Stretton-on-Fosse
Encyclopedia
Stretton-on-Fosse is a small village and civil parish with fewer than 200 houses, most built of Cotswold stone
or locally-made red brick
, situated on the Warwickshire
-Gloucestershire
border on the fringe of the Cotswold Hills.
means "settlement on a Roman Road
" (from the Old English stræt and tun). In this case the road is Fosse Way
.
Two manors are listed in the Domesday Book
of 1086, of these only one remains adjoining the imposing Stretton House on the higher ground (125m) of the village. Whilst the lower ground of the village is heavy clay the upper parts are composed of sand and shingle. During commercial extraction of sand important graves of the Roman-British and Anglo-Saxon
periods were uncovered and interesting skeletons and personal belongings were unearthed . These burials were the result of internecine warfare between local tribal factions .
Until recently the village consisted of several farms, with housing for local residents occupied in cultivation of the land
and the trade association of the rural economy, such as, shops, post-office
, school, inns, blacksmith, and three religious buildings. However, of these only the church (rebuilt in 1841) and the Plough Inn remain, and are still used for their intended purpose. A new imposing village hall
was built in 1990 to replace the post-war wooden hut. There was once a railway line and station, both now gone — Stretton-on-Fosse railway station.
The largely deserted medieval village
of Ditchford Frary is also part of the civil parish; the church, which has become ruinous, was annexed to Stretton in 1641.
, with horse-drawn trucks and carriages, was opened for carrying coal and passengers from Stratford-upon-Avon
to Moreton-in-Marsh
, and it passed through the village . At a later period a branch line
was constructed to Shipston-on-Stour
which was used for passengers until 1929 and goods until 1960.
Cotswold stone
Cotswold stone is a yellow oolitic limestone quarried in many places in the Cotswold Hills in the south midlands of England. When weathered, the colour of buildings made or faced with this stone is often described as 'honey' or 'golden'....
or locally-made red brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
, situated on the 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...
-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....
border on the fringe of the Cotswold Hills.
History
StrettonStretton
-England:Stretton means "settlement on a Roman Road" . Of the seventeen places in England, all but two are situated on a Roman Road, the exceptions being Stretton Westwood and Stretton en le Field.-Cheshire:...
means "settlement on a Roman Road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
" (from the Old English stræt and tun). In this case the road is Fosse Way
Fosse Way
The Fosse Way was a Roman road in England that linked Exeter in South West England to Lincoln in Lincolnshire, via Ilchester , Bath , Cirencester and Leicester .It joined Akeman Street and Ermin Way at Cirencester, crossed Watling Street at Venonis south...
.
Two manors are listed 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, of these only one remains adjoining the imposing Stretton House on the higher ground (125m) of the village. Whilst the lower ground of the village is heavy clay the upper parts are composed of sand and shingle. During commercial extraction of sand important graves of the Roman-British and Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
periods were uncovered and interesting skeletons and personal belongings were unearthed . These burials were the result of internecine warfare between local tribal factions .
Until recently the village consisted of several farms, with housing for local residents occupied in cultivation of the land
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and the trade association of the rural economy, such as, shops, post-office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, school, inns, blacksmith, and three religious buildings. However, of these only the church (rebuilt in 1841) and the Plough Inn remain, and are still used for their intended purpose. A new imposing village hall
Village hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
was built in 1990 to replace the post-war wooden hut. There was once a railway line and station, both now gone — Stretton-on-Fosse railway station.
The largely deserted medieval village
Deserted medieval village
In the United Kingdom, a deserted medieval village is a former settlement which was abandoned during the Middle Ages, typically leaving no trace apart from earthworks or cropmarks. If there are fewer than three inhabited houses the convention is to regard the site as deserted; if there are more...
of Ditchford Frary is also part of the civil parish; the church, which has become ruinous, was annexed to Stretton in 1641.
Tramway
In 1826 the Stratford and Moreton TramwayStratford and Moreton Tramway
The Stratford and Moreton Tramway was a 16-mile long horse-drawn wagonway from the canal basin at Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire to Moreton-in-Marsh in Gloucestershire, with a branch to Shipston-on-Stour....
, with horse-drawn trucks and carriages, was opened for carrying coal and passengers from Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
to Moreton-in-Marsh
Moreton-in-Marsh
Moreton-in-Marsh is a town and civil parish in northeastern Gloucestershire, England. The town is at the crossroads of the Fosse Way Roman road and the A44. The parish and environs are relatively flat and low-lying compared with the surrounding Cotswold Hills...
, and it passed through the village . At a later period a branch line
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
was constructed to Shipston-on-Stour
Shipston-on-Stour
Shipston-on-Stour is a town and civil parish on the River Stour about south of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire. It is in the northern part of the Cotswolds, close to the boundaries with Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire....
which was used for passengers until 1929 and goods until 1960.