Oldbury-on-the-Hill
Encyclopedia
Oldbury-on-the-Hill is a small village
and former civil parish
in Gloucestershire
, England
, ninety-three miles west of London
and less than one mile (1.6 km) north of the village of Didmarton
.
times, and Nan Tow's Tump, a round barrow
beside the A46 road
, is a Bronze Age
earthwork and archaeological site. The tree-grown barrow is about thirty metres in diameter and three metres high. The name refers to Nan Tow, said to have been a local witch
who was buried upright in the barrow.
The parishes of Oldbury-on-the-Hill and Didmarton were together surrounded on all sides by the parish of Hawkesbury
and the county boundary with Wiltshire
, which is taken to suggest that they were anciently part of Hawkesbury.
The Domesday Book
of 1086 calls the village Aldeberie. Before 1066, it was held by Eadric, Sheriff of Wiltshire, and in 1086 by Ernulf de Hesdin. A document of 972 gives the name as Ealdanbyri, meaning 'old fortification'. A possible derivation from the name of St Arilda
has also been suggested.
In 1342, the tithe
of hay and other lesser tithes in Didmarton and Oldbury-on-the-Hill belonging to Badminton church were assessed at £4 13s. 4d.
Together with neighbouring Didmarton, the parish was subject to enclosure
in 1829.
Benjamin Clarke's British Gazetteer (1852) says:
According to The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868):
On 25 March 1883, Oldbury-on-the-Hill was incorporated into the civil parish of Didmarton
, the two having shared a Rector
since 1735.
s for Oldbury-on-the-Hill survive from as early as 1568, and all surviving records for the period 1568 to 1978 are deposited at the Gloucester Record Office.
Monumental inscriptions from St Arilda's churchyard include the names Alcock, Baker, Bayliss, Chappell, Clark, Cockram, Dale, Fry, Gunter, Hatherell, Hatherle, Holborow, Holobrow, Long, Pirtt, Rice, Thompson, Toghill, Verrinder, Walker, Watts, Webb, White, and Yorke.
had a portion of 8s. and 6d. in the chapel of Oldbury. The oldest part of the present medieval parish church of Oldbury is estimated to date from the 14th century.
The church shares its ancient dedication to St Arilda
with the church of Oldbury-on-Severn
, some twenty miles (32 km) away. St Arilda was a Gloucestershire virgin and martyr
who lived at an uncertain time before the Norman conquest of England
at Kington, near Thornbury
, which is now in the parish of Oldbury-on-Severn. Her feast day is 20 July.
St Arilda's at Oldbury-on-the-Hill has been declared redundant, so is no longer used for regular worship.
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 former 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 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...
, ninety-three miles west of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and less than one mile (1.6 km) north of the village of Didmarton
Didmarton
Didmarton is a village and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It lies in the Cotswold District.Since 25 March 1883, the civil parish has included the former parish of Oldbury-on-the-Hill.-History:...
.
History
Oldbury-on-the-Hill has been inhabited since prehistoricPrehistory
Prehistory is the span of time before recorded history. Prehistory can refer to the period of human existence before the availability of those written records with which recorded history begins. More broadly, it refers to all the time preceding human existence and the invention of writing...
times, and Nan Tow's Tump, a round barrow
Round barrow
Round barrows are one of the most common types of archaeological monuments. Although concentrated in Europe they are found in many parts of the world because of their simple construction and universal purpose....
beside the A46 road
A46 road
The A46 is an A road in England. It starts east of Bath, Somerset and ends in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, but it does not form a continuous route. Large portions of the old road have been lost, bypassed, or replaced by motorway development...
, is a Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
earthwork and archaeological site. The tree-grown barrow is about thirty metres in diameter and three metres high. The name refers to Nan Tow, said to have been a local witch
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
who was buried upright in the barrow.
The parishes of Oldbury-on-the-Hill and Didmarton were together surrounded on all sides by the parish of Hawkesbury
Hawkesbury
Hawkesbury or Hawksbury is the name of several places:*Hawkesbury, Ontario, a town in Ontario, Canada*City of Hawkesbury a local government area in New South Wales, Australia...
and the county boundary with Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, which is taken to suggest that they were anciently part of Hawkesbury.
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 calls the village Aldeberie. Before 1066, it was held by Eadric, Sheriff of Wiltshire, and in 1086 by Ernulf de Hesdin. A document of 972 gives the name as Ealdanbyri, meaning 'old fortification'. A possible derivation from the name of St Arilda
Arilda
Saint Arilda a little-known female saint from Oldbury-on-Severn in the English county of Gloucestershire. She probably lived in the 5th or 6th century and may have been of either Anglo-Saxon or Welsh origin....
has also been suggested.
In 1342, the tithe
Tithe
A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products...
of hay and other lesser tithes in Didmarton and Oldbury-on-the-Hill belonging to Badminton church were assessed at £4 13s. 4d.
Together with neighbouring Didmarton, the parish was subject to enclosure
Enclosure
Enclosure or inclosure is the process which ends traditional rights such as mowing meadows for hay, or grazing livestock on common land. Once enclosed, these uses of the land become restricted to the owner, and it ceases to be common land. In England and Wales the term is also used for the...
in 1829.
Benjamin Clarke's British Gazetteer (1852) says:
According to The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868):
On 25 March 1883, Oldbury-on-the-Hill was incorporated into the civil parish of Didmarton
Didmarton
Didmarton is a village and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It lies in the Cotswold District.Since 25 March 1883, the civil parish has included the former parish of Oldbury-on-the-Hill.-History:...
, the two having shared a Rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
since 1735.
Parish records
Parish registerParish register
A parish register is a handwritten volume, normally kept in a parish church or deposited within a county record office or alternative archive repository, in which details of baptisms, marriages and burials are recorded.-History:...
s for Oldbury-on-the-Hill survive from as early as 1568, and all surviving records for the period 1568 to 1978 are deposited at the Gloucester Record Office.
Monumental inscriptions from St Arilda's churchyard include the names Alcock, Baker, Bayliss, Chappell, Clark, Cockram, Dale, Fry, Gunter, Hatherell, Hatherle, Holborow, Holobrow, Long, Pirtt, Rice, Thompson, Toghill, Verrinder, Walker, Watts, Webb, White, and Yorke.
Parish church
The earliest record so far found of a church at Oldbury-on-the-Hill occurs in 1273, when there is a mention of a ‘free chapel’ there. In 1291, the Rector of Great BadmintonBadminton, Gloucestershire
Badminton, Gloucestershire, is a village in England famous for its horse trials, which take place in early May each year in the grounds of the Duke of Beaufort's residence, Badminton House...
had a portion of 8s. and 6d. in the chapel of Oldbury. The oldest part of the present medieval parish church of Oldbury is estimated to date from the 14th century.
The church shares its ancient dedication to St Arilda
Arilda
Saint Arilda a little-known female saint from Oldbury-on-Severn in the English county of Gloucestershire. She probably lived in the 5th or 6th century and may have been of either Anglo-Saxon or Welsh origin....
with the church of Oldbury-on-Severn
Oldbury-on-Severn
Oldbury-on-Severn is a small village near the mouth of the River Severn in South Gloucestershire. It is home to the nearby Oldbury nuclear power station, a Magnox power station which opened in 1967 and is due to cease operation in 2011....
, some twenty miles (32 km) away. St Arilda was a Gloucestershire virgin and martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
who lived at an uncertain time before the Norman conquest of England
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
at Kington, near Thornbury
Thornbury, South Gloucestershire
Thornbury is a market town in South Gloucestershire, England, approximately 12 miles north of the city of Bristol, with a population of 12,342 at the 2001 UK census. The town hosts South Gloucestershire Council headquarters and is twinned with Bockenem in Germany. Thornbury is a Britain in Bloom...
, which is now in the parish of Oldbury-on-Severn. Her feast day is 20 July.
St Arilda's at Oldbury-on-the-Hill has been declared redundant, so is no longer used for regular worship.
External links
- Oldbury-on-the-Hill at genuki.org.uk
- DIDMARTON, LASBOROUGH, LEIGHTERTON, BOXWELL, OLDBURY-on-the-HILL & SADDLEWOOD page at rootsweb.ancestry.com, with photograph of St Arilda's Church, Oldbury-on-the-Hill
- Photograph of St Arilda's Church, Oldbury-on-the-Hill at wishful-thinking.org.uk
- Oldbury-on-the-Hill location map from google.co.uk/maps
- Oldbury-on-the-Hill at geodaisy.com (includes current weather report and weather forecast for next ten days)
- Gloucestershire census returns 1801-1901 at genuki.org.uk