Cofton Hackett
Encyclopedia
Cofton Hackett is a village and civil parish
in the Bromsgrove District
of north east Worcestershire
, England
. It is situated 10.3 miles (16.5 kilometres) south west of the city centre of Birmingham
and 24 miles (38.5 kilometres) north east of Worcester
. The village has a population 1,747.
AD.
Coſtune (Costune) was among places granted by King Offa
to the minster of St Peter, Bredon
in AD 780. The bounds for this estate, probably covered the parishes of Alvechurch
and Cofton.
The spelling of the name has varied over the centuries: for many centuries, the usual spelling was Coston. However, the old form of the letter "S"
in the middle of words, was only at some point in the last hundred years misread as a lower case "F", thus turning (Coston) into the present-day . William de Haket is known to have held (Cosa) in 1166. His family name was later added to , which in Anglo-Saxon meant 'cosy farm'. In modern parlance the word 'cove' has a similar derivation and is generally used to describe a sheltered coastal feature, but equally referred to any sheltered spot. The name of the manor transformed over the centuries into Coston Hackett and is usually recorded as such from the 11th century and well into the early 20th. The final permanent change to Cofton appears to have taken place sometime between 1913 and 1930 based on direct comparisons between the Ordnance Survey maps of those dates.
Historically, Cofton Hackett was part of the upper division of Halfshire Hundred that also contained Bromsgrove
, Dodderhill, Doverdale, Droitwich, Elmbridge
, Feckenham
, Hadsor, Hampton Lovet, Kington, Kings Norton
, Northfield
, Salwarpe, Tardebigge
and Upton Warren
.
Cofton contained two manors, Cofton Hackett and Cofton Richards. The latter (now only a farm) belonged successively to the Costons (until c.1300), but passed to Lucy wife of Alexander de Hodington by 1327. It was held by her heirs by 1428, John Walsingham apparently being its lord. It remained in his family until William Child, the lord of Coston Hackett, bought it before 1594. Coston Hackett passed down the Hacket family the late 13th century, when it passed by marriage to Robert Leicester. It then belonged to his descendants until after the death of William Leicester in 1525, who left it to his nephew John More. The manor was then divided among his daughters. A major share was settled in 1573 on James Dineley, whose daughter Mary married John Child. They sold the manor in 1594 to Edward Skinner of Ledbury, clothier, on whose death in 1633 it passed to his son-in-law Thomas Joliffe, a favourite of Charles I
, who accompanied him to the scaffold. His descendant another Thomas Joliffe died childless in 1758, leaving his estate to his niece Rebecca Lowe for life and then to Michael Biddulph, who inherited it in 1791. His grandson sold it in 1812 to Other Windsor, 6th Earl of Plymouth
.
The oldest buildings in the village are the church and the late 14th century Cofton Hall. King Charles I
spent the night of 14 May 1645 at Cofton Hall as guest of his devoted supporter Thomas Jolliffe. The following day, before marching to Chester
on 15 May, the Royalist soldiers set the Hall ablaze to prevent it falling into the hands of the Parliamentarian Army
.
St Michael’s Anglican Church is located on Cofton Church Lane. A church may have existed on the site in the 12th century, as a “chapel” at Cofton is mentioned in a Papal Bull
of 1182. The present building certainly dates back to the 14th century and was probably built in 1330 by Robert de Leycester as a chapel for the Manor House. It was a chapel annexed to Northfield until 1866.
Cofton Hackett’s largest structure was the now demolished aircraft factory, known as the Longbridge ‘East Works’, that produced both aero engines and complete military aircraft during both the First World War and Second World War . To allow the aircraft to be flown out of Cofton after production, an airfield was built in 1917 and used in both world wars. It was designed with four crossing tarmac runways allowing aircraft to take off in any direction. The Cofton Hackett factory constructed over 3,000 aircraft during the war years and thousands of engines and wings for other marques of aircraft.
After the war, the factory was converted for the production of military vehicles by Austin, who had won a contract for the production of the 1/4 ton truck from the War Department's CombaT (CT) range of vehicles, popularly known as the Austin Champ
. Production of some 13,750 vehicles took place between September 1951 - May 1956. The factory closed in the 1960s. A new engine assembly plant was constructed in its place to build 'E'Series Engines and transmissions for the Austin Maxi
. With the demise of the Rover group in the 1990s the land is to be developed for housing.
With new employment opportunities at the Austin works, expansion took place in the late 1930s on the northern edge of the hamlet close to the boundary with Cofton Park
which became the major centre of population. With the village spread over several separate locations the actual centre of Cofton Hackett is no longer clearly defined. The old tram terminus and the newsagent
's, the Post Office in Parsonage Drive, and the village hall all have central importance.
Cofton Hackett developed from the opening of the Austin motor works at Longbridge in 1905 and most of the shops are on the northern edge of the village that was transferred from Kings Norton to Cofton Hackett in 1911 together the extension of the City of Birmingham to the northern boundary of the village. The transfer of parts of Rednal to Cofton parish and the breakup of the Earl of Plymouth's estate released more land for development in 1919, and the extension of the Birmingham tramlines to the Rednal terminus in 1924 placed it within commuting distance from the city.
With the closing of the Longbridge Motor Factory employment opportunities in the immediate area were reduced and the village is now reverting to its former rural character from before the modernisations of the 20th century.
, which is represented by Sajid Javid MP
, Conservative
since 2010. The district ward is represented by two councillors to Bromsgrove District Council
, Richard Deeming - Conservative and Ann Doyle - Independent, and the County Councillor is Peter McDonald - Labour Party.
The village nestles at the feet of the three hill
tops geographically comprising The Lickeys - Rednal Hill
, Bilberry Hill
and Cofton Hill - are the summits of the Lickey Ridge, a formation of hard quartzite
which gives a good view of Birmingham.
The Lickey Hills Country Park
is half a mile west of the village with Bilberry Hill
the nearest peak.
A monument to 6th Earl of Plymouth (who owned extensive lands at nearby Tardebigge
), in the form of a 80 ft (24.4 m) obelisk, is situated behind the trees bordering the old Birmingham
road directly opposite the petrol station in Lickey
. The inscription reads:
The Lickey Hills Country Park
was preserved as a public open space between 1887 and 1933 by the generosity of a number of public-spirited persons, including T Grosvenor Lee, Ivor Windsor-Clive, 2nd Earl of Plymouth
, and several members of the Cadbury family. In 1919 it was recorded that as many as 20,000 visitors to the hills had been counted on an August Bank Holiday. The current country park was established with the support of the Countryside Commission
.
. The school provides nursery and primary facilities for approximately 440 children aged between 3 to 11. Following their primary education most local children move on to Waseley Hills High School
in adjacent Rubery
. St Thomas Aquinas Catholic School is also attended by some of the local children.
Cofton Hackett has a youth club which has reopened since being closed in 1951, and young people also meet at West Heath
Village Hall, where they can participate in regular activities including drama, sports and reading, and attend talks by visiting speakers.
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 Bromsgrove District
Bromsgrove (district)
Bromsgrove is a local government district in Worcestershire, England. Its council is based in the town of Bromsgrove.It borders the built up area of Birmingham to the north...
of north east Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located 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 Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, 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...
. It is situated 10.3 miles (16.5 kilometres) south west of the city centre 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...
and 24 miles (38.5 kilometres) north east of Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
. The village has a population 1,747.
Early history
Cofton Hackett is an ancient settlement mentioned in historical documents dating back to 780780
Year 780 was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 780 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Byzantine Empire :* Constantine VI becomes Byzantine...
AD.
Coſtune (Costune) was among places granted by King Offa
Offa of Mercia
Offa was the King of Mercia from 757 until his death in July 796. The son of Thingfrith and a descendant of Eowa, Offa came to the throne after a period of civil war following the assassination of Æthelbald after defeating the other claimant Beornred. In the early years of Offa's reign it is likely...
to the minster of St Peter, Bredon
Bredon
Bredon is a large village and civil parish in Wychavon District at the southern edge of Worcestershire in England. It lies on the banks of the River Avon on the lower slopes of Bredon Hill, at “the beginning of the Cotswolds”...
in AD 780. The bounds for this estate, probably covered the parishes of Alvechurch
Alvechurch
Alvechurch is a large village and civil parish of Bromsgrove district, in the northeast of the county of Worcestershire, England. Lying in the valley of the River Arrow, the nearest city is Birmingham, 17 km / 11 miles to the north, with the closest towns being Redditch, 8 km / 5 miles...
and Cofton.
The spelling of the name has varied over the centuries: for many centuries, the usual spelling was Coston. However, the old form of the letter "S"
Long s
The long, medial or descending s is a form of the minuscule letter s formerly used where s occurred in the middle or at the beginning of a word, for example "ſinfulneſs" . The modern letterform was called the terminal, round, or short s.-History:The long s is derived from the old Roman cursive...
in the middle of words, was only at some point in the last hundred years misread as a lower case "F", thus turning (Coston) into the present-day . William de Haket is known to have held (Cosa) in 1166. His family name was later added to , which in Anglo-Saxon meant 'cosy farm'. In modern parlance the word 'cove' has a similar derivation and is generally used to describe a sheltered coastal feature, but equally referred to any sheltered spot. The name of the manor transformed over the centuries into Coston Hackett and is usually recorded as such from the 11th century and well into the early 20th. The final permanent change to Cofton appears to have taken place sometime between 1913 and 1930 based on direct comparisons between the Ordnance Survey maps of those dates.
Historically, Cofton Hackett was part of the upper division of Halfshire Hundred that also contained Bromsgrove
Bromsgrove
Bromsgrove is a town in Worcestershire, England. The town is about north east of Worcester and south west of Birmingham city centre. It had a population of 29,237 in 2001 with a small ethnic minority and is in Bromsgrove District.- History :Bromsgrove is first documented in the early 9th century...
, Dodderhill, Doverdale, Droitwich, Elmbridge
Elmbridge
Elmbridge is a local government district and borough in Surrey, England. Its council is based in Esher. The district has only one civil parish, which is Claygate...
, Feckenham
Feckenham
Feckenham is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Redditch in Worcestershire, England. It lies some three miles south-west of the town of Redditch and is around twelve miles north-east of the ancient city of Worcester...
, Hadsor, Hampton Lovet, Kington, Kings Norton
Kings Norton
Kings Norton is an area of Birmingham, England. It is also a Birmingham City Council ward within the formal district of Northfield.-History:...
, Northfield
Northfield
-Places:Australia*Northfield, South AustraliaCanada*Northfield, Nova Scotia England* Northfield, BirminghamScotland* Northfield, EdinburghUnited States* Northfield, Connecticut* Northfield, Illinois* Northfield, Indiana...
, Salwarpe, Tardebigge
Tardebigge
Tardebigge is a village in Worcestershire, England.The village is most famous for the Tardebigge Locks, a flight of 36 canal locks that raise the Worcester and Birmingham Canal over 220 feet over the Lickey Ridge. It lies in the historic county of Worcestershire.-Toponymy:The etymology of the...
and Upton Warren
Upton Warren
Upton Warren is a village and civil parish in the Wychavon district, in Worcestershire, England. The village is situated just off the A38 road between Bromsgrove and Droitwich Spa, and on the River Salwarpe...
.
Cofton contained two manors, Cofton Hackett and Cofton Richards. The latter (now only a farm) belonged successively to the Costons (until c.1300), but passed to Lucy wife of Alexander de Hodington by 1327. It was held by her heirs by 1428, John Walsingham apparently being its lord. It remained in his family until William Child, the lord of Coston Hackett, bought it before 1594. Coston Hackett passed down the Hacket family the late 13th century, when it passed by marriage to Robert Leicester. It then belonged to his descendants until after the death of William Leicester in 1525, who left it to his nephew John More. The manor was then divided among his daughters. A major share was settled in 1573 on James Dineley, whose daughter Mary married John Child. They sold the manor in 1594 to Edward Skinner of Ledbury, clothier, on whose death in 1633 it passed to his son-in-law Thomas Joliffe, a favourite of 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...
, who accompanied him to the scaffold. His descendant another Thomas Joliffe died childless in 1758, leaving his estate to his niece Rebecca Lowe for life and then to Michael Biddulph, who inherited it in 1791. His grandson sold it in 1812 to Other Windsor, 6th Earl of Plymouth
Other Windsor, 6th Earl of Plymouth
Other Archer Windsor, 6th Earl of Plymouth was an English nobleman, the eldest son of the 5th Earl of Plymouth....
.
The oldest buildings in the village are the church and the late 14th century Cofton Hall. 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...
spent the night of 14 May 1645 at Cofton Hall as guest of his devoted supporter Thomas Jolliffe. The following day, before marching to Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
on 15 May, the Royalist soldiers set the Hall ablaze to prevent it falling into the hands of the Parliamentarian Army
New Model Army
The New Model Army of England was formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War, and was disbanded in 1660 after the Restoration...
.
St Michael’s Anglican Church is located on Cofton Church Lane. A church may have existed on the site in the 12th century, as a “chapel” at Cofton is mentioned in a Papal Bull
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
of 1182. The present building certainly dates back to the 14th century and was probably built in 1330 by Robert de Leycester as a chapel for the Manor House. It was a chapel annexed to Northfield until 1866.
20th century development
Between 1917 and the early 1960s Cofton Hackett was the location of the Austin Aero Company's aircraft factory that produced military aircraft during both World Wars and civilian aircraft during the inter-war years.Cofton Hackett’s largest structure was the now demolished aircraft factory, known as the Longbridge ‘East Works’, that produced both aero engines and complete military aircraft during both the First World War and Second World War . To allow the aircraft to be flown out of Cofton after production, an airfield was built in 1917 and used in both world wars. It was designed with four crossing tarmac runways allowing aircraft to take off in any direction. The Cofton Hackett factory constructed over 3,000 aircraft during the war years and thousands of engines and wings for other marques of aircraft.
After the war, the factory was converted for the production of military vehicles by Austin, who had won a contract for the production of the 1/4 ton truck from the War Department's CombaT (CT) range of vehicles, popularly known as the Austin Champ
Austin Champ
The Austin Champ was the civilian version of a British Army vehicle made by the Austin Motor Company. The army version was officially known as "Truck, 1/4 ton, CT, 4x4, cargo & FFW, Austin Mk.1" however the civilian name "Champ" was universally, if unofficially, applied to it.- History :A British...
. Production of some 13,750 vehicles took place between September 1951 - May 1956. The factory closed in the 1960s. A new engine assembly plant was constructed in its place to build 'E'Series Engines and transmissions for the Austin Maxi
Austin Maxi
The Austin Maxi was a medium sized 5-door hatchback car from British Leyland for the 1970s. It was the first British five speed five-door hatchback.-History:...
. With the demise of the Rover group in the 1990s the land is to be developed for housing.
With new employment opportunities at the Austin works, expansion took place in the late 1930s on the northern edge of the hamlet close to the boundary with Cofton Park
Cofton Park
Cofton Park is a park located in south Birmingham, England.-History:The 135 acres of land land was acquired by Birmingham City Council in 1933 for £10,640 , from the trustees for William Walter Hinde...
which became the major centre of population. With the village spread over several separate locations the actual centre of Cofton Hackett is no longer clearly defined. The old tram terminus and the newsagent
Newsagent
A newsagent's shop , newsagency or newsstand is a business that sells newspapers, magazines, cigarettes, snacks and often items of local interest. In Britain and Australia, these businesses are termed newsagents...
's, the Post Office in Parsonage Drive, and the village hall all have central importance.
Cofton Hackett developed from the opening of the Austin motor works at Longbridge in 1905 and most of the shops are on the northern edge of the village that was transferred from Kings Norton to Cofton Hackett in 1911 together the extension of the City of Birmingham to the northern boundary of the village. The transfer of parts of Rednal to Cofton parish and the breakup of the Earl of Plymouth's estate released more land for development in 1919, and the extension of the Birmingham tramlines to the Rednal terminus in 1924 placed it within commuting distance from the city.
With the closing of the Longbridge Motor Factory employment opportunities in the immediate area were reduced and the village is now reverting to its former rural character from before the modernisations of the 20th century.
Governance
Cofton Hackett falls with the Bromsgrove constituencyBromsgrove (UK Parliament constituency)
Bromsgrove is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system...
, which is represented by Sajid Javid MP
Sajid Javid
Sajid Javid is an English Conservative Party politician. At the 2010 general election he was elected to the House of Commons as Member of Parliament for the Bromsgrove constituency....
, Conservative
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...
since 2010. The district ward is represented by two councillors to Bromsgrove District Council
Bromsgrove (district)
Bromsgrove is a local government district in Worcestershire, England. Its council is based in the town of Bromsgrove.It borders the built up area of Birmingham to the north...
, Richard Deeming - Conservative and Ann Doyle - Independent, and the County Councillor is Peter McDonald - Labour Party.
Geography
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
tops geographically comprising The Lickeys - Rednal Hill
Rednal
Rednal is a residential suburb on the south western edge of metropolitan Birmingham, West Midlands, England, 9 miles south west of Birmingham city centre and forming part of Longbridge parish and electoral ward....
, Bilberry Hill
Bilberry Hill
Bilberry Hill is a country park in Britain. It is one of the Lickey Hills in northern Worcestershire, 10.3 miles south west of Birmingham and 24 miles north east of Worcester...
and Cofton Hill - are the summits of the Lickey Ridge, a formation of hard quartzite
Quartzite
Quartzite is a hard metamorphic rock which was originally sandstone. Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts. Pure quartzite is usually white to gray, though quartzites often occur in various shades of pink...
which gives a good view of Birmingham.
The Lickey Hills Country Park
Lickey Hills Country Park
Lickey Hills Country Park is a country park in England. It is 10.3 miles south west of Birmingham and 24 miles north east of Worcester. The 524 acre park is situated just south of Rednal and close to Barnt Green. It is half a mile east of Cofton Hackett...
is half a mile west of the village with Bilberry Hill
Bilberry Hill
Bilberry Hill is a country park in Britain. It is one of the Lickey Hills in northern Worcestershire, 10.3 miles south west of Birmingham and 24 miles north east of Worcester...
the nearest peak.
Landmarks
The Upper Bittell reservoir, a flooded gravel pit and a feeder of the Worcester and Birmingham Canal, is partly in Coston parish, and there is also a smaller reservoir which lies to the east of Bilberry Hill and from which the water is conveyed by the little River Arrow to the Lower Bittell reservoir in Alvechurch parish.A monument to 6th Earl of Plymouth (who owned extensive lands at nearby Tardebigge
Tardebigge
Tardebigge is a village in Worcestershire, England.The village is most famous for the Tardebigge Locks, a flight of 36 canal locks that raise the Worcester and Birmingham Canal over 220 feet over the Lickey Ridge. It lies in the historic county of Worcestershire.-Toponymy:The etymology of the...
), in the form of a 80 ft (24.4 m) obelisk, is situated behind the trees bordering the old 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...
road directly opposite the petrol station in Lickey
Lickey
Lickey is a village in the north of Worcestershire, England approximately south west from the centre of Birmingham. It lies in Bromsgrove District and is situated on the Lickey Ridge, amongst the Lickey Hills, its proximity to countryside and the city makes it a popular commuter area. The civil...
. The inscription reads:
To commend to imitation the exemplary private virtues of Other Archer 6th Earl of PlymouthOther Windsor, 6th Earl of PlymouthOther Archer Windsor, 6th Earl of Plymouth was an English nobleman, the eldest son of the 5th Earl of Plymouth....
The Lickey Hills Country Park
Lickey Hills Country Park
Lickey Hills Country Park is a country park in England. It is 10.3 miles south west of Birmingham and 24 miles north east of Worcester. The 524 acre park is situated just south of Rednal and close to Barnt Green. It is half a mile east of Cofton Hackett...
was preserved as a public open space between 1887 and 1933 by the generosity of a number of public-spirited persons, including T Grosvenor Lee, Ivor Windsor-Clive, 2nd Earl of Plymouth
Ivor Windsor-Clive, 2nd Earl of Plymouth
Ivor Miles Windsor-Clive, 2nd Earl of Plymouth PC was an English nobleman and Conservative politician....
, and several members of the Cadbury family. In 1919 it was recorded that as many as 20,000 visitors to the hills had been counted on an August Bank Holiday. The current country park was established with the support of the Countryside Commission
Countryside Commission
The Countryside Commission was a statutory body in England and Wales, and later in England only...
.
Public services
Most children in the village attend the nearby Lickey Hills Primary School in RednalRednal
Rednal is a residential suburb on the south western edge of metropolitan Birmingham, West Midlands, England, 9 miles south west of Birmingham city centre and forming part of Longbridge parish and electoral ward....
. The school provides nursery and primary facilities for approximately 440 children aged between 3 to 11. Following their primary education most local children move on to Waseley Hills High School
Waseley Hills High School and Sixth Form Centre
Waseley Hills High School and Sixth Form Centre is a mixed secondary and further education school in the town of Rubery. on the border of the county of Worcestershire and the city of Birmingham, England, at the base of the Waseley Hills Country Park....
in adjacent Rubery
Rubery
Rubery is a village in the Bromsgrove district of Worcestershire. Part of the village forms a southern suburb of Birmingham, England in the West Midlands. The village is from Birmingham city centre....
. St Thomas Aquinas Catholic School is also attended by some of the local children.
Cofton Hackett has a youth club which has reopened since being closed in 1951, and young people also meet at West Heath
West Heath, West Midlands
West Heath is a residential area on the southern outskirts of metropolitan Birmingham, England and near the boundary with Worcestershire. Located in the ward of Northfield it is situated between Kings Norton, Northfield, Longbridge and Cofton Hackett and lies on traditional heathland formed in...
Village Hall, where they can participate in regular activities including drama, sports and reading, and attend talks by visiting speakers.
Notable people
- King Charles ICharles I of EnglandCharles 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...
stayed overnight in the village during the English Civil WarEnglish Civil WarThe English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. - Jonathan CoeJonathan CoeJonathan Coe is an English novelist and writer. His work has an underlying preoccupation with political issues, although this serious engagement is often expressed comically in the form of satire. For example, What a Carve Up! reworks the plot of an old 1960s spoof horror film of the same name...
's novel The Rotters' ClubThe Rotters' ClubThe Rotters' Club may refer to:* The Rotters' Club , a 1975 album by the Canterbury scene band Hatfield and the North* The Rotters' Club , a 2001 novel by Jonathan Coe...
has scenes set in Cofton Hackett. - Pope Benedict XVIPope Benedict XVIBenedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
said mass for the beatificationBeatificationBeatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
of Cardinal Newman in Cofton Park on the 19th September during his Papal visit to the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.