Sherborne, Gloucestershire
Encyclopedia
Sherborne is a village and civil parish almost 3.5 miles (5.6 km) east of Northleach
in Gloucestershire
. Sherborne is a linear village
, extending more than a mile along the valley of Sherborne Brook, a tributary of the River Windrush
.
The place-name 'Sherborne' is first attested in the Domesday Book
of 1086, where it is spelt 'Scireburne', and means 'bright stream'. This is a reference to Sherborne Brook.
, who reigned from AD 796 to 821, is credited with giving the manor
of Sherborne to Winchcombe Abbey
. The Domesday Book
records that the abbey held Sherborne in 1086. Edward I
stayed in Sherborne in 1382. In 1539 the abbey was suppressed in the Dissolution of the Monasteries
and the Crown
took its lands.
Sherborne had a parish church
by 1175, when it was listed amongst the property of Winchcombe Abbey. The original church building no longer exists, but a 19th-century cottage at the east end of the village incorporates two Norman
doorways and other details said to have been recovered from an orchard at the same end of the village.
The present Church of England parish church
of Saint Mary Magdalene
is in the centre of the village. Its bell-tower and spire were built late in the 13th or early in the 14th century. The church is next to Sherborne House, which was built for Thomas Dutton after he bought the manor of Sherborne in 1551. Elizabeth I
stayed at the house in 1592. John Dutton had the house re-faced in 1651-53, and James Dutton, 1st Baron Sherborne
had alterations made to the church between 1743 and 1776, including the addition of a Doric
portico. In 1850-59 John Baron Dutton, 2nd Baron Sherborne
had the medieval nave
and aisle of the church demolished to allow more light into Sherborne House, and had a new nave and sanctuary
built further north. The church contains numerous ornate monuments to members of the Dutton family. The tower has a ring
of six bells. The oldest is medieval; three more were cast in 1653 and the remaining two are 18th-century.
In 1624-40 John Dutton acquired land 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of the village to create a deer park. He had The Lodge built as a viewing stand to watch deer being coursed
by greyhounds. In 1898 it was extended for Susan, Lady Sherborne
and converted into a house. The National Trust
now owns The Lodge and Sherborne Estate. Sherborne House is privately owned and not open to the public.
s on Sherborne Brook. By the end of the 19th century only Duckleston Mill, at the west end of the village, remained, and it was disused. In 1961 it was still standing but had been converted into a farmhouse.
The Astronomer Royal
James Bradley
was born in Sherborne in 1693.
More than half of the parish was farmed under an open field system
until 1777, when the common land
s were enclosed
.
The farmhouse at Stone Farm at the east end of Sherborne village was designed by Richard Pace
and built in 1818.
The 2nd Baron Sherborne
established two schools for boys in 1824. They were merged in 1862, and a schoolhouse was built for them in 1868. By 1906 it had been enlarged to take 165 pupils, but by 1938 attendance had fallen to 80. By 1961 it was a junior school. It is now a Church of England
primary school.
Until the 1880s Sherborne was noted as a centre of Morris dancing
.
Sherborne still has a Post Office.
Northleach
Northleach is a small Cotswold market town in Gloucestershire, England. It constitutes the major part of the civil parish of Northleach with Eastington.The nearest railway stations are Moreton-in-Marsh, Kingham and Shipton on the Cotswold Line....
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....
. Sherborne is a linear village
Linear village
In geography, a linear village, or linear settlement, is a small to medium-sized settlement that is formed around a transport route, such as a road, river, or canal. Wraysbury, a village in Berkshire, is one of the longest villages in England....
, extending more than a mile along the valley of Sherborne Brook, a tributary of the River Windrush
River Windrush
The River Windrush is a river in the English Cotswolds, forming part of the River Thames catchment.The Windrush starts in the Cotswold Hills in Gloucestershire northeast of Taddington, which is north of Guiting Power, Temple Guiting, Ford and Cutsdean...
.
The place-name 'Sherborne' is first attested 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, where it is spelt 'Scireburne', and means 'bright stream'. This is a reference to Sherborne Brook.
Manor and church
Coenwulf of MerciaCoenwulf of Mercia
Coenwulf was King of Mercia from December 796 to 821. He was a descendant of a brother of King Penda, who had ruled Mercia in the middle of the 7th century. He succeeded Ecgfrith, the son of Offa; Ecgfrith only reigned for five months, with Coenwulf coming to the throne in the same year that Offa...
, who reigned from AD 796 to 821, is credited with giving the manor
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...
of Sherborne to Winchcombe Abbey
Winchcombe Abbey
Winchcombe Abbey is a now-vanished Benedictine abbey in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, this abbey was once the capital of Mercia, an Anglo Saxon kingdom at the time of the Heptarchy in England. The Abbey was founded c. 798 for three hundred Benedictine monks, by King Offa of Mercia or King Kenulf. 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...
records that the abbey held Sherborne in 1086. Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
stayed in Sherborne in 1382. In 1539 the abbey was suppressed in the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
and the Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
took its lands.
Sherborne had a 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....
by 1175, when it was listed amongst the property of Winchcombe Abbey. The original church building no longer exists, but a 19th-century cottage at the east end of the village incorporates two Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
doorways and other details said to have been recovered from an orchard at the same end of the village.
The present Church of England parish church
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of Saint Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
is in the centre of the village. Its bell-tower and spire were built late in the 13th or early in the 14th century. The church is next to Sherborne House, which was built for Thomas Dutton after he bought the manor of Sherborne in 1551. Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
stayed at the house in 1592. John Dutton had the house re-faced in 1651-53, and James Dutton, 1st Baron Sherborne
James Dutton, 1st Baron Sherborne
James Naper Dutton, 1st Baron Sherborne , was a British peer.-Background:Sherborne was the son of James Lenox Dutton , of Sherborne, Gloucestershire, by his second wife Jane, daughter of Christopher Bond.-Political career:Sherborne was elected Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in 1780, a...
had alterations made to the church between 1743 and 1776, including the addition of a Doric
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
portico. In 1850-59 John Baron Dutton, 2nd Baron Sherborne
John Baron Dutton, 2nd Baron Sherborne
John Baron Dutton, 2nd Baron Sherborne , was a British peer.-Background:Sherborne was the son of James Dutton, 1st Baron Sherborne, of Sherborne, Gloucestershire, by his wife Elizabeth Coke , daughter of Wenman Coke and Elizabeth Chamberlayne.-Family:Lord Sherborne married Hon...
had the medieval nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and aisle of the church demolished to allow more light into Sherborne House, and had a new nave and sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
built further north. The church contains numerous ornate monuments to members of the Dutton family. The tower has a ring
Change ringing
Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called "changes". It differs from many other forms of campanology in that no attempt is made to produce a conventional melody....
of six bells. The oldest is medieval; three more were cast in 1653 and the remaining two are 18th-century.
In 1624-40 John Dutton acquired land 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of the village to create a deer park. He had The Lodge built as a viewing stand to watch deer being coursed
Coursing
Coursing is the pursuit of game or other animals by dogs—chiefly greyhounds and other sighthounds—catching their prey by speed, running by sight and not by scent. Coursing was a common hunting technique, practised by the nobility, the landed and wealthy, and commoners with sighthounds and lurchers...
by greyhounds. In 1898 it was extended for Susan, Lady Sherborne
James Henry Legge Dutton, 3rd Baron Sherborne
James Henry Legge Dutton, 3rd Baron Sherborne , was a British peer.-Background:Sherborne was the son of John Dutton, 2nd Baron Sherborne, of Sherborne, Gloucestershire, by his wife, Hon. Mary Bilson Legge , daughter of Henry Legge, 2nd Baron Stawelland Hon...
and converted into a house. The National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
now owns The Lodge and Sherborne Estate. Sherborne House is privately owned and not open to the public.
Economic and social history
In 1086 the village had four watermillWatermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
s on Sherborne Brook. By the end of the 19th century only Duckleston Mill, at the west end of the village, remained, and it was disused. In 1961 it was still standing but had been converted into a farmhouse.
The Astronomer Royal
Astronomer Royal
Astronomer Royal is a senior post in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. There are two officers, the senior being the Astronomer Royal dating from 22 June 1675; the second is the Astronomer Royal for Scotland dating from 1834....
James Bradley
James Bradley
James Bradley FRS was an English astronomer and served as Astronomer Royal from 1742, succeeding Edmund Halley. He is best known for two fundamental discoveries in astronomy, the aberration of light , and the nutation of the Earth's axis...
was born in Sherborne in 1693.
More than half of the parish was farmed under an open field system
Open field system
The open field system was the prevalent agricultural system in much of Europe from the Middle Ages to as recently as the 20th century in some places, particularly Russia and Iran. Under this system, each manor or village had several very large fields, farmed in strips by individual families...
until 1777, when the common land
Common land
Common land is land owned collectively or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel...
s were enclosed
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...
.
The farmhouse at Stone Farm at the east end of Sherborne village was designed by Richard Pace
Richard Pace (Lechlade)
Richard Pace was a Georgian builder and architect in Lechlade, Gloucestershire, England. He served in the Life Guards 1784-88. Most of his known commissions were houses, in many cases for Church of England clergy. He also restored or refitted a small number of Church of England parish churches. He...
and built in 1818.
The 2nd Baron Sherborne
John Baron Dutton, 2nd Baron Sherborne
John Baron Dutton, 2nd Baron Sherborne , was a British peer.-Background:Sherborne was the son of James Dutton, 1st Baron Sherborne, of Sherborne, Gloucestershire, by his wife Elizabeth Coke , daughter of Wenman Coke and Elizabeth Chamberlayne.-Family:Lord Sherborne married Hon...
established two schools for boys in 1824. They were merged in 1862, and a schoolhouse was built for them in 1868. By 1906 it had been enlarged to take 165 pupils, but by 1938 attendance had fallen to 80. By 1961 it was a junior school. It is now a Church of England
Voluntary controlled school
A voluntary controlled school is a state-funded school in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in which a foundation or trust has some formal influence in the running of the school...
primary school.
Until the 1880s Sherborne was noted as a centre of Morris dancing
Morris dance
Morris dance is a form of English folk dance usually accompanied by music. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers. Implements such as sticks, swords, handkerchiefs and bells may also be wielded by the dancers...
.
Sherborne still has a Post Office.