Ashleworth
Encyclopedia
Ashleworth is a village
and civil parish
in the Tewkesbury district of Gloucestershire
, England
, with a population of 553 (2001 census
), about six miles north of Gloucester
. It has two pubs, the Boat Inn and the Queens Arms.
The parish includes Ashleworth Quay, on the River Severn
.
Ashleworth
(sometimes formerly spelled ‘Ashelworth’) is a village and civil parish roughly six miles north of Gloucester, England. It has a population of 553 (2001 census) and is located in the Tewkesbury district of Gloucestershire close to the county’s intersection with Worcestershire and Herefordshire. The oldest part of the village is Ashleworth Quay, which is situated on a flood plain on the west bank of the River Severn.
The origins of the settlement go back at least to the Roman occupation; in recent years a number of Romano-British artefacts have been excavated in the area around the Quay dating from A.D.69 to A.D.390.
An ancient ferry, which used to link Ashleworth Quay to Sandhurst village on the east bank of the river closed in the 1950s. In medieval times the Quay was a major crossing point for the river as the flood meadows here are narrower than they are for many miles upstream. Consequently, Ashleworth would have been the last place from which to cross before reaching the outskirts of Tewkesbury, nearly eight miles upstream.
Near the Quay is the ancient parish church of Saints Andrew and Bartholomew, the Manor, the Court, the historic Tithe Barn and the Boat Inn which has been run by the Jelf family for nearly 400 years.
The village was mentioned in the Domesday Book (1086), at which time it was called Escelesworde, which translates loosely as Aescel's farmstead, or enclosure. After the Norman Conquest the manor was held by the Earls of Berkeley, but in the 12th century Robert Fitzharding, the earl at that time, gifted Ashleworth to the Abbey of Bristol. Henry VIII later gave the manor to the Bishop of Gloucester.
The larger, more modern, part of the village spreads out from the attractive village green situated on higher ground about half a mile to the Northwest. Near the Green is the village school and the Queens Arms public house with the centre of the village with its Memorial Hall and Post Office shop being a couple of hundred yards further up the hill.
Sts Andrew and Bartholomew Church The church is primarily 12th and 13th century, with later remodelling, but the origins are pure Saxon. Much of the north wall is built of striking Saxon herringbone stonework. The interior features one of the earliest known examples of a royal coat of arms (featuring a lion and a dragon) over the south chapel; this dates from the reign of Edward VI or, possibly, Elizabeth I.
Ashleworth Tithe Barn Adjacent to the court and church is a huge medieval tithe barn, now in the care of the National Trust. The barn was built in the period 1481 - 1515 by Abbot Newland of Bristol Abbey, and consists of ten bays. The interior roofing is a wonderful example of medieval timber framing.
The Preaching Cross A 14th century preaching cross stands upon a three-step plinth on the village green. Preaching crosses were put up to designate a place where travelling monks or other religious officials would preach. They are often found at crossroads or other open spaces providing good access to local inhabitants in the late Saxon and medieval periods. Though the Ashleworth example is called a 'cross', it is really more of a simple column with a four sided top which has been carved with religious scenes. The cross was lost for many years until it was found hidden in a chimney in one of the cottages that line the green. The scenes carved upon the cross are thought to represent Mary and John, a Virgin and Child, St Augustine, and Robert Fitzharding, founder of Bristol Abbey.
Other Historic Buildings Apart from the church and tithe barn, Ashleworth has a number of interesting older buildings, which are, unfortunately, not generally open to the public. These include Ashleworth Court, built in 1460, and still retaining its great hall, Ashleworth Manor (1460), a half-timbered manor house once owned by the Abbot of Bristol, and Foscombe House, a Victorian Gothic fantasy constructed by Thomas Fulljames.
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 Tewkesbury district of 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...
, with a population of 553 (2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
), about six miles north of 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....
. It has two pubs, the Boat Inn and the Queens Arms.
The parish includes Ashleworth Quay, on 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...
.
Ashleworth
(sometimes formerly spelled ‘Ashelworth’) is a village and civil parish roughly six miles north of Gloucester, England. It has a population of 553 (2001 census) and is located in the Tewkesbury district of Gloucestershire close to the county’s intersection with Worcestershire and Herefordshire. The oldest part of the village is Ashleworth Quay, which is situated on a flood plain on the west bank of the River Severn.
The origins of the settlement go back at least to the Roman occupation; in recent years a number of Romano-British artefacts have been excavated in the area around the Quay dating from A.D.69 to A.D.390.
An ancient ferry, which used to link Ashleworth Quay to Sandhurst village on the east bank of the river closed in the 1950s. In medieval times the Quay was a major crossing point for the river as the flood meadows here are narrower than they are for many miles upstream. Consequently, Ashleworth would have been the last place from which to cross before reaching the outskirts of Tewkesbury, nearly eight miles upstream.
Near the Quay is the ancient parish church of Saints Andrew and Bartholomew, the Manor, the Court, the historic Tithe Barn and the Boat Inn which has been run by the Jelf family for nearly 400 years.
The village was mentioned in the Domesday Book (1086), at which time it was called Escelesworde, which translates loosely as Aescel's farmstead, or enclosure. After the Norman Conquest the manor was held by the Earls of Berkeley, but in the 12th century Robert Fitzharding, the earl at that time, gifted Ashleworth to the Abbey of Bristol. Henry VIII later gave the manor to the Bishop of Gloucester.
The larger, more modern, part of the village spreads out from the attractive village green situated on higher ground about half a mile to the Northwest. Near the Green is the village school and the Queens Arms public house with the centre of the village with its Memorial Hall and Post Office shop being a couple of hundred yards further up the hill.
Sts Andrew and Bartholomew Church The church is primarily 12th and 13th century, with later remodelling, but the origins are pure Saxon. Much of the north wall is built of striking Saxon herringbone stonework. The interior features one of the earliest known examples of a royal coat of arms (featuring a lion and a dragon) over the south chapel; this dates from the reign of Edward VI or, possibly, Elizabeth I.
Ashleworth Tithe Barn Adjacent to the court and church is a huge medieval tithe barn, now in the care of the National Trust. The barn was built in the period 1481 - 1515 by Abbot Newland of Bristol Abbey, and consists of ten bays. The interior roofing is a wonderful example of medieval timber framing.
The Preaching Cross A 14th century preaching cross stands upon a three-step plinth on the village green. Preaching crosses were put up to designate a place where travelling monks or other religious officials would preach. They are often found at crossroads or other open spaces providing good access to local inhabitants in the late Saxon and medieval periods. Though the Ashleworth example is called a 'cross', it is really more of a simple column with a four sided top which has been carved with religious scenes. The cross was lost for many years until it was found hidden in a chimney in one of the cottages that line the green. The scenes carved upon the cross are thought to represent Mary and John, a Virgin and Child, St Augustine, and Robert Fitzharding, founder of Bristol Abbey.
Other Historic Buildings Apart from the church and tithe barn, Ashleworth has a number of interesting older buildings, which are, unfortunately, not generally open to the public. These include Ashleworth Court, built in 1460, and still retaining its great hall, Ashleworth Manor (1460), a half-timbered manor house once owned by the Abbot of Bristol, and Foscombe House, a Victorian Gothic fantasy constructed by Thomas Fulljames.