English Bicknor
Encyclopedia
English Bicknor is a village and civil parish
in the Forest of Dean
district of west Gloucestershire
, England
. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001
the population is 406. The village is close to the county border with Herefordshire
, opposite which is the village of Welsh Bicknor
. The two towns lie on different sides of the River Wye
, which forms part of the national boundary between England and Wales
, hence their respective epithets.
The existence of Bicknor is documented as far back as the Domesday Book
of 1086, when it was known by the name Bicanofre. The second morpheme
of this name, ōfer, is thought to refer to a river bank in Old English, which jibes with the towns' river-straddling site. Various hypotheses have been put forward regarding the origin of the first morpheme in the name.
, the remnants of which can still be seen. Close to the village is Bicknor Court, an imposing house some 400 years old. Situated between Symond's Yat and Lower Lydbrook
on high ground opposite its namesake Welsh Bicknor. English Bicknor is first recorded as a hamlet
in 1066.
A primarily agricultural and industrial area, its main attraction today is the small Norman
parish church
dedicated to St Mary which has excellent internal stonemasonry
and sculpture dating from the 12th century. The original tower was situated centrally but was built from the soft local sandstone which became unsafe. The church is also interesting because it is sited within the outer courtyard of the motte and bailey castle. Norman masonry has been found within the motte, suggesting at least part was built in stone and while nothing is left of the castle's actual structure today, its location is still identifiable. A typical early Norman defence work which is one of many along the Welsh Marches
, it is thought to have been built in the reign of Henry I of England
(1100–1135) or King Stephen
(1135–54) and was demolished or destroyed by the late 14th century, but why and how is not known (possibly during the rebellion of Owain Glyndwr
).
Local folklore has it that should an inhabitant of English Bicknor see an inhabitant of Welsh Bicknor crossing over from the Welsh to the English side of the river, he is legally allowed to shoot him. This being the stuff of legend, it is unlikely to be accepted as a legitimate defence in court.
of Anglo Saxon origin within the outer courtyard of a Norman motte and bailey castle. The exterior walls, renewed in Victorian times
, offer no clue to the Norman building work within. Only the exterior stonework of the 13th century west tower is original. Inside the church, the four bay north arcade and five bay south arcade are both Norman, but interestingly have different decoration around the capitals. The church had a central tower before the current west tower was built. The interior of the church is dominated by Romanesque
pillars and contains a flat tomb with a rare example of Lombardic script
which is dated to c 1420. This translated means "Pray for the soul of our departed brother in Christ".
The font
is Norman, and amongst the treasures of the church are three stone figures representing church monument
s. Cecilia Muchegros, who lived in the village and died in 1301, and Hawisia, who died in 1353 and whose figure is dressed in a long flowing robe , both have dogs at their feet. The third figure is of a priest, with an old body and a young head. It is not known who he was, but may have been the priest in the church in the early 14th century. Other objects of notable interest include stained glass by Percy Bacon from 1908.
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 Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean (district)
Forest of Dean is a local government district in Gloucestershire, England, named after the Forest of Dean. Its council is based in Coleford. Other towns in the district include Cinderford, Newent and Tidenham....
district of west 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...
. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001
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 population is 406. The village is close to the county border with Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
, opposite which is the village of Welsh Bicknor
Welsh Bicknor
Welsh Bicknor is an area of Herefordshire, England. Despite its name, it is not currently in Wales, but was historically a detached parish of the county of Monmouthshire....
. The two towns lie on different sides of the River Wye
River Wye
The River Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK and for parts of its length forms part of the border between England and Wales. It is important for nature conservation and recreation.-Description:...
, which forms part of the national boundary between England and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, hence their respective epithets.
The existence of Bicknor is documented as far back as 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, when it was known by the name Bicanofre. The second morpheme
Morpheme
In linguistics, a morpheme is the smallest semantically meaningful unit in a language. The field of study dedicated to morphemes is called morphology. A morpheme is not identical to a word, and the principal difference between the two is that a morpheme may or may not stand alone, whereas a word,...
of this name, ōfer, is thought to refer to a river bank in Old English, which jibes with the towns' river-straddling site. Various hypotheses have been put forward regarding the origin of the first morpheme in the name.
History
English Bicknor is one of the ancient villages of the Forest of Dean, situated at the top of a hill overlooking the Wye Valley, and once the site of a motte and bailey castleCastle
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...
, the remnants of which can still be seen. Close to the village is Bicknor Court, an imposing house some 400 years old. Situated between Symond's Yat and Lower Lydbrook
Lydbrook
Lydbrook is a civil parish in the Forest of Dean, a local government district in the English county of Gloucestershire. It comprises the districts of Lower Lydbrook, Upper Lydbrook, and Joys Green.-Introduction:...
on high ground opposite its namesake Welsh Bicknor. English Bicknor is first recorded as a hamlet
Hamlet (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...
in 1066.
A primarily agricultural and industrial area, its main attraction today is the small 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...
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....
dedicated to St Mary which has excellent internal stonemasonry
Stonemasonry
The craft of stonemasonry has existed since the dawn of civilization - creating buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone from the earth. These materials have been used to construct many of the long-lasting, ancient monuments, artifacts, cathedrals, and cities in a wide variety of cultures...
and sculpture dating from the 12th century. The original tower was situated centrally but was built from the soft local sandstone which became unsafe. The church is also interesting because it is sited within the outer courtyard of the motte and bailey castle. Norman masonry has been found within the motte, suggesting at least part was built in stone and while nothing is left of the castle's actual structure today, its location is still identifiable. A typical early Norman defence work which is one of many along 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...
, it is thought to have been built in the reign of Henry I of England
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
(1100–1135) or King Stephen
Stephen of England
Stephen , often referred to as Stephen of Blois , was a grandson of William the Conqueror. He was King of England from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne by right of his wife. Stephen's reign was marked by the Anarchy, a civil war with his cousin and rival, the Empress Matilda...
(1135–54) and was demolished or destroyed by the late 14th century, but why and how is not known (possibly during the rebellion of Owain Glyndwr
Owain Glyndwr
Owain Glyndŵr , or Owain Glyn Dŵr, anglicised by William Shakespeare as Owen Glendower , was a Welsh ruler and the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales...
).
Local folklore has it that should an inhabitant of English Bicknor see an inhabitant of Welsh Bicknor crossing over from the Welsh to the English side of the river, he is legally allowed to shoot him. This being the stuff of legend, it is unlikely to be accepted as a legitimate defence in court.
St. Mary's Church
The present day church is Norman dating to c1100 AD and is set in an oval churchyardChurchyard
A churchyard is a patch of land adjoining or surrounding a church which is usually owned by the relevant church or local parish itself. In the Scots language or Northern English language this can also be known as a kirkyard or kirkyaird....
of Anglo Saxon origin within the outer courtyard of a Norman motte and bailey castle. The exterior walls, renewed in Victorian times
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
, offer no clue to the Norman building work within. Only the exterior stonework of the 13th century west tower is original. Inside the church, the four bay north arcade and five bay south arcade are both Norman, but interestingly have different decoration around the capitals. The church had a central tower before the current west tower was built. The interior of the church is dominated by Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
pillars and contains a flat tomb with a rare example of Lombardic script
Beneventan script
Beneventan script was a medieval script, so called because it originated in the Duchy of Benevento in southern Italy. It was also called Langobarda, Longobarda, Longobardisca , or sometimes Gothica; it was first called Beneventan by palaeographer E. A...
which is dated to c 1420. This translated means "Pray for the soul of our departed brother in Christ".
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:...
is Norman, and amongst the treasures of the church are three stone figures representing church monument
Church monument
A church monument is an architectural or sculptural memorial to a dead person or persons, located within a Christian church. It can take various forms, from a simple wall tablet to a large and elaborate structure which may include an effigy of the deceased person and other figures of familial or...
s. Cecilia Muchegros, who lived in the village and died in 1301, and Hawisia, who died in 1353 and whose figure is dressed in a long flowing robe , both have dogs at their feet. The third figure is of a priest, with an old body and a young head. It is not known who he was, but may have been the priest in the church in the early 14th century. Other objects of notable interest include stained glass by Percy Bacon from 1908.