Catmore
Encyclopedia
Catmore is a civil parish and small village in West Berkshire
about 5.5 miles (8.9 km) south-east of Wantage
. Catmore is in the Berkshire Downs
and the centre of the village is about 575 feet (175.3 m) above sea level. The 2001 census
recorded a population of only 28, making Catmore the least populous parish in Berkshire
.
evolved via "Catmor" in the 12th century, "Cattermere" in the 14th century, "Catmard" in the 15th century and "Cattmere" in the 17th century before reaching its present form.
(reigned 1042–66), when a Saxon
called Ezui held the manor
. The manor was devastated in the Norman Conquest of England
.
The Domesday Book
of 1086 records that what was left of the manor was held by the Norman
baron Henry de Ferrers
. Under the de Ferrers, Catmore became part of the Honour
of Tutbury
. Two centuries later Robert de Ferrers, 6th Earl of Derby
took part in a rebellion against Edward III
. He was defeated at Chesterfield in 1266, imprisoned, and all his properties were confiscated by the Crown
.
In 1267 Edward III created Edmund Crouchback 1st Earl of Lancaster
and granted him many of the de Ferrers estates, including those of the Honour of Tutbury. In 1399 Henry Bolingbroke, 2nd Duke of Lancaster became Henry IV
and the House of Lancaster's estates were merged with those of the Crown.
Catmore manor house
was built in the 16th century.
of Saint Margaret
is a Norman
building from the latter half of the 12th century. Surviving original Norman work includes the north and south doorways and the font
. The north doorway is now blocked and the font has been halved in height.
The Knights Hospitaller
held the advowson
of St. Margaret's by the time of Richard I
(reigned 1189–99). They retained it until Henry VIII
had the Order in England suppressed as part of the Dissolution of the Monasteries
.
The nave
was re-roofed in 1607. It has collar beams
and wind braces and the date is carved on some of its timbers.
Shortly before 1850 the building had been heavily restored
and numerous more Norman Revival features more ornate than the original work were added. They include the east window of two round-headed lancets
. Neither the date of the work nor the name of the architect is recorded.
St. Margaret's has one bell, cast by Henry Bagley. The Bagley family ran a bell foundry
at Chacombe
in Northamptonshire
from 1605 until 1785, and for shorter periods also cast bells at Ecton
in Northamptonshire and Witney
in Oxfordshire
.
The church was designated as a Grade I listed building by English Heritage
on 24 November 1966. It was declared redundant
on 1 December 1973, and vested in the Churches Conservation Trust
on 13 April 1999. It is open daily to visitors.
West Berkshire
West Berkshire is a local government district in the ceremonial county of Berkshire, England, governed by a unitary authority . Its administrative capital is Newbury, located almost equidistantly between Bristol and London.-Geography:...
about 5.5 miles (8.9 km) south-east of Wantage
Wantage
Wantage is a market town and civil parish in the Vale of the White Horse, Oxfordshire, England. The town is on Letcombe Brook, about south-west of Abingdon and a similar distance west of Didcot....
. Catmore is in the Berkshire Downs
Berkshire Downs
The Berkshire Downs are a range of chalk downland hills in southern England, part of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
and the centre of the village is about 575 feet (175.3 m) above sea level. 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....
recorded a population of only 28, making Catmore the least populous parish in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
.
Toponym
In the 11th century the village was recorded as Catmere. The toponymToponymy
Toponymy is the scientific study of place names , their origins, meanings, use and typology. The word "toponymy" is derived from the Greek words tópos and ónoma . Toponymy is itself a branch of onomastics, the study of names of all kinds...
evolved via "Catmor" in the 12th century, "Cattermere" in the 14th century, "Catmard" in the 15th century and "Cattmere" in the 17th century before reaching its present form.
Manor
The earliest known record of Catmore is from the time of Edward the ConfessorEdward 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....
(reigned 1042–66), when a Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
called Ezui 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...
. The manor was devastated in 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...
.
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 records that what was left of the manor was held by 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...
baron Henry de Ferrers
Henry de Ferrers
Henry de Ferrers was a Norman soldier from a noble family who took part in the conquest of England and is believed to have fought at the Battle of Hastings of 1066 and, in consequence, was rewarded with much land in the subdued nation.His elder brother William fell in the battle. William and Henri...
. Under the de Ferrers, Catmore became part of the Honour
Honour (land)
In medieval England, an honour could consist of a great lordship, comprising dozens or hundreds of manors. Holders of honours often attempted to preserve the integrity of an honour over time, administering its properties as a unit, maintaining inheritances together, etc.The typical honour had...
of Tutbury
Tutbury Castle
Tutbury Castle is a largely ruinous medieval castle at Tutbury, Staffordshire, England, in the ownership of the Duchy of Lancaster. It is a Grade I listed building...
. Two centuries later Robert de Ferrers, 6th Earl of Derby
Robert de Ferrers, 6th Earl of Derby
Robert III de Ferrers, 6th Earl of Derby was an English nobleman.He was born at Tutbury Castle in Derbyshire, England, the son of William de Ferrers, 5th Earl of Derby and the Earl's 2nd wife Margaret de Quincy , daughter of Roger de Quincy, 2nd Earl of Winchester and Helen of Galloway.-Early...
took part in a rebellion against Edward III
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
. He was defeated at Chesterfield in 1266, imprisoned, and all his properties were confiscated by 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...
.
In 1267 Edward III created Edmund Crouchback 1st Earl of Lancaster
Earl of Lancaster
The title of Earl of Lancaster was created in the Peerage of England in 1267, merging in the crown in 1399. See also Duke of Lancaster.-Earls of Lancaster :...
and granted him many of the de Ferrers estates, including those of the Honour of Tutbury. In 1399 Henry Bolingbroke, 2nd Duke of Lancaster became Henry IV
Henry IV of England
Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
and the House of Lancaster's estates were merged with those of the Crown.
Catmore 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...
was built in the 16th century.
Parish church
The Church of England parish churchChurch 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 Margaret
Margaret the Virgin
Margaret the Virgin, also known as Margaret of Antioch , virgin and martyr, is celebrated as a saint by the Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches on July 20; and on July 17 in the Orthodox Church. Her historical existence has been questioned; she was declared apocryphal by Pope Gelasius I in 494,...
is a 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...
building from the latter half of the 12th century. Surviving original Norman work includes the north and south doorways and the font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
. The north doorway is now blocked and the font has been halved in height.
The Knights Hospitaller
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
held the advowson
Advowson
Advowson is the right in English law of a patron to present or appoint a nominee to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, a process known as presentation. In effect this means the right to nominate a person to hold a church office in a parish...
of St. Margaret's by the time of Richard I
Richard I of England
Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
(reigned 1189–99). They retained it until Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
had the Order in England suppressed as part of 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...
.
The 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...
was re-roofed in 1607. It has collar beams
King post
A king post is a central vertical supporting post used in architectural, bridge, or aircraft design applications.-Architecture:...
and wind braces and the date is carved on some of its timbers.
Shortly before 1850 the building had been heavily restored
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
and numerous more Norman Revival features more ornate than the original work were added. They include the east window of two round-headed lancets
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
. Neither the date of the work nor the name of the architect is recorded.
St. Margaret's has one bell, cast by Henry Bagley. The Bagley family ran a bell foundry
Bellfounding
Bellfounding is the casting of bells in a foundry for use in churches, clocks, and public buildings. A practitioner of the craft is called a bellmaker or bellfounder. The process in Europe dates to the 4th or 5th century. In early times, when a town produced a bell it was a momentous occasion in...
at Chacombe
Chacombe
Chacombe is a village and civil parish in South Northamptonshire, about northeast of Banbury in neighbouring Oxfordshire. It has sometimes been spelt Chalcombe...
in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
from 1605 until 1785, and for shorter periods also cast bells at Ecton
Ecton
Ecton is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, England. The village is just east of Northampton, just off the A4500 road. It was one of the first villages in Northamptonshire to be given conservation status...
in Northamptonshire and Witney
Witney
Witney is a town on the River Windrush, west of Oxford in Oxfordshire, England.The place-name 'Witney' is first attested in a Saxon charter of 969 as 'Wyttannige'; it appears as 'Witenie' in the Domesday Book of 1086. The name means 'Witta's island'....
in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
.
The church was designated as a Grade I listed building by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
on 24 November 1966. It was declared redundant
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
on 1 December 1973, and vested in the Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
on 13 April 1999. It is open daily to visitors.