Feckenham
Encyclopedia
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
. It has a population of 670 and its immediate area is the location of notable royal manors
that cover over 1,000 years of English history documented in many royal charters and Acts of Parliament. At its greatest period, the historic Forest of Feckenham
stretched to the River Avon in the south, to the city of Worcester in the south-west and in 1389 employed Geoffrey Chaucer
as Clerk of Works
and Keeper of the Lodge.
Feckenham in the 21st century is a rural community with a traditional English village green, and is a starting point for several bridle ways, established country walks, and rambling routes based on Ordnance Survey
maps, including the long-distance public footpath, The Monarch's Way, that passes nearby.
and Droitwich which later became a Roman road
, (now the modern B4090 road), and on the early stretches of the Bow Brook. In the year 840 CE Feckenham Manor was given by Ethelric
to Wœrferth, and it is mentioned in the 11th century Domesday Survey. The area was once substantial forest covering much of Worcestershire and was used by Norman royalty for hunting. In the Middle Ages
, Feckenham was the administrative centre for the royal forest and it grew into a thriving town while today's nearby large town of Redditch was still a small village. Due to its location in the forest, the village was visited by all the early kings of England who had a lodge in the park of Feckenham Manor. Several entries in Pipe Rolls
and Patent Rolls
between the years 1166 and 1169 relate to the repair of the king's houses in the manor, and there was a royal hunting lodge near the village. The remains of one ancient hunting lodge are believed to lie beneath the village football ground.
In 1629 following a survey of royal forests, Feckenham reverted to common land and was greatly deforested; the manor land was sold by the crown to Lord Coventry in 1632.
As a result of the Local Government Act, in 1894 the civil parish was formed out of the part of Feckenham parish that was in the former Redditch Urban District, and was divided into Feckenham Rural and Feckenham Urban districts, and the communities of Headless Cross and Crabbs Cross became part of Redditch Urban District Council.
, the manufacture of needle
and fish-hooks, for which the parish and Reddich were well known. Cycles and motors have also been manufactured in the area. Agriculture is still a major activity. Feckenham was corporate headquarters of Barrets of Feckenham, a well-known former nationwide chain of gardening supplies stores that ceased trading during the 2008 economic crisis. A new chain of stores specialising in camping and outdoor equipment, Winfield's, took over much of the Barret business and operates from the former premises in Feckenham. Several bed & breakfast guest houses, and two pubs represent the village's hospitality industry.
and St. Thomas More
.
The village also contains several examples of black and white half-timbered work, especially Middle Bean Hall. One of the most notable is the 16th century Shurnock Court Farm, situated about a mile to the west of the village. The largest house in the neighbourhood is Norgrove Court, a large red brick two-storey mansion built in the mid 17th century. The massive oak door of a building that housed a former grammar school, is reported on a plaque on the south wall as being: 'Erected A.D. 1611. Repaired A.D. 1848.' The village also contains well preserved examples of Georgian
.
A major refurbishment of the village hall was undertaken with grants from the National Lottery
and other donations. It is the location of the FeckenOdeon Cinema and many other social and community activities including the village Nursery School.
Feckenham's Wylde Moor nature reserve is an area of wetland
managed by the Worcestershire Nature Conservation Trust and has two bird-watching hides. Local walkways and sections of countryside have been used as locations for films.
The Royal Shakespeare Theatre
at Stratford-upon-Avon
is 15 miles away. The village has two family owned pubs.
In 2007 the final match of the five-match series of the India v England Blind Cricket tour was hosted at the Feckenham Cricket Club ground as the Worcester CC pitch had been flooded by the River Severn earlier that year.
is one mile east of the village, and the M5 motorway
is about five miles west.
The nearest railway stations are Redditch and Evesham
.
Several bus routes serve Feckenham from Bromsgrove
, Droitwich, Evesham, Kidderminster
, and Redditch (Walkwood).
The National Cycle Network
Route 5 can be reached around 2.5 miles north of the village.
The nearest Airport is Birmingham International Airport.
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 Borough of Redditch
Redditch
Redditch is a town and local government district in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district had a population of 79,216 in 2005. In the 19th century it became the international centre for the needle and fishing tackle industry...
in 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 lies some three miles south-west of the town of Redditch
Redditch
Redditch is a town and local government district in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district had a population of 79,216 in 2005. In the 19th century it became the international centre for the needle and fishing tackle industry...
and is around twelve miles north-east of the ancient city 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...
. It has a population of 670 and its immediate area is the location of notable royal manors
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...
that cover over 1,000 years of English history documented in many royal charters and Acts of Parliament. At its greatest period, the historic Forest of Feckenham
Feckenham Forest
Feckenham Forest was a royal forest, centred around the town of Feckenham, covering large parts of west Worcestershire and Warwickshire. As such, it was not entirely wooded, nor entirely the property of the King. Rather, the King had legal rights over game, wood and grazing within the forest, and...
stretched to the River Avon in the south, to the city of Worcester in the south-west and in 1389 employed Geoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer , known as the Father of English literature, is widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages and was the first poet to have been buried in Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey...
as Clerk of Works
Clerk of Works
Clerks of Works are the most highly qualified non-commissioned tradesmen in the Royal Engineers. The qualification can be held in three specialisations: Electrical, Mechanical and Construction. The clerk of works , often abbreviated CoW, is employed by the architect or client on a construction site...
and Keeper of the Lodge.
Feckenham in the 21st century is a rural community with a traditional English village green, and is a starting point for several bridle ways, established country walks, and rambling routes based on Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
maps, including the long-distance public footpath, The Monarch's Way, that passes nearby.
History
The village has been previously known as Feccanhom (9th century), Feccheham (11th century), Fekkeham, Fekeham (12th century), Feckeham, Feckaham, Fecham (13th century), Flechenham (16th century), and Feckyngham in the 16th and 17th centuries. Its history goes back to Roman times when the village developed from its position on the ancient saltway track between AlcesterAlcester
Alcester is an old market town of Roman origin at the junction of the River Alne and River Arrow in Warwickshire, England. It is situated approximately west of Stratford-upon-Avon, and 8 miles south of Redditch, close to the Worcestershire border...
and Droitwich which later became a 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...
, (now the modern B4090 road), and on the early stretches of the Bow Brook. In the year 840 CE Feckenham Manor was given by Ethelric
Ethelric
Æthelric was Bishop of Durham from 1041 to 1056 when he resigned.Æthelric was a monk at Peterborough Abbey before Bishop Eadmund of Durham brought him to Durham to instruct the Durham monks in monastic life. Æthelric was consecrated as bishop on 11 January 1041 at York...
to Wœrferth, and it is mentioned in the 11th century Domesday Survey. The area was once substantial forest covering much of Worcestershire and was used by Norman royalty for hunting. In the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, Feckenham was the administrative centre for the royal forest and it grew into a thriving town while today's nearby large town of Redditch was still a small village. Due to its location in the forest, the village was visited by all the early kings of England who had a lodge in the park of Feckenham Manor. Several entries in Pipe Rolls
Pipe Rolls
The Pipe rolls, sometimes called the Great rolls, are a collection of financial records maintained by the English Exchequer, or Treasury. The earliest date from the 12th century, and the series extends, mostly complete, from then until 1833. They form the oldest continuous series of records kept by...
and Patent Rolls
Patent Rolls
The Patent Rolls are primary sources for English history, a record of the King of England's correspondence, starting in 1202....
between the years 1166 and 1169 relate to the repair of the king's houses in the manor, and there was a royal hunting lodge near the village. The remains of one ancient hunting lodge are believed to lie beneath the village football ground.
In 1629 following a survey of royal forests, Feckenham reverted to common land and was greatly deforested; the manor land was sold by the crown to Lord Coventry in 1632.
As a result of the Local Government Act, in 1894 the civil parish was formed out of the part of Feckenham parish that was in the former Redditch Urban District, and was divided into Feckenham Rural and Feckenham Urban districts, and the communities of Headless Cross and Crabbs Cross became part of Redditch Urban District Council.
Economy
From around 1790 and during the industrial revolutionIndustrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
, the manufacture of needle
Sewing needle
A sewing needle is a long slender tool with a pointed tip. The first needles were made of bone or wood; modern ones are manufactured from high carbon steel wire, nickel- or 18K gold plated for corrosion resistance. The highest quality embroidery needles are plated with two-thirds platinum and...
and fish-hooks, for which the parish and Reddich were well known. Cycles and motors have also been manufactured in the area. Agriculture is still a major activity. Feckenham was corporate headquarters of Barrets of Feckenham, a well-known former nationwide chain of gardening supplies stores that ceased trading during the 2008 economic crisis. A new chain of stores specialising in camping and outdoor equipment, Winfield's, took over much of the Barret business and operates from the former premises in Feckenham. Several bed & breakfast guest houses, and two pubs represent the village's hospitality industry.
Architecture
There are two churches in the village. The Anglican church of St. John the Baptist was built in the mid 13th century and a has a peal of eight bells; the Roman Catholic church is dedicated to St. John FisherJohn Fisher
Saint John Fisher was an English Roman Catholic scholastic, bishop, cardinal and martyr. He shares his feast day with Saint Thomas More on 22 June in the Roman Catholic calendar of saints and 6 July on the Church of England calendar of saints...
and St. Thomas More
Thomas More
Sir Thomas More , also known by Catholics as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, social philosopher, author, statesman and noted Renaissance humanist. He was an important councillor to Henry VIII of England and, for three years toward the end of his life, Lord Chancellor...
.
The village also contains several examples of black and white half-timbered work, especially Middle Bean Hall. One of the most notable is the 16th century Shurnock Court Farm, situated about a mile to the west of the village. The largest house in the neighbourhood is Norgrove Court, a large red brick two-storey mansion built in the mid 17th century. The massive oak door of a building that housed a former grammar school, is reported on a plaque on the south wall as being: 'Erected A.D. 1611. Repaired A.D. 1848.' The village also contains well preserved examples of Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
.
Activities and attractions
A range of community activities includes an annual two-day horse show, and a triannual Feckenham Flower and Garden Festival that has been held since 1985.A major refurbishment of the village hall was undertaken with grants from the National Lottery
National Lottery (United Kingdom)
The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...
and other donations. It is the location of the FeckenOdeon Cinema and many other social and community activities including the village Nursery School.
Feckenham's Wylde Moor nature reserve is an area of wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
managed by the Worcestershire Nature Conservation Trust and has two bird-watching hides. Local walkways and sections of countryside have been used as locations for films.
The Royal Shakespeare Theatre
Royal Shakespeare Theatre
The Royal Shakespeare Theatre is a 1,040+ seat thrust stage theatre owned by the Royal Shakespeare Company dedicated to the British playwright and poet William Shakespeare. It is located in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon - Shakespeare's birthplace - in the English Midlands, beside the River Avon...
at Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
is 15 miles away. The village has two family owned pubs.
Sport
The village of Feckenham has a cricket and a football (soccer) pitch.In 2007 the final match of the five-match series of the India v England Blind Cricket tour was hosted at the Feckenham Cricket Club ground as the Worcester CC pitch had been flooded by the River Severn earlier that year.
Transport
The A441A441 road
A441 is an A-road in England which runs from central Birmingham to Cookhill, Worcestershire.-History:Once one of the main routes between Evesham, Redditch and Birmingham, the A441 has now largely been superseded by A435 which has been upgraded to the East...
is one mile east of the village, and the M5 motorway
M5 motorway
The M5 is a motorway in England. It runs from a junction with the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley...
is about five miles west.
The nearest railway stations are Redditch and Evesham
Evesham
Evesham is a market town and a civil parish in the Local Authority District of Wychavon in the county of Worcestershire, England with a population of 22,000. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon...
.
Several bus routes serve Feckenham from 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...
, Droitwich, Evesham, Kidderminster
Kidderminster
Kidderminster is a town, in the Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England. It is located approximately seventeen miles south-west of Birmingham city centre and approximately fifteen miles north of Worcester city centre. The 2001 census recorded a population of 55,182 in the town...
, and Redditch (Walkwood).
The National Cycle Network
National Cycle Network
The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
Route 5 can be reached around 2.5 miles north of the village.
The nearest Airport is Birmingham International Airport.
Notable people
- John FeckenhamJohn FeckenhamJohn Feckenham , also known as John Howman of Feckingham and later John de Feckenham or John Fecknam, was an English churchman, the last abbot of Westminster.-Under Henry VIII and Edward VI:...
(c. 1515–1584), canonised English ecclesiastic and last abbot of Westminster, was born at Feckenham. - Suzanne VirdeeSuzanne VirdeeSuzanne Virdee is a British television newsreader known in the Midlands area. She is one of the presenters of Midlands Today on BBC One and has appeared on BBC Breakfast as the programme's newsreader, until a change of studio and format in March 2006.-Career:Virdee became a journalist at the age...
(b. 1971), is a News readerNews presenterA news presenter is a person who presents news during a news program in the format of a television show, on the radio or the Internet.News presenters can work in a radio studio, television studio and from remote broadcasts in the field especially weather...
for BBC Midlands Today.
Further reading
- Atkins, Elizabeth (2006) From Slate to State. An account of four hundred years of education in Feckenham, which also includes many references to local history and its inhabitants.
- Atkins, Elizabeth (2006) The Field Names of Feckenham.