Morton Bagot

History

Morton Bagot is recorded in the Domesday Book as part of the land of Robert De Stafford as follows " in Ferncombe Hundred, Hugh holds 2 hides in Mortone (Bagot). Land for 4 ploughs. In lordship 1; 2 slaves; 5 villagers and 5 smallholders with 2 ploughs. Meadow, 3 furlongs long and 6 perches wide; woodland ½ league long 1 furlong wide. The value was 30s; now 50s. Grimulf held it freely." Dugdale however states that it was part of the possessions of Waga of Wooton Wawen whose lands there were also given to de Stafford. Robert de Stafford was descended from the de Tonei family and had fought stoutly with Duke William against King Harold as a result he had this and other lands bestowed on him. He made Stafford his principal seat, where he had a strong castle and assumed his surname from thence.

In 1805 The Times noted with some amusement that the local priest had dislocated his jaw when attempting a particularly loud Amen.

Governance

Morton Bagot is part of the Sambourne ward of Stratford on Avon District Council and represented by Councillor Justin Kerridge, Conservative. Nationally it is part of Stratford-on-Avon constituency, whose current 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, following the 2014 elections the seven members are; Philip Bradbourn OBE, (who died in December 2014) and Anthea McIntyre (Conservative), Neena Gill and Sion Simon (Labour) and Jim Carver, Bill Etheridge and Jill Seymour (UK Independence).

Notable buildings

The parish church of the Holy Trinity is a small building dating from the end of the 13th century, the list of Rectors begins in 1282 with Ralph Bagot. It stands on a mound with a steep bank to the south it is approached by way of a lych gate erected in 1936 by Cannon Warren the then Rector, there are the remains of a post box set into an adjacent wall. The church consists of a chancel, nave, south porch and a small timbered bell-cote with old oak beams containing two bells, still rung today. These probably date to the early 16th century: the smaller, inscribed 'Sanctae Trinitas', is by an unknown founder; the other is inscribed with the name 'Maria' four times and has crosses, fleurs-de-lis, and king's heads as stops between them; it came from the Worcester foundry, probably by Nicholas Grene (died 1547). In spite of Victorian restorations there remain some pre-Reformation features including window openings and a piscina with a plain ogee head and a very shallow basin cut off in front dating probably from the 14th century. The east wall may have been rebuilt and the west end of the nave extended in the 15th century, whilst the south porch, tiled roofs and bell-turret are of about 1600. The font is a plain octagonal stone, thickly colourwashed, with a moulding of the 13th century at the top and another at half height. It has a 16th-century flat wood cover with moulded cross-framing and pierced by two holes for the former staples. There are a number of memorials in the church. The Nave contains an oak memorial to Lance Corporal, John Thomas Ross, 4th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment who died of wounds in France on 28 March 1918 aged 21 he is buried in Namps-Au-Val British cemetery, in the Department of the Somme, France. He was the son of Mrs. A. Ross, of Chuter Green, Morton Bagot, Studley, Warwickshire.[2] The Chancel contains two memorials, on the South side one to the Holyoake family, landowners in the 18th century, whilst the one on the North side is to Thomas Walker, of Studley Castle, Lord of the Manor of Morton Bagot, who died in 1887. John Burman noted that the church was lit by candles and this is still true today giving Winter services a very individual spiritual feeling. Details and times of services can be found on the arden marches churches website [3]

Behind the church there are earthworks which are believed to be the site of a castle or fortified manor house. Traces of a moat near Church farm may perhaps mark the site of a building described in the 17th century as Lord Carington's Lodge House, which was then the largest house in the village but has now quite disappeared.When assessed for the hearth tax it had 7 hearths. The interior of the earthworks however, are occupied by a 17th-century timber framed barn that is contemporary with Church Farm (to the immediate NW). There is no surface evidence of an earlier building so the Victoria County History supposition that the earthworks were connected with Lodge House is questionable, but the position of moat close to the Church does implie a manorial origin. The size and depth of the earthworks suggests that this may be a small ring-motte. However, the barn standing on the site appears to be constructed out of earlier re-used material, so it is just possible that this could have been the site of Lodge House. The earthworks are a Scheduled Monument[4]