Odell, Bedfordshire
Encyclopedia
Odell is a village and civil parish in the north of the county
of Bedfordshire
in England
that lies to the north-west of the county town of Bedford
, near the villages of Harrold
, Felmersham
, Sharnbrook
, and Carlton
.
.
The evidence is that the farm was abandoned in the 4th C. and remained unoccupied until the 6/7th C. After this it no doubt experienced a chequered history owing to attacks by Danish Vikings.
In the early 11th C. the area where the present village lies was part of five or more “hide
s” that were under Levenot, a thane of King Edward the Confessor
, who owned much land.
At that time the village was already known by the name of Wadelle, or Wadehelle. This name means “the hill where woad grows”. Woad
(Isatis tinctoria) was important as a source of a blue dye. (Julius Caesar had reported that he had found the Ancient Britons stained themselves with it.)
Walter is mentioned as early as 1068, and sometimes as Walter de Wahul (Wahul being a variant of Wadehelle). His arrival marked the start of a period of centuries during which a family bearing an Odell-type name continued to hold most of these lands.
Odell was recorded in the Domesday book
of 1086 as a parish of the Hundred of Willey
.
Amongst the de Wahul dynasty were a number of interesting characters. The wild Simon de Wahul was described by the Archbishop of Canterbury as an “invader” of Ramsey Abbey
. It is also known that Simon sided with Prince Henry in 1172 when Henry rebelled against his father. On the other hand, Simon’s own son, another Simon, was very devout. He ended up dying in 1191 on a crusade.
In 1542, in the absence of a male heir, the estate came to 17-day old Agnes Woodhall (like Wodelle this is another variant of the name). She married twice and her son by Richard Chetwood, also called Richard, became the heir to the estate on her death in 1575.
About this time the village often becomes referred to as Odell.
In 1613 Richard made efforts to be recognised as Baron of Odell (a claim his 18th C. great-great-grandson and 19th. C. descendant also later pursued) but without success. In 1633, Richard sold the estate to William Alston and, after five hundred years, Odell village was no longer under the influence of a descendant of the family bearing the same name.
There is evidence that there was a church building in Odell village from as early as 1220, when Robert of Dunton is recorded as minister. A coffin lid also survives from this century. The present All Saints, however, dates from the 15th century. Built of limestone from Northamptonshire, it is a little atypical of Bedfordshire churches. In the late 17th century the building was greatly improved and in 1820 a clock was put in the tower. Further improvements were made in 1868, and in 1958 a sixth bell was added to the ring.
One of the more famous ministers at All Saints was Peter Bulkeley. Born in Odell in 1582, he became its rector in 1624, but since he did not “conform” to the requirements of the establishment, was suspended. In May 1635, like many other Nonconformists of the time, he emigrated to New England
on the Susan and Ellen. On arrival he moved on to found the city of Concord, Massachusetts
, becoming its first minister.
Between 1975 and 1981, All Saints church and Odell Castle played host to the Greenbelt Festival
, attended by up to 15000 people.
A park bench on the village green, outside the pub and against the wall of the castle, was given to the village by the organisers in 1979.
Odell was one of the first villages in England to have its own website with its parish magazine uploaded every month. This continues today on www.odellbeds.net
While there is still a hill at Odell (with an attractive wood on it), there is little woad to be found; the plant is not as common in England as it once was. Commercially produced indigo
has replaced woad as a dye (although seeds of woad can still be obtained).
During the 1970s, several gravel pits between Odell and nearby Harrold were flooded with water from the nearby Great Ouse, and the area turned into Harrold-Odell Country Park
, popular with dog-walkers and bird spotters. A wide variety of native waterfowl and other birds are seen on or near the lakes, including Great Crested Grebe
s, moorhen
s, heron
s, swan
s, cormorant
s and a wide variety of duck
s, as well as aquatic insects such as damselflies and dragonflies
.
Counties of England
Counties of England are areas used for the purposes of administrative, geographical and political demarcation. For administrative purposes, England outside Greater London and the Isles of Scilly is divided into 83 counties. The counties may consist of a single district or be divided into several...
of Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
in 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...
that lies to the north-west of the county town of Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
, near the villages of Harrold
Harrold, Bedfordshire
Harrold is a civil parish and electoral ward in the Borough of Bedford within Bedfordshire, England, around nine miles north-west of Bedford. The village is on the north bank of the River Great Ouse, and is the site of an ancient bridge, linking the village with Carlton with Chellington on the...
, Felmersham
Felmersham
Felmersham is a village and civil parish in the Bedford district of Bedfordshire, England, on the River Great Ouse, about north west of Bedford. As a civil parish, it includes the hamlet of Radwell, and is sometimes known as Felmersham and Radwell, and has a population of about 800, and is...
, Sharnbrook
Sharnbrook
Sharnbrook is a village and civil parish located in the Bedford Borough of Bedfordshire, England.The settlement was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a parish within the Hundred of Willey but was probably first developed in Saxon times. The oldest surviving building, St Peter's Church, is...
, and Carlton
Carlton, Bedfordshire
Carlton is a village in the Bedford district of Bedfordshire, England, part of the Carlton with Chellington parish with the adjacent village of Chellington. The River Great Ouse runs just to the north of the village. Nearby places are Harrold, Pavenham, Turvey, Lavendon and Little Odell.Carlton...
.
Roman and Saxon period
Evidence of occupation includes the remains of a farm dating from just before the Roman invasion. It comprised two round timber buildings inside a fenced enclosure, and two cremation pits. After the conquest its survival and prosperity may have been linked to there being a Roman presence at IrchesterIrchester
Irchester is a civil parish and village in the county of Northamptonshire, England. It is about 2 miles south-east of the town of Wellingborough and 2 miles south-west of Rushden, and equidistant from London, south, and Birmingham, to the north-west...
.
The evidence is that the farm was abandoned in the 4th C. and remained unoccupied until the 6/7th C. After this it no doubt experienced a chequered history owing to attacks by Danish Vikings.
In the early 11th C. the area where the present village lies was part of five or more “hide
Hide (unit)
The hide was originally an amount of land sufficient to support a household, but later in Anglo-Saxon England became a unit used in assessing land for liability to "geld", or land tax. The geld would be collected at a stated rate per hide...
s” that were under Levenot, a thane of King Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor also known as St. Edward the Confessor , son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England and is usually regarded as the last king of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 to 1066....
, who owned much land.
At that time the village was already known by the name of Wadelle, or Wadehelle. This name means “the hill where woad grows”. Woad
Woad
Isatis tinctoria, with Woad as the common name, is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae. It is commonly called dyer's woad, and sometimes incorrectly listed as Isatis indigotica . It is occasionally known as Asp of Jerusalem...
(Isatis tinctoria) was important as a source of a blue dye. (Julius Caesar had reported that he had found the Ancient Britons stained themselves with it.)
Wahul history 1066-1633
After the battle of Hastings in 1066, William the Conqueror and his Normans progressively took control of the whole of England. In many cases regions were given to fellow soldiers to manage. The lands owned by Levenot, along with the title of Baron, were passed to a Walter Flandrensis, the Count of Flanders, who is thought to have fought alongside William.Walter is mentioned as early as 1068, and sometimes as Walter de Wahul (Wahul being a variant of Wadehelle). His arrival marked the start of a period of centuries during which a family bearing an Odell-type name continued to hold most of these lands.
Odell was 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 as a parish of the Hundred of Willey
Hundred of Willey
The Hundred of Willey is a historical land division, a hundred in northwest corner of Bedfordshire, England. Its northwestern boundary is the county border with Northamptonshire, and its southwestern boundary the border with Buckinghamshire...
.
Amongst the de Wahul dynasty were a number of interesting characters. The wild Simon de Wahul was described by the Archbishop of Canterbury as an “invader” of Ramsey Abbey
Ramsey Abbey
Ramsey Abbey is a former Benedictine abbey located in Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, England, southeast of Peterborough and north of Huntingdon, UK.-History:...
. It is also known that Simon sided with Prince Henry in 1172 when Henry rebelled against his father. On the other hand, Simon’s own son, another Simon, was very devout. He ended up dying in 1191 on a crusade.
In 1542, in the absence of a male heir, the estate came to 17-day old Agnes Woodhall (like Wodelle this is another variant of the name). She married twice and her son by Richard Chetwood, also called Richard, became the heir to the estate on her death in 1575.
About this time the village often becomes referred to as Odell.
In 1613 Richard made efforts to be recognised as Baron of Odell (a claim his 18th C. great-great-grandson and 19th. C. descendant also later pursued) but without success. In 1633, Richard sold the estate to William Alston and, after five hundred years, Odell village was no longer under the influence of a descendant of the family bearing the same name.
Church history
One of the more famous ministers at All Saints was Peter Bulkeley. Born in Odell in 1582, he became its rector in 1624, but since he did not “conform” to the requirements of the establishment, was suspended. In May 1635, like many other Nonconformists of the time, he emigrated to New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
on the Susan and Ellen. On arrival he moved on to found the city of Concord, Massachusetts
Concord, Massachusetts
Concord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 17,668. Although a small town, Concord is noted for its leading roles in American history and literature.-History:...
, becoming its first minister.
Between 1975 and 1981, All Saints church and Odell Castle played host to the Greenbelt Festival
Greenbelt festival
Greenbelt Festival is a festival of arts, faith and justice held annually in England since 1974. Greenbelt has grown from a Christian music festival with an audience of 1,500 young Christians to its current more secular festival attended by around 20,000 - Christians and non-Christians.The festival...
, attended by up to 15000 people.
A park bench on the village green, outside the pub and against the wall of the castle, was given to the village by the organisers in 1979.
Odell was one of the first villages in England to have its own website with its parish magazine uploaded every month. This continues today on www.odellbeds.net
The village: 16th C. to today
Notable events include:- 1717: The Bishop of Lincoln counted 66 families on a visit.
- 1771: An epidemic of smallpoxSmallpoxSmallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
occurred in which 12 people died. - 1776: The area was enclosed by Act of Parliament.
- 1801: The population was 361.
- 1851: The census listed 22 Odells.
- 1863: Reverend Searle persuaded newly weds George and Sarah Odell to emigrate to New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
- 1931: The population was 226.
- 1984/5: The village welcomed folk from Concord, MassachusettsConcord, MassachusettsConcord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 17,668. Although a small town, Concord is noted for its leading roles in American history and literature.-History:...
, as part of their 350-year celebrations.
Today
Over recent years All Saints has become a place visited by those people round the world who seek to trace their ancestry to Odell, and to spend some time in the church or churchyard. Many of these visits are recorded in the church’s visitors' book.While there is still a hill at Odell (with an attractive wood on it), there is little woad to be found; the plant is not as common in England as it once was. Commercially produced indigo
Indigo dye
Indigo dye is an organic compound with a distinctive blue color . Historically, indigo was a natural dye extracted from plants, and this process was important economically because blue dyes were once rare. Nearly all indigo dye produced today — several thousand tons each year — is synthetic...
has replaced woad as a dye (although seeds of woad can still be obtained).
During the 1970s, several gravel pits between Odell and nearby Harrold were flooded with water from the nearby Great Ouse, and the area turned into Harrold-Odell Country Park
Harrold-Odell Country Park
The Harrold-Odell Country Park is a Country park in Bedfordshire, England, located between the villages of Odell and Harrold.The site covers , has three lakes and is located on the River Great Ouse....
, popular with dog-walkers and bird spotters. A wide variety of native waterfowl and other birds are seen on or near the lakes, including Great Crested Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
The Great Crested Grebe is a member of the grebe family of water birds.- Description :The Great Crested Grebe is long with a wingspan. It is an excellent swimmer and diver, and pursues its fish prey underwater. The adults are unmistakable in summer with head and neck decorations...
s, moorhen
Moorhen
Moorhens, sometimes called marsh hens, are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family Rallidae. They constitute the genus Gallinula....
s, heron
Heron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
s, swan
Swan
Swans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae...
s, cormorant
Great Cormorant
The Great Cormorant , known as the Great Black Cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere, the Black Cormorant in Australia and the Black Shag further south in New Zealand, is a widespread member of the cormorant family of seabirds...
s and a wide variety of duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
s, as well as aquatic insects such as damselflies and dragonflies
Odonata
Odonata is an order of insects, encompassing dragonflies and damselflies . The word dragonfly is also sometimes used to refer to all Odonata, but the back-formation odonate is a more correct English name for the group as a whole...
.