Abberley

Abberley is a picturesque and historic village in north west Worcestershire, England. It is situated on the northern slopes of Abberley Hill (height 283 metres), between the River Severn and River Teme. The village had a population of 830 in 2001. [cite web | title = Worcestershire County Council : 2001 Census Worcestershire County Population Report | publisher = Worcestershire County Council | url = http://worcestershire.whub.org.uk/home/cs-research-census-populationreport.pdf | accessdate = 2007-09-01 ] Abberley lies halfway between Worcester and Tenbury, at the junction with the road from Worcester to Cleobury Mortimer. It is a thriving community with, at the latest census, the youngest population of any Worcestershire village. [cite web | title = Telegraph Property 3 June 2006 : Village voice: history written in stone | publisher = Telegraph.co.uk | url = http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/main.jhtml?xml=/property/2006/06/03/pvillage03.xml | accessdate = 2007-08-24 ]

Abberley has two churches, a primary school, a modern village hall, a traditional village pub at its centre, The Manor Arms, and nearby a country hotel and restaurant, The Elms. Abberley is home to Abberley Hall School, a preparatory school set in the grounds of Abberley Hall, which also contain the Abberley Clock Tower, the setting for the children's book by Gene Kemp, "The Clock Tower Ghost". [cite web | title = The Clock Tower Ghost : Book details | publisher = Faber.co.uk | url = http://www.faber.co.uk/book_detail.html?bid=8930 | accessdate = 2007-08-25 ]

Abberley is a village of three distinct parts. The oldest part, known as The Village, clusters round the 12th century and 13th century parish church of St. Michael's and The Manor Arms. To the west, and divided from the village by farmland and the Cleobury road, is The Common, where the largest part of the population lives, new housing is being added, and there is a village shop cum post office. Between the village and the common, on the Cleobury road, are the Parochial VC primary school [cite web | title = Abberley Parochial VC Primary School : Web site | publisher = Abberley Parochial VC Primary School | url = http://www.abberley.ik.org/ | accessdate = 2007-08-25 ] and the Village Hall. [cite web | title = Abberley Village Hall : Web site | publisher = Abberley Village Hall | url = http://uk.geocities.com/abberleyvillagehall/ | accessdate = 2007-08-25 ]

A little to the north, across the Green (developed as a Millennium project) from the village, is the large Victorian St. Mary's church, built in 1852 to replace St. Michael's church when the latter fell into disrepair, though the chancel of St. Michael's was later restored and is still used for some services.

Overlooking the Village is the third part of Abberley, The Hill, with scattered farms, houses and cottages across the steep slopes of Abberley Hill.

On the opposite side of Abberley Hill to the village, to the south of the Worcester-Tenbury road, lies Abberley Hall.

Abberley Hill forms part of the Abberley and Malvern Hills Geopark.

The Hill lies on the path of the Worcestershire Way [cite web | title = The Worcestershire Way : Web site | publisher = Worcestershire County Council | url = http://worcestershire.whub.org.uk/home/wccindex/wcc-countryside/wcc-countryside-worcsway-web.htm/ | accessdate = 2007-08-25 ] , a well-used long-distance hiking trail.

The name Abberley probably relates to the 6th century Saxon chief Eobald, via "Eobaldelega", then "Eobaldsleigh". [cite web | title = Parishes: Abberley', A History of the County of Worcester: volume 4 (1924) | publisher = British History Online | url = http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=42884/ | accessdate = 2007-08-25 ] Abberley is recorded in the "Domesday Book" of 1086-7 as "Edboldelege", when it was held by Ralph de Tosny. [cite book| last =Williams | first =Ann | authorlink = | coauthors =G H Martin | title =Domesday Book: A Complete Translation | publisher = Penguin| date = | location =London | pages =pp. 486; 1303 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn =9780141439945 ]

In 1405 Abberley Hill was the scene of a protracted stand-off between two major medieval armies, those of Henry IV and a combined army of Welsh and French under Owain Glyndŵr (Owen Glendower). Eventually, cut off from their supply line, the Welsh withdrew, never again to penetrate so far into England.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.abberley.ik.org/ Abberley Parochial Primary School]
* [http://uk.geocities.com/abberleyvillagehall/ Abberley Village Hall ]
* [http://www.abberleyhall.co.uk/ Abberley Hall/Clocktower]
* [http://www.faber.co.uk/book_detail.html?bid=8930/ The Clock Tower Ghost]
* [http://www.worc.ac.uk/geopark/ Abberley & Malvern Hills Geopark]
* [http://worcestershire.whub.org.uk/home/wccindex/wcc-countryside/wcc-countryside-worcsway-web.htm/ The Worcestershire Way]
* [http://www.abberley.co.uk/ Abberley Village Homepage]
* [http://www.abberley.org.uk/ Abberley Parish Council]

References

['Parishes: Abberley', A History of the County of Worcester: volume 4 (1924), pp. 220-24. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=42884. Date accessed: 23 August 2007]