill or moot mound, where the elders of the hundred would meet to take decisions. Some of these acquired permanent buildings, known as moot halls...
, or ‘the Old Schole’, symbolises Steeple Bumpstead. Built in 1592 by the inhabitants on land rented from the Crown, in the 1830s when it was ‘a school for farmers’ sons’ the villagers forcibly took possession of it, disputing the claim of George Gent of Moyns to have the right to appoint the headmaster. Eventually an Ecclesiastical Court upheld the villagers’ claim.
Colonel J. C. Humphrey, son of the village wheelwright, allegedly invented corrugated iron. He built and lived in the Iron House, North Street, which was sadly demolished in the 1960s. At one time Humphreys Ltd of London claimed to the be ‘largest works in the world’ and held a Royal Warrant
Royal Warrant
Royal warrants of appointment have been issued for centuries to those who supply goods or services to a royal court or certain royal personages. The warrant enables the supplier to advertise the fact that they supply to the royal family, so lending prestige to the supplier...
as ‘supplier to His Majesty King Edward VII’.
Modern times
Recently there has been much property development around Steeple Bumpstead including the addition of Freezes Barns, Old Hall Close and Suckling's Yard.There are many facilities in Steeple Bumpstead for residents including a local village Mace Store, a Post Office, a Petrol station, an Antiques Shop, and a library in the aforementioned Moot Hall. Steeple Bumpstead is also fortunate enough to have its own medical practice providing first rate care to the community. There are two churches, St. Mary's Church of England and the Congregational Church, each offering various activities for all ages. In addition to these facilities, Steeple Bumpstead has two pubs, The Fox and Hounds and The Red Lion. Both have been refurbished, and are contributing to the quality of life in the village.
Steeple Bumpstead has its own School, Stanley Drapkin Primary School, Steeple Bumpstead. In the latest Ofsted report, Stanley Drapkin Primary School, Steeple Bumpstead was described as follows:
"This is an effective school which provides good value for money. Leadership and management
are good. Pupils are happy, behave very well and enjoy their work. By the time they leave the
school, pupils are achieving above-average standards overall. The teaching is good overall and this
ensures that pupils enjoy learning and achieve well."
Steeple Bumpstead has a Scout Group: 1st Steeple Bumpstead Scouts, this consists of a Beaver Colony, A Cub Pack and a Scout Troop
The Scout Association
The Scout Association is the World Organization of the Scout Movement recognised Scouting association in the United Kingdom. Scouting began in 1907 through the efforts of Robert Baden-Powell. The Scout Association was formed under its previous name, The Boy Scout Association, in 1910 by the grant...
. The group in total has circa 100 members. The Cub Pack and Scout Troop meet on Fridays while the Beaver Colony meets on Mondays. An Article on 1st Steeple Bumpstead Scouts has recently been published by the Haverhill Echo written by a member of the Scout Troop on Work Experience. For further information consult The HCV Scout Website. There is also an active Brownies group, and a Girl Guides group.
On the 14th June 2007, the areas close to the "Bumpstead Brook" were flooded due to the stream bursting its banks. As a result many homes along Water Lane, Helions Bumpstead Road, The Ford and around Haverhill Road were flooded. The village was featured on the Friday 15 June BBC's "Look East" evening news as a result.
Steeple Bumpstead was one of the first villages in the country to have its own Village Policeman when County Policing came into being in Essex. In 1840, William Rattigan was one of the very first Essex Police Officers to be assigned a village beat. There was a police officer stationed in the village for 160 years from 1840n to 2000 when the last 'bobby', Ray Howard, retired. For years the village was a hotbed of trouble with many 'riots' and unrest during the agricultural strikes in 1914 and the 1920s. In fact the national agricultural strike of 1914 was started nearby in Castle Camps and the troubles spread to Steeple Bumstead which became a stronghold for the strikers.
Steeple Bumpstead was also mentioned in the first pages of the 2007 novel "The Reavers" by George MacDonald Fraser
George MacDonald Fraser
George MacDonald Fraser, OBE was an English-born author of Scottish descent, who wrote both historical novels and non-fiction books, as well as several screenplays.-Early life and military career:...
.
External links
- The Fox and Hounds
- The Red Lion
- HCV Scout District Website
- Steeple Bumpstead Primary School
- Steeple Bumpstead Pre-School Playgroup
- The Chocolate Lady - Steeple Bumpstead
- Orchard House Bed & Breakfast
- Wheelwrights Bed & Breakfast
- Bumpstead Building Co-operative
- Perceptive instruments
- Mark Weatherhead
- Ofsted Entry for Stanley Drapkin Primary School, Steeple Bumpstead