Alvington
Encyclopedia
Alvington is a village
and civil parish
in the Forest of Dean
in Gloucestershire
, England
, situated on the A48 road
, six miles north-east of Chepstow
in Wales
. The parish has a total population of 484.
dotted along the River Severn
, following the former Roman road
leading from Newnham on Severn
to Chepstow. The manor of Alvington is recorded in the Domesday Book
of 1086 under the name ‘Alwintune’, then part of the Herefordshire hundred of Bromsash, held by Turstin FitzRolf
. During the 12th century, Alvington joined Gloucestershire as part of the Bledisloe hundred
, and became a separate parish. During the late Middle Ages
Alvington parish and manor
were under the ownership of Llanthony Priory
(in Gloucester
) which was dissolved in 1539. The lord of the manor’s seat was situated in Clanna Falls around one mile from the village. In its history Alvington, has variously boasted two smithies, a small brewery, a small engineering works and several shops.
There used to be a village school in Alvington dating back to around 1850, however the last remnants of what became Alvington Church of England School closed in 1958.
Today, Alvington has little in the way of shops and villagers have to travel to the nearby town of Lydney
for most services beyond those served by the local petrol station, which acts as the village shop and Post Office. There are three public houses in Alvington: The Blacksmith’s Arms; The Globe Inn (currently closed); and The Swan Inn (currently closed). The Globe Inn dates back to around 1805. The Blacksmith’s Arms dates back the late nineteenth-century in a building that was formerly a smithy (hence the pub’s current name). The Swan Inn lies on the border of Alvington and neighbouring Woolaston
(also classed as Colne Valley), and once contained a mill in its early days.
around 1140, the church was originally named St. Mary’s, until it took its current name of St. Andrew’s in 1523. In 1858 the church underwent substantial restoration
leaving only one small Norman architecture
window to reveal its Norman origins. St. Andrew’s, Alvington is in the Parish of Woolaston and Alvington, in the Deanery of Forest South under the Diocese of Gloucester. St. Andrew’s, Alvington is found on Church Lane and a village hall was built nearby in 1924.
, which runs from Chepstow in Monmouthshire
, Wales, to Gloucester, England. The village can be reached by buses departing Lydney
(heading south) and Chepstow (heading north) on service 73. The nearest railway stations can also be found in Lydney (on local trains from Gloucester) and Chepstow on more regular national routes.
division and the two district councillors for Alvington, Aylburton and West Lydney ward in the Forest of Dean District Council. The Forest of Dean
is represented in Parliament
by Mark Harper
MP
(Conservative Party
).
Club was founded in 1983, originally playing at Woolaston Primary School, they now play their home fixtures in Alvington. The club competes in the K. W. Bell Forest League and the Forest Mid-Week League.
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 Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean (district)
Forest of Dean is a local government district in Gloucestershire, England, named after the Forest of Dean. Its council is based in Coleford. Other towns in the district include Cinderford, Newent and Tidenham....
in 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....
, 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...
, situated on the A48 road
A48 road
The A48 is a major trunk road in Great Britain. It runs from the A40 at Highnam west of Gloucester to the A40 at Carmarthen. Before the construction of the M4 motorway and the first Severn Bridge in the mid 1960s it was the principal route into South Wales. For most of its journey through Wales,...
, six miles north-east of Chepstow
Chepstow
Chepstow is a town in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the River Wye, close to its confluence with the River Severn, and close to the western end of the Severn Bridge on the M48 motorway...
in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. The parish has a total population of 484.
History of Alvington
Alvington, was one of a number of hamletsHamlet (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...
dotted along the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
, following the former Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
leading from Newnham on Severn
Newnham on Severn
Newnham on Severn is a village in west Gloucestershire, England. It lies near the Royal Forest of Dean, on the west bank of the River Severn, approximately 10 miles south-west of Gloucester and three miles southeast of Cinderford, at . It is on the A48 road between Gloucester and Chepstow,...
to Chepstow. The manor of Alvington 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...
of 1086 under the name ‘Alwintune’, then part of the Herefordshire hundred of Bromsash, held by Turstin FitzRolf
Turstin FitzRolf
Turstin FitzRolf was a Norman magnate, one of the few "Proven Companions of William the Conqueror" who fought at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. As his name indicates, he was the son of a certain Rolf, synonymous with Rou and Rollo . His first name appears as Tosteins, Thurstan and other variants...
. During the 12th century, Alvington joined Gloucestershire as part of the Bledisloe hundred
Bledisloe (hundred)
Bledisloe was an ancient hundred of Gloucestershire, England. It comprised the ancient parishes of*Alvington*Awre*LydneyThe hundred was named after the hamlet of Bledisloe, once a tithing of the parish of Awre and now a hamlet north of Lydney on the A48 road, where the hundred met...
, and became a separate parish. During the late Middle Ages
Late Middle Ages
The Late Middle Ages was the period of European history generally comprising the 14th to the 16th century . The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern era ....
Alvington parish and 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...
were under the ownership of Llanthony Priory
Llanthony Secunda
Llanthony Secunda Priory is a ruined former Augustinian priory in Hempsted, Gloucester, England. Miles de Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford, founded the priory for the monks of Llanthony Priory, Vale of Ewyas, in what is now Monmouthshire, Wales, in 1136....
(in Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
) which was dissolved in 1539. The lord of the manor’s seat was situated in Clanna Falls around one mile from the village. In its history Alvington, has variously boasted two smithies, a small brewery, a small engineering works and several shops.
Society and amenities
Alvington’s population had varied somewhere between 300 and 500 since the mid 19th century. During the 1960s the development of a council estate increased the size of the village. The village lies at the edge of the Forest of Dean, which was once an important coal producing area. There is a strong agricultural influence in the village today, although historically this would have been more evident and many of the population now work outside of the village and its immediate surroundings.There used to be a village school in Alvington dating back to around 1850, however the last remnants of what became Alvington Church of England School closed in 1958.
Today, Alvington has little in the way of shops and villagers have to travel to the nearby town of Lydney
Lydney
Lydney is a small town and civil parish in the English county of Gloucestershire. It is located on the west bank of the River Severn, close to the Forest of Dean. The town lies on the A48 road, next to the Lydney Park gardens with its Roman temple in honour of Nodens.-Transport:The Severn Railway...
for most services beyond those served by the local petrol station, which acts as the village shop and Post Office. There are three public houses in Alvington: The Blacksmith’s Arms; The Globe Inn (currently closed); and The Swan Inn (currently closed). The Globe Inn dates back to around 1805. The Blacksmith’s Arms dates back the late nineteenth-century in a building that was formerly a smithy (hence the pub’s current name). The Swan Inn lies on the border of Alvington and neighbouring Woolaston
Woolaston
Woolaston is a village and civil parish in the Forest of Dean district of Gloucestershire in South West England. It lies on the north side of the Severn Estuary approximately 5 miles from the Welsh border at Chepstow and is surrounded by woodland and agricultural land.-The Village and its...
(also classed as Colne Valley), and once contained a mill in its early days.
St. Andrew’s church
Built by Llanthony PrioryLlanthony Priory
Llanthony Priory is a partly ruined former Augustinian priory in the secluded Vale of Ewyas, a steep sided once glaciated valley within the Black Mountains area of the Brecon Beacons National Park in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. It lies seven miles north of Abergavenny on an old road to Hay...
around 1140, the church was originally named St. Mary’s, until it took its current name of St. Andrew’s in 1523. In 1858 the church underwent substantial restoration
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
leaving only one small Norman architecture
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...
window to reveal its Norman origins. St. Andrew’s, Alvington is in the Parish of Woolaston and Alvington, in the Deanery of Forest South under the Diocese of Gloucester. St. Andrew’s, Alvington is found on Church Lane and a village hall was built nearby in 1924.
Transport
Alvington lies on the A48 roadA48 road
The A48 is a major trunk road in Great Britain. It runs from the A40 at Highnam west of Gloucester to the A40 at Carmarthen. Before the construction of the M4 motorway and the first Severn Bridge in the mid 1960s it was the principal route into South Wales. For most of its journey through Wales,...
, which runs from Chepstow in Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
, Wales, to Gloucester, England. The village can be reached by buses departing Lydney
Lydney
Lydney is a small town and civil parish in the English county of Gloucestershire. It is located on the west bank of the River Severn, close to the Forest of Dean. The town lies on the A48 road, next to the Lydney Park gardens with its Roman temple in honour of Nodens.-Transport:The Severn Railway...
(heading south) and Chepstow (heading north) on service 73. The nearest railway stations can also be found in Lydney (on local trains from Gloucester) and Chepstow on more regular national routes.
Politics
Alvington is represented by the county councillor for TidenhamTidenham
Tidenham is a village and civil parish in the Forest of Dean of west Gloucestershire, England, adjoining the Welsh border.The parish includes the villages of Tidenham, Beachley, Boughspring, Sedbury, Tutshill and Woodcroft, and according to the United Kingdom Census 2001 had a population of 5,316...
division and the two district councillors for Alvington, Aylburton and West Lydney ward in the Forest of Dean District Council. The Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean (UK Parliament constituency)
-Elections in the 2000s:- See also :* List of Parliamentary constituencies in Gloucestershire...
is represented in Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
by Mark Harper
Mark Harper
Mark James Harper British politician and self-employed accountant . He is the Conservative Member of Parliament for Forest of Dean and is currently the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Cabinet Office, with ministerial responsibility for Political and Constitutional Reform.-Early life...
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
).
Sport
Alvington and Woolaston CricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
Club was founded in 1983, originally playing at Woolaston Primary School, they now play their home fixtures in Alvington. The club competes in the K. W. Bell Forest League and the Forest Mid-Week League.
Paranormal Activity
The village has been at the centre of a number of paranormal claims in recent years. In 2009 local resident David Crook claimed to have spotted bright lights in the sky above the playing fields. The lights burned brightly in the sky to such an extent that David rushed into the village to warn local residents.External links
- Information on upcoming events and latest news in Alvington
- This is Gloucestershire - Current information on facilities and transport in Alvington
- Alvington and Woolaston Cricket Club fixture list
- For photos of Alvington and surrounding area on geograph
- Links to the history, church history and other archival data concerning the village