Bucknell, Shropshire
Encyclopedia
Bucknell is a village and civil parish in Shropshire
, England
. The village lies on the River Redlake, within 600 metres of the River Teme
and close to the borders with Wales
and Herefordshire
. It is about six miles east of Knighton and is set within the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
.
The village has the "P"s identified by Country Life
as essential to a successful village: a pub, a post office, a place of worship, a primary school and public transport.
, as 'Buckehale' or 'Buckenhill. The name is derived from Old English and means 'Bucca's hill' or 'he-goats' hill'. At the time of the Domesday survey, the Shropshire
and Herefordshire
boundary divided the village. The Norman
magnate
Roger de Montgomery held the village from the King. He built many castles including Montgomery
, Shrewsbury
, Ludlow
, Clun
, Hopton
and Oswestry
; at the time over 90% of the lordships and manors of Shropshire were held in Chief by him. His under-tenants in this area were Ralph de Mortimer
, who held Bucknell (amongst his 123 manors with his chief domain in England being at Wigmore Castle), and William de Picot
, (also known as Picot de Say), with his chief domain at Clun Castle.
The earth mound at The Olde Farm in Bucknell is the remains of a Norman motte
castle situated on the banks of the River Redlake, close to a river crossing point and to the Parish Church
.
In 1554-55 an Act of Parliament
was passed transferring the whole of Bucknell to the county of Shropshire. The Lords of the Manor at that time were the Sitwell family.
Historically, most of the male population worked in agriculture and timber.
. The houses at the lower end of the village were very susceptible to flooding, and this hazard continued until the ford was walled up in the 1950s.
Bucknell had four pubs
: The Sitwell Arms, The Plough (just opposite), The Railway Tavern and The Bridge End. The latter three are all now private houses, though a new pub - the Baron of Beef is now open. Bucknell also had a shop and bakery in the Square and its own corn mill which was situated at the west end of the village. Bucknell Post office
opened in the mid 19th century. The original post office was just round the corner and still goes by the name of The Old Post Office.
The butcher's shop is still on its original site.
After World War I
a Memorial Hall was built in the village and still stands. One of those behind its construction was William Burgoyne.
The land upon which the present school was built was given in 1865. The first schoolmaster appointed in 1867 to the new St Mary's National School
was Mr Henry Evans, 24 years old.
The school was extensively re-modelled in 1966 when additional teaching space and a kitchen was added enabling meals to be cooked on the premises.
St Mary's school is a maintained Church of England
primary school with 43 pupils on roll at January 2004. The age range is 4–11 years.
An Independent School
, Bedstone College, is also nearby..
was 226. At the end of the 19th century this had risen to 546. In the 1981 Census
the population of the village was 494; in 1991 the population of the parish (probably including Bedstone) was 601 consisting of some 250 dwellings and in 2001 it was 642 in 294 dwellings.
, and is served by Bucknell railway station
.
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the 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...
. The village lies on the River Redlake, within 600 metres of the River Teme
River Teme
The River Teme rises in Mid Wales, south of Newtown in Powys, and flows through Knighton where it crosses the border into England down to Ludlow in Shropshire, then to the north of Tenbury Wells on the Shropshire/Worcestershire border there, on its way to join the River Severn south of Worcester...
and close to the borders with 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...
and Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county 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 Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
. It is about six miles east of Knighton and is set within the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
.
The village has the "P"s identified by Country Life
Country Life (magazine)
Country Life is a British weekly magazine, based in London at 110 Southwark Street, and owned by IPC Media, a Time Warner subsidiary.- Topics :The magazine covers the pleasures and joys of rural life, as well as the concerns of rural people...
as essential to a successful village: a pub, a post office, a place of worship, a primary school and public transport.
History
The settlement of Bucknell was first mentioned in the Domesday BookDomesday 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...
, as 'Buckehale' or 'Buckenhill. The name is derived from Old English and means 'Bucca's hill' or 'he-goats' hill'. At the time of the Domesday survey, the Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
and Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county 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 Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
boundary divided the village. The Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
magnate
Magnate
Magnate, from the Late Latin magnas, a great man, itself from Latin magnus 'great', designates a noble or other man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or other qualities...
Roger de Montgomery held the village from the King. He built many castles including Montgomery
Montgomery Castle
Montgomery Castle is a stone masonry castle looking over the town of Montgomery in Powys, mid Wales. It is one of many Norman castles on the border between Wales and England.- Motte & Bailey Castle :...
, Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
, Ludlow
Ludlow
Ludlow is a market town in Shropshire, England close to the Welsh border and in the Welsh Marches. It lies within a bend of the River Teme, on its eastern bank, forming an area of and centred on a small hill. Atop this hill is the site of Ludlow Castle and the market place...
, Clun
Clun
Clun is a small town in Shropshire, England. The town is located entirely in the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The 2001 census recorded 642 people living in the town...
, Hopton
Hopton
There are a number of places in England known as Hopton:*Hopton, Derbyshire*Hopton-on-Sea, Norfolk*Hopton Cangeford, Shropshire*Hopton Castle, Shropshire*Hopton Heath, Shropshire*Hopton Wafers, Shropshire*Hopton, Staffordshire*Hopton, Suffolk...
and Oswestry
Oswestry
Oswestry is a town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483, and A495 roads....
; at the time over 90% of the lordships and manors of Shropshire were held in Chief by him. His under-tenants in this area were Ralph de Mortimer
Mortimer
Mortimer is a popular English name, used both as a surname and a given name.- Norman origins :The origin of the name is almost certainly Norman, but the details are disputed....
, who held Bucknell (amongst his 123 manors with his chief domain in England being at Wigmore Castle), and William de Picot
Picot
A picot is a loop of thread created for functional or ornamental purposes along the edge of lace, ribbon, crocheted, knitted or tatted material. These loops vary in size, according to their intended function and to their creator's artistic intention....
, (also known as Picot de Say), with his chief domain at Clun Castle.
The earth mound at The Olde Farm in Bucknell is the remains of a Norman motte
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
castle situated on the banks of the River Redlake, close to a river crossing point and to the Parish Church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
.
In 1554-55 an Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
was passed transferring the whole of Bucknell to the county of Shropshire. The Lords of the Manor at that time were the Sitwell family.
Historically, most of the male population worked in agriculture and timber.
Buildings
The earliest of the existing buildings date back to the 17th century. The houses were built in a haphazard fashion near the river with easy access to water. The village depended on water from the river and wells until the 1920s when water was piped into the village from a spring above Chapel LawnChapel Lawn
Chapel Lawn is a small village in southwest Shropshire, England, located within the Redlake Valley, some three miles south of the small, historic town of Clun and lying in the civil parish of Clun and Chapel Lawn....
. The houses at the lower end of the village were very susceptible to flooding, and this hazard continued until the ford was walled up in the 1950s.
Bucknell had four pubs
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 Sitwell Arms, The Plough (just opposite), The Railway Tavern and The Bridge End. The latter three are all now private houses, though a new pub - the Baron of Beef is now open. Bucknell also had a shop and bakery in the Square and its own corn mill which was situated at the west end of the village. Bucknell Post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
opened in the mid 19th century. The original post office was just round the corner and still goes by the name of The Old Post Office.
The butcher's shop is still on its original site.
After World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
a Memorial Hall was built in the village and still stands. One of those behind its construction was William Burgoyne.
Services
Today the village boasts an impressive number of businesses and public services for its size. Two public houses, a post office and neighbouring tea rooms, a butcher, a petrol forecourt and shop, a general store open every day, a railway station, a primary school and numerous companies providing services to local agricultural and forestry enterprises.The school
The Old School House was built in the 17th century to provide education for those who could pay for it. The school remained until the present one was built in 1865. The Old School House then became a shop and bakery before becoming a private dwelling.The land upon which the present school was built was given in 1865. The first schoolmaster appointed in 1867 to the new St Mary's National School
National school (England and Wales)
A national school was a school founded in 19th century England and Wales by the National Society for Promoting Religious Education.These schools provided elementary education, in accordance with the teaching of the Church of England, to the children of the poor.Together with the less numerous...
was Mr Henry Evans, 24 years old.
The school was extensively re-modelled in 1966 when additional teaching space and a kitchen was added enabling meals to be cooked on the premises.
St Mary's school is a maintained Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
primary school with 43 pupils on roll at January 2004. The age range is 4–11 years.
An Independent School
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
, Bedstone College, is also nearby..
Places of worship
There were three places of worship:- St. Mary's Church
- The Methodist Chapel in Dog Kennel Lane (now a private house); and
- Coxall BaptistBaptistBaptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Chapel.
Population
Despite more houses, the number of people living in Bucknell has dropped. The population of the village in 1811 CensusCensus in the United Kingdom
Coincident full censuses have taken place in the different jurisdictions of the United Kingdom every ten years since 1801, with the exceptions of 1941 and in both Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State in 1921; simultaneous censuses were taken in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, with...
was 226. At the end of the 19th century this had risen to 546. In the 1981 Census
Census in the United Kingdom
Coincident full censuses have taken place in the different jurisdictions of the United Kingdom every ten years since 1801, with the exceptions of 1941 and in both Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State in 1921; simultaneous censuses were taken in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, with...
the population of the village was 494; in 1991 the population of the parish (probably including Bedstone) was 601 consisting of some 250 dwellings and in 2001 it was 642 in 294 dwellings.
Railway
The village is on the Heart of Wales LineHeart of Wales Line
The Heart of Wales Line is a railway line running from Craven Arms in Shropshire to Llanelli in South Wales. It runs, as the name suggests, through some of the heartlands of Wales. It serves a number of rural centres en route, including several once fashionable spa towns, including Llandrindod Wells...
, and is served by Bucknell railway station
Bucknell railway station
Bucknell railway station serves the village of Bucknell in Shropshire, England 28¼ miles south west of Shrewsbury.This railway station is located at street level, adjacent to the level crossing and parallel with Weston Road near the centre of the village...
.