Strensham is a village and parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire.
History edit
Bronze Age to Roman times edit
In 2009, excavations of 88 trenches between Strensham and Knightsbridge revealed Bronze Age and Iron Age ditches, prehistoric trackways, ditched enclosures and a roundhouse.[1] Bronze Age lithic scatter was discovered to the south west of the village church, and an Iron Age site was also discovered there.[2] An excavation of an old channel of the River Avon in Strensham revealed the remains of a male mammoth.[3]
Evidence has been found of Roman presence within Strensham, in the form of samian ware believed to be dated between the years 160 and 240.[4] Excavations for water pipes from Strensham to Worcester have also discovered Roman activity from the 1st and 2nd centuries: other excavations on the same project revealed a Romano-British site at Norton-juxta-Kempsey as well as Roman pottery at Pirton.[5] Roman boundary ditches were found near the site of the Bredon Fields cottages during the construction of water pipes from Strensham to Mythe.[6] Further ditches and Roman pottery were found during this project.[7]
Middle Ages to Early modern period edit
Strensham was home to Sir Francis Russell, 2nd Baronet, the Member of Parliament for Tewkesbury during the Cavalier Parliament.[8] There were Russells present within the village since at least 1283, including Sir John Russell, who was Master of the King's Horse and Member of Parliament for Worcestershire.[9][10]
In the 1790s, Lord Somers sold his Strensham estate to a Birmingham banker for £70,000.[11]
The village was home to the Taylor family, including John Taylor (died 1848) and Lt. John Walter Taylor (died 1913).[12]: 620
Strensham Castle edit
Located to the west of Lower Strensham, the castle consists of two square moats surrounding a central island. In 1388, Sir John Russell obtained a licence to crenellate and built a castle on the site. His ancestor, James Russell, had previously received a licence to build an oratory on the land in 1288.[13]
During the English Civil War, Sir William Russell (father of Sir Francis Russell) built an outer moat ditch and intermediate ramparts around the existing medieval defences. The castle was garrisoned with 16 troops of cavalry until the end of 1646. It is thought to have been destroyed during the Civil War. A medieval farm is situated to the west of the moat, believed to contain the original gateway to the moated site.[13]
Medieval Lower Strensham edit
The shrunken medieval village of Lower Strensham lies to the north and east of the castle site, with evidence of a paddock and several building platforms.[14]
Strensham Court edit
The house at Strensham Court was built 1824.[15] It was destroyed by fire in 1974.[15]
Several aspects of the house and estate are still present, including:
- The stables, east-northeast of the house site. Originally built in the 18th century, the red brick stables became a grade II listed building in August 1981.[15]
- The one-storey ashlar lodge with Doric columns and anta, alongside the contemporary ashlar gate posts. They were listed in February 1965.[16]
It has been suggested that the orangery now at Huddington Court was originally part of Strensham Court and moved there at a later date.[17]
Other notable buildings edit
- Home Farmhouse, a two-storey timber frame house built in the early 17th century. It was listed in 1965.[18]
- Ley Farmhouse, a two-storey house built in the 17th century, containing ashlar quoins and coursed rubble. It was listed in 1972.[19]
- Moat Farmhouse, a two-storey house built in the 18th century, occupying a site near the castle earth works. It was listed in 1965.[20] The quoins of the house may have previously belonged to Strensham Castle.[12]: 620
- Russell Almshouses, a group of single-storeyed buildings built in 1697, surrounding three sides of a small courtyard. It was listed in 1965.[21]
- Old Rectory, a timber frame house built in the early 17th century with 18th century modifications to the windows. It was listed in 1965.[22]
Geography and demography edit
In 1970, the M5 motorway was extended from Strensham southwards towards Bristol.[23]
At the 2011 UK census, Strensham had a population of 308 in 131 dwellings. 18.9% of the population were under the age of 16 and 7.4% were aged 75 and over. The White British ethnic group made up 95.8% of the population.[24]
Industry edit
There has been a water treatment plant at Strensham since at least 1963.[25]
Strensham services edit
In August 1962, a service station was opened on the M5 motorway in Strensham. Originally owned by the Kenning Motor Group, it cost more than £250,000 to build and spanned 13 acres.[26]
Places of worship edit
The parish church of Strensham is St John the Baptist's Church, designed in Tudor-Gothic style and originally dating to the 14th century. It was made redundant in 1991, and has since been managed by the Churches Conservation Trust.[27] The church is situated on top of a hill, overlooking the River Avon in the east.[13] Its medieval churchyard cross was made a grade II listed building in 1965,[28] and the church was grade I listed at the same time.[27]
Notable people edit
- Samuel Butler, the poet, was born and baptized in Strensham.[29]
- Treadway Russell Nash, the clergyman and historian, was village rector from 1797 and lived in the Old Rectory.[22]
References edit
- ^ "Security of supply water pipeline". Archaeology Data Service. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
- ^ "Strensham". Archaeology Data Service. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
- ^ "Upper Strensham". Archaeology Data Service. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
- ^ Willis, Steven (2011). "Samian Ware and Society in Roman Britain and Beyond". Britannia. 42: 176. ISSN 0068-113X.
- ^ Burnham, B. C.; Keppie, L. J. F.; Cleary, A. S. Esmonde; Hassall, M. W. C.; Tomlin, R. S. O. (1993). "Roman Britain in 1992". Britannia. 24: 292. doi:10.2307/526740. ISSN 0068-113X.
- ^ "(SW. of) Bredon Fields Cottages". Archaeology Data Service. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
- ^ "OS Field No. 6157, SE of water works". Archaeology Data Service. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
- ^ Beaver, Dan (1991). "Conscience and Context: The Popish Plot and the Politics of Ritual, 1678-1682". The Historical Journal. 34 (2): 306. ISSN 0018-246X. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
- ^ "RUSSELL, Sir John (d.1405), of Strensham, Worcs. | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
- ^ Salter, Elizabeth (1978). "THE TIMELINESS OF "WYNNERE AND WASTOURE"". Medium Ævum. 47 (1): 56. doi:10.2307/43628322. ISSN 0025-8385. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
- ^ Beckett, J. V. (1984). "The Pattern of Landownership in England and Wales, 1660-1880". The Economic History Review. 37 (1): 13. doi:10.2307/2596828. ISSN 0013-0117. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
- ^ a b Brooks, Alan; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2007). Worcestershire. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-11298-6. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
- ^ a b c Historic England. "Moated Site and Civil War defences at Strensham Castle (1016939)". National Heritage List for England.
- ^ "Lower Strensham". Archaeology Data Service. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
- ^ a b c Historic England. "Stables East North East of Strensham Court (Grade II) (1273106)". National Heritage List for England.
- ^ Historic England. "Lodge and Gatepiers at Strensham Court (Grade II) (1258776)". National Heritage List for England.
- ^ Historic England. "Orangery about 80 yards south west of Huddington Court (Grade II) (1081217)". National Heritage List for England.
- ^ Historic England. "Home Farmhouse, Strensham (Grade II) (1258761)". National Heritage List for England.
- ^ Historic England. "Ley Farmhouse, Strensham (Grade II) (1273344)". National Heritage List for England.
- ^ Historic England. "Moat Farmhouse, Strensham (Grade II) (1273343)". National Heritage List for England.
- ^ Historic England. "Russell Almshouses, Strensham (Grade II) (1258756)". National Heritage List for England.
- ^ a b Historic England. "Old Rectory, Strensham (Grade II) (1258640)". National Heritage List for England.
- ^ "Tewkesbury: Planning and Traffic Engineering Co-operation". Official Architecture and Planning. 29 (4): 570. 1966. ISSN 2399-5327.
- ^ UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Strensham Parish (E04010435)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
- ^ Knoppert, P.L.; Oskam, G.; Vreedenburgh, E.G.H. (1980). "An overview of European water treatment practice". Journal (American Water Works Association). 72 (11): 594. ISSN 0003-150X.
- ^ "Motorway Services: A Guardian Report". The Guardian. 8 August 1962. p. 8. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
- ^ a b Historic England. "Church of St John the Baptist (Grade II) (1273274)". National Heritage List for England.
- ^ Historic England. "Churchyard Cross, Strensham (Grade II) (1258639)". National Heritage List for England.
- ^ de Beer, E. S. (1928). "The Later Life of Samuel Butler". The Review of English Studies. 4 (14): 159. ISSN 0034-6551. Retrieved 27 September 2020.