Sibdon Carwood
Encyclopedia
Sibdon Carwood is a hamlet and small parish in Shropshire
, England
. To its east is the small market town
of Craven Arms
.
at the heart of the Sibdon Castle estate
. Once the location of a medieval fortification or manor house
, the present Sibdon Castle is not a castle
but an early/mid-17th century stone country house
, built by the Corbet family. It was modernised in the 18th century and made castellated with battlement
s added around 1800. To the rear of the house is a courtyard with a stone stable block. It is a Grade II* Listed building.
Also within the main hamlet is St Michael's Church, which was rebuilt in 1741; there has been a church here since about 1180. A west tower was added around 1800 and the church was restored, extended and made Gothic
, with tower battlements, in 1871-2. The church and a lodge near Sibdon Castle are both Grade II listed. Otherwise the hamlet consists of a farm with its own farmhouse
, a small number of cottages and numerous outbuildings. Just to the northeast lies Sibdon Pool, a historic 1.3 hectare
fishing pool. A private tree-lined carriage
drive connects the main hamlet with the Clun
Road (the B4368). A number of public right of ways converge on the hamlet, giving the public access to the church, one of which is part of the "Shropshire Way
" and "Wart Hill Wanderer".
. Instead of a parish council it has a parish meeting
; this is due to the very small population of the parish. There is a parish noticeboard on Watling Street. The parish forms part of the Church Stretton
and Craven Arms electoral division
of Shropshire Council
, the local authority.
The eastern border of the parish is Watling Street
, a Roman road
- the other side of this lane is Craven Arms parish. The northern border is Long Lane, with the parish of Wistanstow
to the north, whilst to the west is Hopesay
Hill and Common
. The parish lies on the eastern slope of the hill, between the summit and the town of Craven Arms (where the River Onny
flows through); Sibdon Castle itself is at 187 metres above sea level
. The western half of the parish, including the main hamlet, lies within the Shropshire Hills
AONB
, with the lane running through the parish forming the boundary. This western half of the parish is on a steeper gradient and is more wooded
, with Sibdon Wood and Oldfield Wood, as well as parkland style trees.
The parish also includes half of the hamlet of Long Meadowend, which is situated in the southwestern corner of the parish, at the junction of the B4367, B4368 and the main lane through the parish, which runs north to Long Lane. (However the junction at Long Meadowend lies in Hopesay parish.) The B4368 road (running from Craven Arms to Clun) and the Heart of Wales Line
run through the southern part of the parish, with the nearest railway stations at Broome
and Craven Arms
.
A small number of holiday cottage
s now exist in the parish, on Long Lane and Watling Street. Also on Watling Street a farm has diversified since 2004 into an activities centre for children and groups, which has in recent years created large (temporary) outdoor maze
s in nearby fields, including corn maze
s. Long Lane is part of the "Six Castles Cycleway" and the National Cycle Network
route 44.
The place is occasionally written simply with the first part of the name, which has been spelt variously over the centuries. Originally "Sibton" (in the Domesday Book
of 1086 it is recorded as "Sibetune"), from Saxon
origin meaning "Sibba's farmstead". The second part of the full name, Carwood, means "the wood where the rocks are found". The name Carwood is also given to a wooded slope, north of Wart Hill in the north of Hopesay parish, and to three cottages there.
The Norman
barons who locally had their power base at Clun Castle
, the de Say family, held the manor
after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. The name of the neighbouring village and parish, Hopesay, derives from "Hope de Say" - "the valley of Say". During the medieval period
, the Welsh Marches
was an area of instability and conflict, ruled by the Marcher lords.
The fortified manor at Sibdon Carwood, the predecessor to the 17th-century Sibdon Castle country house, is given the name "Shepeton Corbet" by a number of historical documents, including that of John Leland (c. 1535-43), who also gives the suffix to Hopton Castle
and Moreton Corbet castle
. This is an indication that the Corbet family owned these fortified manors around the time, of which Moreton Corbet
's castle both remains in their ownership and retains the suffix to this day.
About a mile to the north, in the neighbouring hamlet of Cheney Longville
, was Cheney Longville Castle
.
A description of the parish published in 1848 records that 59 people lived in the parish, which was wholly owned by the Sibdon Castle estate. It also noted a perpetual curacy, with a net income of £50.
The parish came within the hundred of Purslow
. In 1894 it became part of Ludlow Rural District
and then in 1974 the non-metropolitan district
of South Shropshire
. In 2009 there was another re-organisation
of local administration, with the creation of a unitary authority
covering most of Shropshire
.
The nearby town of Craven Arms is a relatively recent development in the area - it was established only in the mid-19th century, being at the junction of a number of newly-laid railway lines. With much of its recent growth towards the west of the town, its urban area has reached Watling Street and its outskirts fringe into Sibdon Carwood parish.
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, 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...
. To its east is the small market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
of Craven Arms
Craven Arms
Craven Arms is a small town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, located on the A49 road and the Welsh Marches railway line, which connect it north and south to the larger towns of Shrewsbury and Ludlow respectively. The Heart of Wales railway line joins the Welsh Marches line at Craven Arms...
.
The hamlet
The community is quite dispersed, though there is a core hamletHamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
at the heart of the Sibdon Castle estate
Estate (house)
An estate comprises the houses and outbuildings and supporting farmland and woods that surround the gardens and grounds of a very large property, such as a country house or mansion. It is the modern term for a manor, but lacks the latter's now abolished jurisdictional authority...
. Once the location of a medieval fortification or manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
, the present Sibdon Castle is not a castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
but an early/mid-17th century stone country house
English country house
The English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a London house. This allowed to them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these people, the term distinguished between town and country...
, built by the Corbet family. It was modernised in the 18th century and made castellated with battlement
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
s added around 1800. To the rear of the house is a courtyard with a stone stable block. It is a Grade II* Listed building.
Also within the main hamlet is St Michael's Church, which was rebuilt in 1741; there has been a church here since about 1180. A west tower was added around 1800 and the church was restored, extended and made Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
, with tower battlements, in 1871-2. The church and a lodge near Sibdon Castle are both Grade II listed. Otherwise the hamlet consists of a farm with its own farmhouse
Farmhouse
Farmhouse is a general term for the main house of a farm. It is a type of building or house which serves a residential purpose in a rural or agricultural setting. Most often, the surrounding environment will be a farm. Many farm houses are shaped like a T...
, a small number of cottages and numerous outbuildings. Just to the northeast lies Sibdon Pool, a historic 1.3 hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
fishing pool. A private tree-lined carriage
Carriage
A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
drive connects the main hamlet with the Clun
Clun
Clun is a small town in Shropshire, England. The town is located entirely in the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The 2001 census recorded 642 people living in the town...
Road (the B4368). A number of public right of ways converge on the hamlet, giving the public access to the church, one of which is part of the "Shropshire Way
Shropshire Way
The Shropshire Way is a waymarked long distance footpath running through the English county of Shropshire. It runs 224 kilometres / 139 miles around the interior of the county in a large loop.- The Waymarked Route :...
" and "Wart Hill Wanderer".
The parish
The population of the whole parish was recorded as 82 persons, in 34 households, by the 2001 CensusUnited Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
. Instead of a parish council it has a parish meeting
Parish meeting
A parish meeting, in England, is a meeting to which all the electors in a civil parish are entitled to attend. In some cases, where a parish or group of parishes has fewer than 200 electors, the parish meeting can take on the role of the parish council itself, with statutory powers, and electing a...
; this is due to the very small population of the parish. There is a parish noticeboard on Watling Street. The parish forms part of the Church Stretton
Church Stretton
Church Stretton is a small town and civil parish in Shropshire, England. The population of the town was recorded as 2,789 in 2001, whilst the population of the wider parish was recorded as 4,186...
and Craven Arms electoral division
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
of Shropshire Council
Shropshire Council
Shropshire Council is a unitary authority in Shropshire, United Kingdom.It replaced the former two-tier local government structure in the non-metropolitan county of Shropshire on 1 April 2009, which involved its immediate predecessor, Shropshire County Council, and five non-metropolitan districts -...
, the local authority.
The eastern border of the parish is Watling Street
Watling Street
Watling Street is the name given to an ancient trackway in England and Wales that was first used by the Britons mainly between the modern cities of Canterbury and St Albans. The Romans later paved the route, part of which is identified on the Antonine Itinerary as Iter III: "Item a Londinio ad...
, a Roman road
Roman roads in Britain
Roman roads, together with Roman aqueducts and the vast standing Roman army , constituted the three most impressive features of the Roman Empire. In Britain, as in other provinces, the Romans constructed a comprehensive network of paved trunk roads Roman roads, together with Roman aqueducts and the...
- the other side of this lane is Craven Arms parish. The northern border is Long Lane, with the parish of Wistanstow
Wistanstow
Wistanstow is a village and parish in Shropshire, England.- Location :Wistanstow is located about 8km south of Church Stretton and 14km north of Ludlow. It is about 2½ km north of Craven Arms. It is just off the main Shrewsbury-Hereford road, the A49...
to the north, whilst to the west is Hopesay
Hopesay
Hopesay is a small village, and parish, in Shropshire, England.The name 'Hopesay' derives from "Hope de Say", the valley of Picot de Say, a Norman baron who held the manor of neighbouring Sibdon Carwood and whose power base was the nearby Clun Castle...
Hill and Common
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...
. The parish lies on the eastern slope of the hill, between the summit and the town of Craven Arms (where the River Onny
River Onny
The River Onny is a river in Shropshire, England. It is a major tributary of the River Teme.The river has its sources in the Shropshire Hills at White Grit, located in Mid and South-west Shropshire. It has two branches, the East Onny and West Onny, which converge at Eaton, to the east of Lydham...
flows through); Sibdon Castle itself is at 187 metres above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
. The western half of the parish, including the main hamlet, lies within the Shropshire Hills
Shropshire Hills AONB
The Shropshire Hills area is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty , in the English county of Shropshire, close to its border with Wales. Designated in 1958 , the area encompasses of land primarily in south-west Shropshire...
AONB
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
, with the lane running through the parish forming the boundary. This western half of the parish is on a steeper gradient and is more wooded
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
, with Sibdon Wood and Oldfield Wood, as well as parkland style trees.
The parish also includes half of the hamlet of Long Meadowend, which is situated in the southwestern corner of the parish, at the junction of the B4367, B4368 and the main lane through the parish, which runs north to Long Lane. (However the junction at Long Meadowend lies in Hopesay parish.) The B4368 road (running from Craven Arms to Clun) and the Heart of Wales Line
Heart of Wales Line
The Heart of Wales Line is a railway line running from Craven Arms in Shropshire to Llanelli in South Wales. It runs, as the name suggests, through some of the heartlands of Wales. It serves a number of rural centres en route, including several once fashionable spa towns, including Llandrindod Wells...
run through the southern part of the parish, with the nearest railway stations at Broome
Broome railway station
Broome railway station is a railway station serving the villages of Broome and Aston on Clun, in Shropshire, England. It is situated on the Heart of Wales Line, 22¾ miles south west of...
and Craven Arms
Craven Arms railway station
Craven Arms railway station serves the small town of Craven Arms in Shropshire, England. Until 1974 it was known as "Craven Arms and Stokesay", named after the nearby coaching inn and the historic settlement of Stokesay to the south...
.
A small number of holiday cottage
Holiday cottage
A holiday cottage is a cottage used for accommodation, which has become common in the United Kingdom and Canada. They are typically small homes that vacationers can rent and run as if it were their own home for the duration of their stay. This gives them the freedom to eat in, eat out, stay in bed...
s now exist in the parish, on Long Lane and Watling Street. Also on Watling Street a farm has diversified since 2004 into an activities centre for children and groups, which has in recent years created large (temporary) outdoor maze
Maze
A maze is a tour puzzle in the form of a complex branching passage through which the solver must find a route. In everyday speech, both maze and labyrinth denote a complex and confusing series of pathways, but technically the maze is distinguished from the labyrinth, as the labyrinth has a single...
s in nearby fields, including corn maze
Corn maze
A corn maze or maize maze is a maze cut out of a corn field. They have become popular tourist attractions in North America, and a way for farms to create tourist income. Many are based on artistic designs such as characters from movies. Corn mazes appear in many different designs. Some mazes are...
s. Long Lane is part of the "Six Castles Cycleway" and 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 44.
Etymology and history
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 it is recorded as "Sibetune"), from Saxon
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
origin meaning "Sibba's farmstead". The second part of the full name, Carwood, means "the wood where the rocks are found". The name Carwood is also given to a wooded slope, north of Wart Hill in the north of Hopesay parish, and to three cottages there.
The Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
barons who locally had their power base at Clun Castle
Clun Castle
Clun Castle is a ruined castle in the small town of Clun, Shropshire. Clun Castle was established by the Norman lord Robert de Say after the invasion and went on to become an important Marcher lord castle in the 12th century, with an extensive castle-guard system...
, the de Say family, held 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...
after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. The name of the neighbouring village and parish, Hopesay, derives from "Hope de Say" - "the valley of Say". During the medieval period
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...
, the Welsh Marches
Welsh Marches
The Welsh Marches is a term which, in modern usage, denotes an imprecisely defined area along and around the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The precise meaning of the term has varied at different periods...
was an area of instability and conflict, ruled by the Marcher lords.
The fortified manor at Sibdon Carwood, the predecessor to the 17th-century Sibdon Castle country house, is given the name "Shepeton Corbet" by a number of historical documents, including that of John Leland (c. 1535-43), who also gives the suffix to Hopton Castle
Hopton Castle
Hopton Castle is a small village and civil parish in Shropshire, England.The village grew up near to the keep of Hopton Castle, which was opened as a visitor attraction in 2011. Nearby is the hamlet of Hopton Heath, with its small station on the Heart of Wales Line...
and Moreton Corbet castle
Moreton Corbet castle
Moreton Corbet Castle is an English Heritage property located near the village of Moreton Corbet, Shropshire, England. It is a Grade I listed building. The ruins are from two different eras: a medieval stronghold and an Elizabethan era manor house...
. This is an indication that the Corbet family owned these fortified manors around the time, of which Moreton Corbet
Moreton Corbet
Moreton Corbet is a small village in Shropshire, England, in the civil parish of Moreton Corbet and Lee Brockhurst. Its name refers to the Corbet Baronets, the local landowners....
's castle both remains in their ownership and retains the suffix to this day.
About a mile to the north, in the neighbouring hamlet of Cheney Longville
Cheney Longville
Cheney Longville is a small village in Shropshire, England.It lies in the parish of Wistanstow, near to the small market town of Craven Arms.Called simply "Langfeld" in 1087, when it was owned by Shrewsbury Abbey...
, was Cheney Longville Castle
Cheney Longville Castle
Cheney Longville Castle was in the village of Cheney Longville to the north of Craven Arms, Shropshire . It is a much restored 14th century fortified manor house....
.
A description of the parish published in 1848 records that 59 people lived in the parish, which was wholly owned by the Sibdon Castle estate. It also noted a perpetual curacy, with a net income of £50.
The parish came within the hundred of Purslow
Purslow
Purslow is a hamlet in Shropshire, England, on the B4368 between the towns of Clun and Craven Arms.Purslow was originally a hundred and there is a pub in the village called the "Hundred House". There is also a manor house which has existed in some form since the twelfth century. It is believed the...
. In 1894 it became part of Ludlow Rural District
Ludlow Rural District
Ludlow was a rural district in Shropshire, England from 1894 to 1974.It was created by the Local Government Act 1894 from the Ludlow rural sanitary district. It was enlarged in 1934 under a County Review Order by taking in the disbanded Burford Rural District and parts of the Church Stretton Rural...
and then in 1974 the non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
of South Shropshire
South Shropshire
South Shropshire was, between 1974 and 2009, a local government district in south west Shropshire, England.South Shropshire was the most rural district of one of the UK's most rural counties, the population of the district was 40,410 in 2001 spread out over 1,027 km² of forest, mountains,...
. In 2009 there was another re-organisation
2009 structural changes to local government in England
Structural changes to local government in England were effected on 1 April 2009, whereby a number of new unitary authorities were created in parts of the country which previously operated a 'two-tier' system of counties and districts...
of local administration, with the creation of a unitary authority
Unitary authorities of England
Unitary authorities of England are areas where a single local authority is responsible for a variety of services for a district that elsewhere are administered separately by two councils...
covering most of Shropshire
Shropshire Council
Shropshire Council is a unitary authority in Shropshire, United Kingdom.It replaced the former two-tier local government structure in the non-metropolitan county of Shropshire on 1 April 2009, which involved its immediate predecessor, Shropshire County Council, and five non-metropolitan districts -...
.
The nearby town of Craven Arms is a relatively recent development in the area - it was established only in the mid-19th century, being at the junction of a number of newly-laid railway lines. With much of its recent growth towards the west of the town, its urban area has reached Watling Street and its outskirts fringe into Sibdon Carwood parish.