Aston Cantlow
Encyclopedia
Aston Cantlow is a village
and civil parish
in the Stratford district
of Warwickshire
, England
, on the River Alne
. It lies 5 miles (8 km) north-west of Stratford, and 2 miles (3.2 km) north-east of Wilmcote. The parish stretching across the valley of the Alne includes the villages of Aston Cantlow, Little Alne, Shelfield, and Newnham. The main village, consisting of a single street, lies on the east bank of the stream; and behind the hamlet of Little Alne on the opposite bank, about ¼ mile north-west, the Alne Hills rise to rather over 400 ft (121.9 m). round the scattered hamlet of Shelfield. The valley is bounded on the east and south by a line of low hills, partly wooded, which divide it from the Avon. On this ridge are two more hamlets, Newnham and about a mile to the south, Wilmcote
, which has been a separate ecclesiastical parish since 1863. The eastern extremity of the parish touches Bearley
and Snitterfield
and includes the hamlet of Pathlow
on the Birmingham-Stratford road. It was the home of Mary Arden
, Shakespeare's mother. According to the 2001 census
the parish had a population of 1,674.
in 1066, the manor of Aston was held by Earl Ælfgar
, son of Earl Leofric
who had died in 1057, and the husband of Lady Godiva
. Osbern FitzRichard, son of Richard FitzScrob (or FitzScrope), builder of Richard's Castle
, was the holder in 1086 as the Domesday Book records:
Osbern died in 1137 and by 1169 it had passed to William the Chamberlain of Tankervill, who, by an undated grant gave to the Abbey of Winchcombe all the land, in wood and plain, between Alne and his manor of Estone on condition that it should remain uncultivated and that his men should enjoy the same common rights there as they had in the rest of the wood and plain of Alne. He was still holding the manor in 1177 and may have been succeeded by Ralph de Tankervill, who is referred to fifty years later as having formerly possessed it.
It ultimately escheated
to the Crown and in 1204 King John
(1199-1216) granted it to William I de Cantilupe
(d.1239), from whose family, which held the manor for four generations in direct descent, the village takes its name. William's family name was added to the name of the manor of Aston, probably to differentiate it from another of the same name, in one of its many anciently-spelled varieties, Cantlow. William I de Cantilupe served King John as Justiciar
and Steward of the Household, served several times as Sheriff of Warwickshire
, and from 1215 to 1223 was Governor of Kenilworth Castle
. He attained the status of a feudal baron
, his barony, of which Aston became a member, having its baronial seat or caput
at Eaton Bray in Bedfordshire. The family had been conspicuous for several generations, "evil councillors" of King John and his son Henry III, as Matthew Paris
recorded, and strong supporters of the Crown against the Barons. On his death in 1239 his son William II de Cantilupe
(d.1251) succeeded him both in his estates and as Steward of the Royal Household. Either William II or his son William III de Cantilupe is referred to as holding the manor, valued at £40, by unknown feudal tenure
, of the gift of King John. Dugdale
notes that the family remained lords of the manor in 1250. William III's younger brother Thomas de Cantilupe (d.1282), who never held the manor, became Bishop of Hereford
in 1275 and in 1320 was canonized as St Thomas of Hereford. William III de Cantilupe died in 1254, leaving a three-year old son George de Cantilupe (d.1273), later Baron Bergavenny, as his heir. During George's minority his wardship, and therefore the custody of the manor, was granted to the Queen of the Romans. On his death in 1273 without progeny the senior male line of the family died out, his heir being his nephew John Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings
and Baron Bergavenny (d.1313).
and sewing needle
scouring were two major trades in the village in times past. The earliest reference to paper-making at Aston Cantlow occurs in the inclosure award of 1743, from which it appears that there must have been a mill near the junction of the Alne and Silesbourne Brook. Thomas Fruin of Aston Cantlow, paper-maker, is recorded in 1768 in the Abstracts of Title for Stratford on Avon, About 1799 the mill near the church was converted into a paper-mill by Henry Wrighton, trade directories show that this family carried on the business until about 1845–50. Afterwards the mill was used by Messrs. Pardow of Studley for needle-scouring, an industry which lasted here for about forty years. After a short period during the 1890's, during which the mill was used again for its original purpose, it became for a few years a factory for making ball-bearings for bicycles before being finally abandoned in the 1920's.
The village is now mainly agricultural; many residents commute to nearby cities for employment.
., Conservative. Nationally it is part of Stratford on Avon
constituency, whose Member of Parliament following the 2010 election is Nadhim Zahawi
of the Conservative Party
. It is included in the West Midlands
electoral region of the European Parliament and the six members are; Mike Nattrass
(UK Independence), Liz Lynne
(Liberal Democrat), Malcolm Harbour
(Conservative), Michael Cashman
(Labour), Philip Bradbourn
OBE (Conservative) and Nicole Sinclaire
(UK Independence).
Here, it is believed that, Shakespeare's
parents, John Shakespeare
and Mary Arden
, were married in 1557. The survey of the clergy by the puritans in 1586 described the then vicar, Thomas Clarke, parson no precher nor learned, yet honest of life & zealous in religion he hath 3 or 4 charges & cures beside that of Kynerton, he supplieth by his deputies, his hirelinges that serue by his non-residentship are all dumbe & idle & some of them gamsters : vah of all Ixxx a yeare.
The most celebrated incumbent of Aston Cantlow was Thomas Cantelupe, mentioned above, who held the living before his elevation to the See of Hereford.
It became well-known nationally after its controversial decision to demand the owners of a farmhouse next door paid £230,000 for repairs to the church.
The village contains a number of black and white half timbered buildings including the 16th century Guild Hall and the 15th century village pub, The Kings Head. The Gildhouse is traditionally believed to have been the hall of the gild that was in existence here in the time of Henry VI. It is first so called in a lease of 1713 (on surrender of one dated 1661) and as late as 1770 the upper chamber was reserved for manor courts. The building preserves externally much of its original appearance.
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 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 the Stratford district
Stratford-on-Avon (district)
Stratford-on-Avon is a local government district of southern Warwickshire in England.The district is named "Stratford-on-Avon" to distinguish it from its main town of Stratford-upon-Avon where the district council is based, although this name often causes confusion .The district is mostly rural and...
of Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, 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...
, on the River Alne
River Alne
The River Alne is a tributary of the Warwickshire Avon and has its headwaters to the north of Wootton Wawen. The River Alne flows generally southwards before joining with the River Arrow at Alcester, which itself joins the River Avon near Salford Priors....
. It lies 5 miles (8 km) north-west of Stratford, and 2 miles (3.2 km) north-east of Wilmcote. The parish stretching across the valley of the Alne includes the villages of Aston Cantlow, Little Alne, Shelfield, and Newnham. The main village, consisting of a single street, lies on the east bank of the stream; and behind the hamlet of Little Alne on the opposite bank, about ¼ mile north-west, the Alne Hills rise to rather over 400 ft (121.9 m). round the scattered hamlet of Shelfield. The valley is bounded on the east and south by a line of low hills, partly wooded, which divide it from the Avon. On this ridge are two more hamlets, Newnham and about a mile to the south, Wilmcote
Wilmcote
Wilmcote is a village and since 2004 a separate civil parish in the English county of Warwickshire, about north of Stratford-upon-Avon. Prior to 2004, it was part of the same parish as Aston Cantlow and the 2001 population for the whole being 1,674....
, which has been a separate ecclesiastical parish since 1863. The eastern extremity of the parish touches Bearley
Bearley
Bearley is a village and civil parish in the Stratford district of Warwickshire, England. The village is about five miles north of Stratford-upon-Avon, bounded on the north by Wootton Wawen, on the east by Snitterfield, and on the south and west by Aston Cantlow...
and Snitterfield
Snitterfield
Snitterfield is a village and civil parish in the Stratford on Avon district of Warwickshire, England, less than a mile to the north of the A46 road, 4 ½ miles from Stratford upon Avon, 6 ½ miles from Warwick and from Coventry.-History:...
and includes the hamlet of Pathlow
Pathlow, Warwickshire
Pathlow is a hamlet in the English county of Warwickshire.Pathlow lies to the east of the village of Wilmcote some three miles north from Stratford-upon-Avon.- External links :...
on the Birmingham-Stratford road. It was the home of Mary Arden
Mary Arden
Mary Shakespeare, née Mary Arden, was the mother of William Shakespeare. She was the daughter of Robert Arden and his first wife Mary Arden née Mary Webb . The Arden family had been prominent in Warwickshire since before the Norman Conquest...
, Shakespeare's mother. According to the 2001 census
United 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....
the parish had a population of 1,674.
Descent of the manor
Prior to the Norman conquestNorman 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...
in 1066, the manor of Aston was held by Earl Ælfgar
Ælfgar, Earl of Mercia
Ælfgar was son of Leofric, Earl of Mercia,by his well-known wife Godgifu . He succeeded to his father's title and responsibilities on the latter's death in 1057....
, son of Earl Leofric
Leofric, Earl of Mercia
Leofric was the Earl of Mercia and founded monasteries at Coventry and Much Wenlock. Leofric is remembered as the husband of Lady Godiva.-Life and political influence:...
who had died in 1057, and the husband of Lady Godiva
Lady Godiva
Godiva , often referred to as Lady Godiva , was an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who, according to legend, rode naked through the streets of Coventry in order to gain a remission of the oppressive taxation imposed by her husband on his tenants...
. Osbern FitzRichard, son of Richard FitzScrob (or FitzScrope), builder of Richard's Castle
Richard's Castle
Richard's Castle is a village, castle and two civil parishes on the border of the counties of Herefordshire and Shropshire in England.The village lies on the B4361, 5½ miles south of the historic market town of Ludlow...
, was the holder in 1086 as the Domesday Book records:
"In Ferncombe Hundred, Osbern son of Richard holds (Estone) Aston from the King. 5 hides. Land for 10 ploughs. 9 Flemings and 16 villagers with a priest and 10 small holders who have 12 ploughs. A mill at 8s and 5 sticks of eels; meadow, 40 acres; woodland 1 league in length and width. The value was 100s now £6. Earl Ælfgar held it".
Osbern died in 1137 and by 1169 it had passed to William the Chamberlain of Tankervill, who, by an undated grant gave to the Abbey of Winchcombe all the land, in wood and plain, between Alne and his manor of Estone on condition that it should remain uncultivated and that his men should enjoy the same common rights there as they had in the rest of the wood and plain of Alne. He was still holding the manor in 1177 and may have been succeeded by Ralph de Tankervill, who is referred to fifty years later as having formerly possessed it.
It ultimately escheated
Escheat
Escheat is a common law doctrine which transfers the property of a person who dies without heirs to the crown or state. It serves to ensure that property is not left in limbo without recognised ownership...
to the Crown and in 1204 King John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
(1199-1216) granted it to William I de Cantilupe
William I de Cantilupe
William I de Cantilupe was an Anglo-Norman baron and royal administrator.-Origins:...
(d.1239), from whose family, which held the manor for four generations in direct descent, the village takes its name. William's family name was added to the name of the manor of Aston, probably to differentiate it from another of the same name, in one of its many anciently-spelled varieties, Cantlow. William I de Cantilupe served King John as Justiciar
Justiciar
In medieval England and Ireland the Chief Justiciar was roughly equivalent to a modern Prime Minister as the monarch's chief minister. Similar positions existed on the Continent, particularly in Norman Italy. The term is the English form of the medieval Latin justiciarius or justitiarius In...
and Steward of the Household, served several times as Sheriff of Warwickshire
High Sheriff of Warwickshire
The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred elsewhere or are now defunct, so that its functions...
, and from 1215 to 1223 was Governor of Kenilworth Castle
Kenilworth Castle
Kenilworth Castle is located in the town of the same name in Warwickshire, England. Constructed from Norman through to Tudor times, the castle has been described by architectural historian Anthony Emery as "the finest surviving example of a semi-royal palace of the later middle ages, significant...
. He attained the status of a feudal baron
English feudal barony
In England, a feudal barony or barony by tenure was a form of Feudal land tenure, namely per baroniam under which the land-holder owed the service of being one of the king's barons. It must be distinguished from a barony, also feudal, but which existed within a county palatine, such as the Barony...
, his barony, of which Aston became a member, having its baronial seat or caput
Caput
The Latin word caput, meaning literally "head" and by metonymy "top", has been borrowed in a variety of English words, including capital, captain, and decapitate...
at Eaton Bray in Bedfordshire. The family had been conspicuous for several generations, "evil councillors" of King John and his son Henry III, as Matthew Paris
Matthew Paris
Matthew Paris was a Benedictine monk, English chronicler, artist in illuminated manuscripts and cartographer, based at St Albans Abbey in Hertfordshire...
recorded, and strong supporters of the Crown against the Barons. On his death in 1239 his son William II de Cantilupe
William II de Cantilupe
William II de Cantilupe was an Anglo-Norman landownwer and administrator.He was born the son of William I de Cantilupe, who had also been an administrator and Sheriff...
(d.1251) succeeded him both in his estates and as Steward of the Royal Household. Either William II or his son William III de Cantilupe is referred to as holding the manor, valued at £40, by unknown feudal tenure
Feudal land tenure
Under the English feudal system several different forms of land tenure existed, each effectively a contract with differing rights and duties attached thereto. Such tenures could be either free-hold, signifying that they were hereditable or perpetual, or non-free where the tenancy terminated on the...
, of the gift of King John. Dugdale
William Dugdale
Sir William Dugdale was an English antiquary and herald. As a scholar he was influential in the development of medieval history as an academic subject.-Life:...
notes that the family remained lords of the manor in 1250. William III's younger brother Thomas de Cantilupe (d.1282), who never held the manor, became Bishop of Hereford
Bishop of Hereford
The Bishop of Hereford is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Hereford in the Province of Canterbury.The see is in the City of Hereford where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary and Saint Ethelbert which was founded as a cathedral in 676.The Bishop's residence is...
in 1275 and in 1320 was canonized as St Thomas of Hereford. William III de Cantilupe died in 1254, leaving a three-year old son George de Cantilupe (d.1273), later Baron Bergavenny, as his heir. During George's minority his wardship, and therefore the custody of the manor, was granted to the Queen of the Romans. On his death in 1273 without progeny the senior male line of the family died out, his heir being his nephew John Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings
John Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings
John Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings was an English peer and soldier of the Middle Ages. Hastings was a competitor for the Scottish throne in 1290/92 in the Great Cause.- Baron :...
and Baron Bergavenny (d.1313).
Economy
Paper makingHistory of paper
Paper was invented by the Chinese by 105 AD during the Han Dynasty and spread slowly to the west via Samarkand and Baghdad. Papermaking and manufacturing in Europe started in Spain and Sicily in the 10th century by the Muslims living there at the time, and slowly spread to Italy and South France...
and sewing 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...
scouring were two major trades in the village in times past. The earliest reference to paper-making at Aston Cantlow occurs in the inclosure award of 1743, from which it appears that there must have been a mill near the junction of the Alne and Silesbourne Brook. Thomas Fruin of Aston Cantlow, paper-maker, is recorded in 1768 in the Abstracts of Title for Stratford on Avon, About 1799 the mill near the church was converted into a paper-mill by Henry Wrighton, trade directories show that this family carried on the business until about 1845–50. Afterwards the mill was used by Messrs. Pardow of Studley for needle-scouring, an industry which lasted here for about forty years. After a short period during the 1890's, during which the mill was used again for its original purpose, it became for a few years a factory for making ball-bearings for bicycles before being finally abandoned in the 1920's.
The village is now mainly agricultural; many residents commute to nearby cities for employment.
Governance
Aston Cantlow ward is part of Stratford on Avon District Council and represented by Councillor Sir William Lawrence BaronetBaronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
., Conservative. Nationally it is part of Stratford on Avon
Stratford-on-Avon (UK Parliament constituency)
-By-elections:-Notes and references:...
constituency, whose Member of Parliament following the 2010 election is Nadhim Zahawi
Nadhim Zahawi
Nadhim Zahawi is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Stratford-on-Avon since 2010, after the retirement of previous MP John Maples....
of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. It is included in the West Midlands
West Midlands (European Parliament constituency)
West Midlands is a constituency of the European Parliament. For 2009 it elected 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation. The constituency will also elect a "virtual MEP" who will be able to sit in the Parliament if the Treaty of Lisbon comes into effect...
electoral region of the European Parliament and the six members are; Mike Nattrass
Mike Nattrass
Mike Nattrass is an English politician and Member of the European Parliament, representing the West Midlands constituency for the UK Independence Party , elected for the first time in June 2004 and re-elected in June 2009....
(UK Independence), Liz Lynne
Liz Lynne
Elizabeth Lynne, known as Liz Lynne, is a British politician, and has been a Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands for the Liberal Democrats since her election at the 1999 European election...
(Liberal Democrat), Malcolm Harbour
Malcolm Harbour
Malcolm Harbour is a British politician. He is a Conservative Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands. He is a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group and the Chairman of the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection.-Motor industry:Malcolm Harbour was...
(Conservative), Michael Cashman
Michael Cashman
Michael Maurice Cashman is a British former actor, now a Labour politician. He has been a Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands constituency since 1999.- Acting :...
(Labour), Philip Bradbourn
Philip Bradbourn
Philip Bradbourn OBE MEP is a British politician, and Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands, for the Conservative Party...
OBE (Conservative) and Nicole Sinclaire
Nikki Sinclaire
Nicole Sinclaire is a European politician from the United Kingdom and is a current MEP.Educated at the University of Canterbury graduating with a Bachelor of Laws qualification. Sinclaire has worked for Lloyds as a 'problem troubleshooter' was employed as a Gateway store manager and worked in...
(UK Independence).
Geography
Notable buildings
The church of St John the Baptist is principally in the Early English style consisting of a chancel, nave, north aisle, south proch, and an embattled and pinnacled western tower. Over the North doorway is a representation of the Nativity. The font, of octagonal quatrefoil panel design supported on a mutilated stem, is of late Decorated period.Here, it is believed that, Shakespeare's
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
parents, John Shakespeare
John Shakespeare
John Shakespeare was the father of William Shakespeare. He was the son of Richard Shakespeare of Snitterfield, a farmer. He moved to Stratford-upon-Avon and married Mary Arden, with whom he had eight children, five of whom survived into adulthood...
and Mary Arden
Mary Arden
Mary Shakespeare, née Mary Arden, was the mother of William Shakespeare. She was the daughter of Robert Arden and his first wife Mary Arden née Mary Webb . The Arden family had been prominent in Warwickshire since before the Norman Conquest...
, were married in 1557. The survey of the clergy by the puritans in 1586 described the then vicar, Thomas Clarke, parson no precher nor learned, yet honest of life & zealous in religion he hath 3 or 4 charges & cures beside that of Kynerton, he supplieth by his deputies, his hirelinges that serue by his non-residentship are all dumbe & idle & some of them gamsters : vah of all Ixxx a yeare.
The most celebrated incumbent of Aston Cantlow was Thomas Cantelupe, mentioned above, who held the living before his elevation to the See of Hereford.
It became well-known nationally after its controversial decision to demand the owners of a farmhouse next door paid £230,000 for repairs to the church.
The village contains a number of black and white half timbered buildings including the 16th century Guild Hall and the 15th century village pub, The Kings Head. The Gildhouse is traditionally believed to have been the hall of the gild that was in existence here in the time of Henry VI. It is first so called in a lease of 1713 (on surrender of one dated 1661) and as late as 1770 the upper chamber was reserved for manor courts. The building preserves externally much of its original appearance.
Further reading
- "A passage through time in a Warwickshire Parish". A detailed history of the parish and life in it was published by the Aston Cantlow and District Local History Society, as as a millennium project in the year 2000. Extracts of this information are available on the local history section of the Aston Cantlow Community website