93-525: Little Wolford is a hamlet and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire , England. With the neighbouring parish of Great Wolford it is part of 'The Wolfords'. Little Wolford is significant for its Grade II* listed 15th- to 16th-century Little Wolford Manor . According to A Dictionary of British Place Names , Wolford derives from the Old English 'wulf' with 'weard', meaning
186-513: A London borough . (Since the new county was beforehand a mixture of metropolitan boroughs , municipal boroughs and urban districts, no extant parish councils were abolished.) In 1974, the Local Government Act 1972 retained rural parishes, but abolished most urban parishes, as well as the urban districts and boroughs which had administered them. Provision was made for smaller urban districts and boroughs to become successor parishes , with
279-462: A castellated parapet . To the north of Broadmoor Lodge is a 2011 Grade II listed milepost . Farther south is a house listed in 1987 as Double Lodges, divided into two residences. Dating to c.1830, of two storeys in coursed limestone and T-plan, it is in Tudor domestic style, with dutch gables with two-light mullion windows , and a porch on its front face at right angles to the road. Farther south still
372-400: A ridge and furrow system of ploughing . This medieval or post-medieval system of cultivation was shown by earthworks which continued beyond the parish. After Robert de Stafford died (c.1100), his manor at Wolford passed through his sister Milicent de Stafford (who married Hervey Bagot), to her son Hervey de Stafford, who had adopted his mother's name. The manor was divided in 1242 at
465-492: A "place protected against wolves". The Concise Oxfordshire Dictionary of English Place-names adds that 'weard' might mean "guard", and as such might here be unique usage, as an "arrangement for protection, [or] fence", the whole name perhaps "enclosure to protect flocks from wolves". In the Domesday Book , the settlement is variously listed as 'Ulware', 'Ulwarda' and 'Wolwarde', and in 1242 as 'Parva Wulleward'. In 1086, after
558-515: A Special Expense, to residents of the unparished area to fund those activities. If the district council does not opt to make a Special Expenses charge, there is an element of double taxation of residents of parished areas, because services provided to residents of the unparished area are funded by council tax paid by residents of the whole district, rather than only by residents of the unparished area. Parish councils comprise volunteer councillors who are elected to serve for four years. Decisions of
651-576: A boundary coterminous with an existing urban district or borough or, if divided by a new district boundary, as much as was comprised in a single district. There were 300 such successor parishes established. In urban areas that were considered too large to be single parishes, the parishes were simply abolished, and they became unparished areas . The distinction between types of parish was no longer made; whether parishes continued by virtue of being retained rural parishes or were created as successor parishes, they were all simply termed parishes. The 1972 act allowed
744-472: A city council (though most cities are not parishes but principal areas, or in England specifically metropolitan boroughs or non-metropolitan districts ). The chairman of a town council will have the title "town mayor" and that of a parish council which is a city will usually have the title of mayor . When a city or town has been abolished as a borough, and it is considered desirable to maintain continuity of
837-456: A city council. According to the Department for Communities and Local Government , in England in 2011 there were 9,946 parishes. Since 1997 around 100 new civil parishes have been created, in some cases by splitting existing civil parishes, but mostly by creating new ones from unparished areas. Parish or town councils have very few statutory duties (things they are required to do by law) but have
930-548: A city was Hereford , whose city council was merged in 1998 to form a unitary Herefordshire . The area of the city of Hereford remained unparished until 2000 when a parish council was created for the city. As another example, the charter trustees for the City of Bath make up the majority of the councillors on Bath and North East Somerset Council. Civil parishes cover 35% of England's population, with one in Greater London and few in
1023-440: A civil parish is usually an elected parish council (which can decide to call itself a town, village, community or neighbourhood council, or a city council if the parish has city status). Alternatively, in parishes with small populations (typically fewer than 150 electors) governance may be by a parish meeting which all electors may attend; alternatively, parishes with small populations may be grouped with one or more neighbours under
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#17328550322841116-481: A civil parish which has no parish council, the parish meeting may levy a council tax precept for expenditure relating to specific functions, powers and rights which have been conferred on it by legislation. In places where there is no civil parish ( unparished areas ), the administration of the activities normally undertaken by the parish becomes the responsibility of the district or borough council. The district council may make an additional council tax charge, known as
1209-568: A common parish council. Wales was also divided into civil parishes until 1974, when they were replaced by communities , which are similar to English parishes in the way they operate. Civil parishes in Scotland were abolished for local government purposes by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929 ; the Scottish equivalent of English civil parishes are the community council areas established by
1302-415: A gabled porch off centre to the right. Between these two buildings, and at the west side of Little Wolford Road at its junction with Rosary Lane, is a wellhead (listed 1987) which probably dates to the 19th century. Set into the pavement wall, and recessed within a structure of coursed limestone which includes fragments of architectural elements, it comprises an iron trough fed by a "beast head". Inset within
1395-517: A new code. In either case the code must comply with the Nolan Principles of Public Life . A parish can be granted city status by the Crown . As of 2020 , eight parishes in England have city status, each having a long-established Anglican cathedral: Chichester , Ely , Hereford , Lichfield , Ripon , Salisbury , Truro and Wells . The council of an ungrouped parish may pass a resolution giving
1488-431: A new smaller manor, there was a means of making a chapel which, if generating or endowed with enough funds, would generally justify foundation of a parish, with its own parish priest (and in latter centuries vestry ). This consistency was a result of canon law which prized the status quo in issues between local churches and so made boundary changes and sub-division difficult. The consistency of these boundaries until
1581-738: A parish (a "detached part") was in a different county . In other cases, counties surrounded a whole parish meaning it was in an unconnected, "alien" county. These anomalies resulted in a highly localised difference in applicable representatives on the national level , justices of the peace , sheriffs, bailiffs with inconvenience to the inhabitants. If a parish was split then churchwardens, highway wardens and constables would also spend more time or money travelling large distances. Some parishes straddled two or more counties, such as Todmorden in Lancashire and Yorkshire. William Compton (courtier) Sir William Compton ( c. 1482 – 30 June 1528)
1674-416: A parish council, and instead will only have a parish meeting : an example of direct democracy . Alternatively several small parishes can be grouped together and share a common parish council, or even a common parish meeting. A parish council may decide to call itself a town council, village council, community council, neighbourhood council, or if the parish has city status, the parish council may call itself
1767-503: A population of between 100 and 300 could request their county council to establish a parish council. Provision was also made for a grouped parish council to be established covering two or more rural parishes. In such groups, each parish retained its own parish meeting which could vote to leave the group, but otherwise the grouped parish council acted across the combined area of the parishes included. Urban civil parishes were not given their own parish councils, but were directly administered by
1860-427: A priest, with ten ploughlands, six men's plough teams and a mill. Secondly, one with Ordwy as lord, acquired from the 1066 lord Alwy, which contained four villagers, four smallholders, six ploughlands, and two lord's and one men's plough teams. Thirdly, where Alwin was the lord in 1066 and 1086, which contained four villagers, three smallholders, a slave, and two ploughlands with one lord's and one men's plough teams. By
1953-1079: A range of discretionary powers which they may exercise voluntarily. These powers have been defined by various pieces of legislation. The role they play can vary significantly depending on the size, resources and ability of the council, but their activities can include any of the following: Parish councils have powers to provide and manage various local facilities; these can include allotments , cemeteries, parks, playgrounds, playing fields and village greens , village halls or community centres , bus shelters, street lighting, roadside verges, car parks, footpaths, litter bins and war memorials. Larger parish councils may also be involved in running markets , public toilets and public clocks, museums and leisure centres . Parish councils may spend money on various things they deem to be beneficial to their communities, such as providing grants to local community groups or local projects, or fund things such as public events, crime prevention measures, community transport schemes, traffic calming or tourism promotion. Parish councils have
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#17328550322842046-409: A role in the planning system; they have a statutory right to be consulted on any planning applications in their areas. They may also produce a neighbourhood plan to influence local development. The Localism Act 2011 allowed eligible parish councils to be granted a " general power of competence " which allows them within certain limits the freedom to do anything an individual can do provided it
2139-589: A set number of guardians for each parish, hence a final purpose of urban civil parishes. With the abolition of the Poor Law system in 1930, urban parishes became a geographical division only with no administrative power; that was exercised at the urban district or borough council level. In 1965 civil parishes in London were formally abolished when Greater London was created, as the legislative framework for Greater London did not make provision for any local government body below
2232-938: A small village or town ward to a large tract of mostly uninhabited moorland in the Cheviots, Pennines or Dartmoor. The two largest as at December 2023 are Stanhope (County Durham) at 98.6 square miles (255 km ), and Dartmoor Forest (Devon) at 79.07 square miles (204.8 km ). The two smallest are parcels of shared rural land: Lands Common to Axminster and Kilmington (Devon) at 0.012 square miles (0.031 km ; 3.1 ha; 7.7 acres), and Lands Common to Brancepeth and Brandon and Byshottles (County Durham) at 0.0165 square miles (0.043 km ; 4.3 ha; 10.6 acres). The next two smallest are parishes in built up areas: Chester Castle (Cheshire) at 0.0168 square miles (0.044 km ; 4.4 ha; 10.8 acres) (no recorded population) and Hamilton Lea (Leicestershire) at 0.07 square miles (0.18 km ; 18 ha; 45 acres) (1,021 residents at
2325-514: A spur to the creation of new parishes in some larger towns which were previously unparished, in order to retain a local tier of government; examples include Shrewsbury (2009), Salisbury (2009), Crewe (2013) and Weymouth (2019). In 2003 seven new parish councils were set up for Burton upon Trent , and in 2001 the Milton Keynes urban area became entirely parished, with ten new parishes being created. Parishes can also be abolished where there
2418-609: Is Bedlam Lodge (listed in 1987 with its attached buildings). This dates to the mid-19th century, and is built of coursed limestone in T-plan, and is of one storey and an attic in Tudor domestic style. There are mullioned windows and a gabled porch. The listed rear range outbuilding to the lodge contains a kitchen and a "small dog kennel with 4-centred arch." Farthest south is Weston Lodge (listed 1987), dating to c.1830, and again possibly designed by Edward Blore as part of his scheme for Weston House. It
2511-507: Is at present the only part of England where civil parishes cannot be created. If enough electors in the area of a proposed new parish (ranging from 50% in an area with less than 500 electors to 10% in one with more than 2,500) sign a petition demanding its creation, then the local district council or unitary authority must consider the proposal. Since the beginning of the 21st century, numerous parish councils have been created, including some relatively large urban ones. The main driver has been
2604-504: Is at the south of Warwickshire , and borders the Todenham parish of Gloucestershire at the north-west. Adjacent Warwickshire parishes are Burmington at the north, Long Compton at the east, Barton-on-the-Heath at the south, and Great Wolford at the west with the boundary defined by the course of Nethercote Brook, a tributary of the River Stour . Most of the southern part of the parish
2697-464: Is built in coursed limestone and in two storeys in Tudor domestic style, with a gabled and buttressed porch with Tudor-arch-style portal, and an upper sill course below a castellated parapet with "polygonal corner turrets". The windows are mullioned with hood moulds , the one on the ground floor facing the road, a bay . To the rear is a one-story gabled range. At the head of the drive at Weston Lodge are two gate piers (listed 1987), both probably dating to
2790-539: Is evidence that this is in response to "justified, clear and sustained local support" from the area's inhabitants. Examples are Birtley , which was abolished in 2006, and Southsea , abolished in 2010. Every civil parish has a parish meeting, which all the electors of the parish are entitled to attend. Generally a meeting is held once a year. A civil parish may have a parish council which exercises various local responsibilities prescribed by statute. Parishes with fewer than 200 electors are usually deemed too small to have
2883-405: Is not prohibited by other legislation, as opposed to being limited to the powers explicitly granted to them by law. To be eligible for this, a parish council must meet certain conditions such as having a clerk with suitable qualifications. Parish councils receive funding by levying a " precept " on the council tax paid by the residents of the parish (or parishes) served by the parish council. In
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2976-406: Is one Grade II* and nine Grade II listed buildings and structures. Little Wolford Manor House (Grade II* listed in 1987), within the hamlet on Little Wolford Road, with its attached bakehouse and gateway, dates to the late 15th or early 16th-century, but with later additions and changes. Of limestone courses, with earlier parts of ashlar , it is of two storeys and L-plan, previously U-plan until
3069-527: Is part of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The A3400 road runs north to south through the parish, locally from Shipston-on-Stour at the north to Chipping Norton at the south. The only other parish roads, apart from farm and residential tracks and cul-de-sacs , is the minor road running east from the A3400 to the village of Cherington , and the minor Little Wolford Road running from
3162-404: Is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes , which for centuries were the principal unit of secular and religious administration in most of England and Wales. Civil and religious parishes were formally split into two types in the 19th century and are now entirely separate. Civil parishes in their modern form came into being through
3255-504: The 'Standards Board regime' with local monitoring by district, unitary or equivalent authorities. Under new regulations which came into effect in 2012 all parish councils in England are required to adopt a code of conduct with which parish councillors must comply, and to promote and maintain high standards. A new criminal offence of failing to comply with statutory requirements was introduced. More than one 'model code' has been published, and councils are free to modify an existing code or adopt
3348-652: The Field of the Cloth of Gold and at Gravelines for the king's interview with Charles V . Compton served on the Scottish borders under the Earl of Surrey in 1523, and this appears to have been the only time he was far from the court. It was thought that his rival Thomas Wolsey contrived his being sent there, hoping to diminish his influence over the king. Although he was not a politician, Compton ultimately acquired significant influence over Henry when it came to granting land and favours to
3441-742: The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 , which have fewer powers than their English and Welsh counterparts. There are no equivalent units in Northern Ireland . The parish system in Europe was established between the 8th and 12th centuries, and an early form was long established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest . These areas were originally based on the territory of manors , which, in some cases, derived their bounds from Roman or Iron Age estates; some large manors were sub-divided into several parishes. Initially, churches and their priests were
3534-1010: The Local Government Act 1894 ( 56 & 57 Vict. c. 73) to become the smallest geographical area for local government in rural areas. The act abolished the civil (non-ecclesiastical) duties of vestries . Parishes which straddled county boundaries or sanitary districts had to be split so that the part in each urban or rural sanitary district became a separate parish (see List of county exclaves in England and Wales 1844–1974 ). The sanitary districts were then reconstituted as urban districts and rural districts , with parishes that fell within urban districts classed as urban parishes, and parishes that fell within rural districts were classed as rural parishes. The 1894 act established elected civil parish councils as to all rural parishes with more than 300 electors, and established annual parish meetings in all rural parishes. Civil parishes were grouped to form either rural or urban districts which are thereafter classified as either type. The parish meetings for parishes with
3627-411: The Local Government Act 1894 ( 56 & 57 Vict. c. 73), which established elected parish councils to take on the secular functions of the parish vestry . A civil parish can range in size from a sparsely populated rural area with fewer than a hundred inhabitants, to a large town with a population in excess of 100,000 . This scope is similar to that of municipalities in continental Europe, such as
3720-572: The Norman Conquest , Little Wolford was in the Hundred of Barcheston and county of Warwickshire. There were three Tenants-in-chief to king William I : Bishop Odo of Bayeux , Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester (Count of Meulan), and Robert de Stafford . Bishop Odo retained Gerald as his lord , who had acquired the title from the 1066 lord Aelfric (uncle of Thorkil) – the manor contained three villagers , one ploughland with 0.5 men's plough team, and 6 acres (2.4 ha) of meadow. The land of
3813-487: The aristocracy , and made a fortune himself. The offices he held included: In 1510, Compton was involved in a public row with Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham over Henry's affair with the Duke's married sister, Lady Anne Hastings . Around 1519, Compton became involved with Anne himself. In 1521, Henry sent Compton to arrest Anne's brother, the Duke of Buckingham, who was later executed for treason. In his will, which
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3906-472: The break with Rome , parishes managed ecclesiastical matters, while the manor was the principal unit of local administration and justice. Later, the church replaced the manor court as the rural administrative centre, and levied a local tax on produce known as a tithe . In the medieval period, responsibilities such as relief of the poor passed increasingly from the lord of the manor to the parish's rector , who in practice would delegate tasks among his vestry or
3999-687: The communes of France . However, unlike their continental European counterparts, parish councils are not principal authorities , and in most cases have a relatively minor role in local government. As of September 2023 , there are 10,464 parishes in England, and in 2020 they covered approximately 40% of the English population. For historical reasons, civil parishes predominantly cover rural areas and smaller urban areas, with most larger urban areas being wholly or partly unparished ; but since 1997 it has been possible for civil parishes to be created within unparished areas if demanded by local residents . In 2007
4092-463: The (often well-endowed) monasteries. After the dissolution of the monasteries , the power to levy a rate to fund relief of the poor was conferred on the parish authorities by the Poor Relief Act 1601 . Both before and after this optional social change, local (vestry-administered) charities are well-documented. The parish authorities were known as vestries and consisted of all the ratepayers of
4185-548: The 13th century there were four fields, each two cultivated under a two-field system of crop rotation, and as virgates . A corn mill and fulling mill existed. There were further smaller virgates, one at Pepperwell (then Yperwelle), signified by Pepperwell Lane today at the south-east of the parish. By the beginning of the 17th century there were two watermills , one perhaps on Nethercote Brook which divides today's parishes of Little and Great Wolford. The fields were evident as late as 1940 through aerial photography which indicated
4278-564: The 19th century is useful to historians, and is also of cultural significance in terms of shaping local identities; reinforced by the use of grouped parish boundaries, often, by successive local authority areas; and in a very rough, operations-geared way by most postcode districts. There was (and is) wide disparity in parish size. Writtle , Essex traditionally measures 13,568 acres (21 sq mi) – two parishes neighbouring are Shellow Bowells at 469 acres (0.7 sq mi), and Chignall Smealy at 476 acres (0.7 sq mi) Until
4371-584: The 2011 census, Newland with Woodhouse Moor and Beaumont Chase reported inhabitants, and there were no new deserted parishes recorded. Nearly all instances of detached parts of civil parishes (areas not contiguous with the main part of the parish) and of those straddling counties have been ended. 14 examples remain in England as at 2022, including Barnby Moor and Wallingwells , both in Nottinghamshire. Direct predecessors of civil parishes are most often known as "ancient parishes", although many date only from
4464-505: The 2021 census). The 2001 census recorded several parishes with no inhabitants. These were Chester Castle (in the middle of Chester city centre), Newland with Woodhouse Moor , Beaumont Chase , Martinsthorpe , Meering , Stanground North (subsequently abolished), Sturston , Tottington , and Tyneham (subsequently merged). The lands of the last three were taken over by the Armed Forces during World War II and remain deserted. In
4557-483: The A3400, south through Little Wolford hamlet, then west along the boundary of the AONB to the village of Great Wolford. Running south off Little Wolford Road is Pepperwell Lane which dog-legs east to the A3400. The county town and city of Gloucester is 28 miles (45 km) to the south-west. Closest towns to the hamlet are Moreton-in-Marsh , 4 miles (6 km) to the south-west, and Shipston-on-Stour, 3 miles (5 km) to
4650-685: The Brailes and Compton ward, above this, Warwickshire County Council , where Little Wolford is represented by the seat for the Shipston division of the Stratford-on-Avon area. Little Wolford is represented in the UK Parliament House of Commons as part of the Stratford-on-Avon constituency, its 2019 sitting MP being Nadhim Zahawi of the Conservative Party . Prior to Brexit in 2020, it
4743-468: The Compton family until 1819, however, at about 1600 they were bought by Robert Catesby , the leader of the group of English Catholics who planned the failed 1605 Gunpowder Plot . They were then, in 1605, transferred to a Thomas Spencer and an Edward Sheldon, by Catesby, Sir Thomas Leigh, and Lord Ellesmere whose wife was sister to the second wife of Henry, Lord Compton. Because of transaction inconsistency,
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#17328550322844836-482: The Count of Meluan had Ralf as lord, again acquiring the title from the 1066 lord Aelfric - the manor contained three villagers, five smallholders , two slaves, and four ploughlands with one lord's plough team and one men's plough team. De Stafford had three manorial lands. Firstly, one where he was also Lord, this acquired from the 1066 lord Vagn (of Wootton), which contained eight villagers, eight smallholders, four slaves and
4929-547: The Poor Law Amendment Act of 1866, which established new civil parishes for the purposes of the New Poor Law of 1834, and collection of poor rate . Lowest tier of local government is direct democracy through Little Wolford Parish Meeting , whose remit is more limited than a parish council . The next higher tier of government is Stratford-on-Avon District Council, to which Little Wolford sends one councillor under
5022-724: The administration of the poor laws was the main civil function of parishes, the Poor Law Amendment Act 1866 , which received royal assent on 10 August 1866, declared all areas that levied a separate rate or had their own overseer of the poor to be parishes. This included the Church of England parishes (until then simply known as "parishes"), extra-parochial areas , townships and chapelries . To have collected rates this means these beforehand had their own vestries, boards or equivalent bodies. Parishes using this definition subsequently became known as "civil parishes" to distinguish them from
5115-399: The charter, the charter may be transferred to a parish council for its area. Where there is no such parish council, the district council may appoint charter trustees to whom the charter and the arms of the former borough will belong. The charter trustees (who consist of the councillor or councillors for the area of the former borough) maintain traditions such as mayoralty . An example of such
5208-529: The council are carried out by a paid officer, typically known as a parish clerk. Councils may employ additional people (including bodies corporate, provided where necessary, by tender) to carry out specific tasks dictated by the council. Some councils have chosen to pay their elected members an allowance, as permitted under part 5 of the Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003. The number of councillors varies roughly in proportion to
5301-464: The council of the urban district or borough in which they were contained. Many urban parishes were coterminous (geographically identical) with the urban district or municipal borough in which they lay. Towns which included multiple urban parishes often consolidated the urban parishes into one. The urban parishes continued to be used as an electoral area for electing guardians to the poor law unions . The unions took in areas in multiple parishes and had
5394-466: The council will an election be held. However, sometimes there are fewer candidates than seats. When this happens, the vacant seats have to be filled by co-option by the council. If a vacancy arises for a seat mid-term, an election is only held if a certain number (usually ten) of parish residents request an election. Otherwise the council will co-opt someone to be the replacement councillor. The Localism Act 2011 introduced new arrangements which replaced
5487-453: The creation of town and parish councils is encouraged in unparished areas . The Local Government and Rating Act 1997 created a procedure which gave residents in unparished areas the right to demand that a new parish and parish council be created. This right was extended to London boroughs by the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 – with this, the City of London
5580-463: The desire to have a more local tier of government when new larger authorities have been created, which are felt to be remote from local concerns and identity. A number of parishes have been created in places which used to have their own borough or district council; examples include Daventry (2003), Folkestone (2004), Kidderminster (2015) and Sutton Coldfield (2016). The trend towards the creation of geographically large unitary authorities has been
5673-501: The early 19th century. At the rear of the house is a 17th-century gabled range with a timber framed jetty with oriel windows . Attached is the 17th-century bakehouse, and a cottage. On the opposite side of the road from the Manor House, and just north of Rosary Lane on a private road, is The Hollows (listed 1987), a late 18th century limestone farmhouse, 'L-plan' of two storeys. There are three bays , each with casement windows , and
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#17328550322845766-536: The early to mid-19th century. Both of limestone, they are surmounted by poppy-head finials . Two levelled former earthworks of banks and ditches signifying enclosures , photographed by the Warwickshire National Mapping Project in 1947, are to the east from the hamlet and A3400 road ( 52°00′57″N 1°36′30″W / 52.0157°N 1.60843°W / 52.0157; -1.60843 ), and which, according to Pastscape , "are presumed to be
5859-439: The ecclesiastical parishes. The Church of England parishes, which cover more than 99% of England, have become officially (and to avoid ambiguity) termed ecclesiastical parishes . The limits of many of these have diverged; most greatly through changes in population and church attendance (these factors can cause churches to be opened or closed). Since 1921, each has been the responsibility of its own parochial church council . In
5952-521: The established English Church, which for a few years after Henry VIII alternated between the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England , before settling on the latter on the accession of Elizabeth I in 1558. By the 18th century, religious membership was becoming more fractured in some places, due in part to the progress of Methodism . The legitimacy of the parish vestry came into question, and
6045-650: The father of the Mitford sisters . Sir Nathaniel Brent (c.1573 – 1652) was the son of Anchor Brent of Little Wolford. He was in 1616 the ambassador at the Hague , in 1622 the warden of Merton College, Oxford , and afterwards commissary of the diocese of Canterbury . During the 19th century Little Wolford was part of the Brailes division of the Kington Hundred , and described as a hamlet of Great wolford. In 1801 parish population
6138-638: The gift and continued patronage (benefaction) of the lord of the manor , but not all were willing and able to provide, so residents would be expected to attend the church of the nearest manor with a church. Later, the churches and priests became to a greater extent the responsibility of the Catholic Church thus this was formalised; the grouping of manors into one parish was recorded, as was a manor-parish existing in its own right. Boundaries changed little, and for centuries after 1180 'froze', despite changes to manors' extents. However, by subinfeudation , making
6231-455: The government at the time of the Local Government Act 1972 discouraged their creation for large towns or their suburbs, but there is generally nothing to stop their establishment. For example, Birmingham has two parishes ( New Frankley and Sutton Coldfield ), Oxford has four, and the Milton Keynes urban area has 24. Parishes could not however be established in London until the law was changed in 2007. A civil parish can range in area from
6324-471: The late 19th century, most of the "ancient" (a legal term equivalent to time immemorial ) irregularities inherited by the civil parish system were cleaned up, and the majority of exclaves were abolished. The census of 1911 noted that 8,322 (58%) of "parishes" in England and Wales were not geographically identical when comparing the civil to the ecclesiastical form. In 1894, civil parishes were reformed by
6417-416: The manors reverted to the Compton family. In 1819 they were sold, by Charles Compton, Marquess of Northampton , to Lord Redesdale , they subsequently passing to his son John Freeman-Mitford, 1st Earl of Redesdale . The unmarried earl then left the manors to Algernon Bertram Mitford , created Baron Redesdale in 1902. After his death in 1916, the manors passed to David Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale ,
6510-465: The mid 19th century. Using a longer historical lens the better terms are "pre-separation (civil and ecclesiastical) parish", "original medieval parishes" and "new parishes". The Victoria County History , a landmark collaborative work mostly written in the 20th century (although incomplete), summarises the history of each English "parish", roughly meaning late medieval parish. A minority of these had exclaves , which could be: In some cases an exclave of
6603-465: The new district councils (outside London) to review their parishes, and many areas left unparished in 1972 have since been made parishes, either in whole or part. For example, Hinckley , whilst entirely unparished in 1974, now has four civil parishes, which together cover part of its area, whilst the central part of the town remains unparished. Some parishes were sub-divided into smaller territories known as hamlets , tithings or townships . Nowadays
6696-739: The north. The neighbouring village of Great Wolford is 1 mile (1.6 km) to the south-west. The nearest railway station is at Moreton-in-Marsh on the Cotswold Line of the Great Western Railway . Bus services operate within Little Wolford. A stop in the hamlet includes connections to Shipston-on-Stour and Burmington on a circuitous village Shipston Link service. The only other stop, on the A3400, includes connections to Shipston-on-Stour, Stratford upon Avon , Chipping Norton, Whichford , Long Compton , and Lower Brailes . Within Little Wolford
6789-488: The other conurbations. Civil parishes vary greatly in population: some have populations below 100 and have no settlement larger than a hamlet , while others cover towns with populations of tens of thousands. Weston-super-Mare , with a population of 71,758, is the most populous civil parish. In many cases small settlements, today popularly termed villages , localities or suburbs, are in a single parish which originally had one church. Large urban areas are mostly unparished, as
6882-401: The parish the status of a town, at which point the council becomes a town council . Around 400 parish councils are called town councils. Under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 , a civil parish may be given one of the following alternative styles: As a result, a parish council can be called a town council, a community council, a village council or occasionally
6975-404: The parish. As the number of ratepayers of some parishes grew, it became increasingly difficult to convene meetings as an open vestry. In some, mostly built-up, areas the select vestry took over responsibility from the entire body of ratepayers. This innovation improved efficiency, but allowed governance by a self-perpetuating elite. The administration of the parish system relied on the monopoly of
7068-562: The parish; the church rate ceased to be levied in many parishes and became voluntary from 1868. During the 17th century it was found that the 1601 Poor Law did not work well for very large parishes, which were particularly common in northern England. Such parishes were typically subdivided into multiple townships , which levied their rates separately. The Poor Relief Act 1662 therefore directed that for poor law purposes 'parish' meant any place which maintained its own poor, thereby converting many townships into separate 'poor law parishes'. As
7161-499: The perceived inefficiency and corruption inherent in the system became a source for concern in some places. For this reason, during the early 19th century the parish progressively lost its powers to ad hoc boards and other organisations, such as the boards of guardians given responsibility for poor relief through the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 . Sanitary districts covered England in 1875 and Ireland three years later. The replacement boards were each entitled to levy their own rate in
7254-411: The population of the parish. Most rural parish councillors are elected to represent the entire parish, though in parishes with larger populations or those that cover larger areas, the parish can be divided into wards. Each of these wards then returns councillors to the parish council (the numbers depending on their population). Only if there are more candidates standing for election than there are seats on
7347-503: The property of the Earl of Camperdown, who was the parish sole landowner. The National School was now a Public Elementary School ( Education Act 1902 ), with an average attendance of 57. Trades and occupations listed were eight farmers, two graziers and a shoemaker. Although described as a hamlet of Great Wolford (under 'Wolford') in 19th and 20th-century trade directories, Little Wolford and Great Wolford had attained separate parish status under
7440-426: The remains of copse enclosures" and "appear to be a ornamental Park land feature" at what was the south-east edge of the formal park of the now nonexistent Weston House, until the 18th century a 300 acres (121 ha) deer park which was established by Henry VIII. Civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government . It is a territorial designation which
7533-438: The right to create civil parishes was extended to London boroughs , although only one, Queen's Park , has so far been created. Eight parishes also have city status (a status granted by the monarch ). A civil parish may be equally known as and confirmed as a town, village, neighbourhood or community by resolution of its parish council, a right not conferred on other units of English local government. The governing body of
7626-448: The same family, a brickmaker, shoemaker, blacksmith , a corn miller, and two carpenters. By 1896 Little Wolford Manor House was the property of Juliana, Countess of Camperdown, née Juliana Cavendish Philips (1812-1898), the sole landowner and wife to Adam Haldane-Duncan, 2nd Earl of Camperdown . Land area was 1,312 acres (531 ha) in which lived, in 1891, 178 people. There was a post box but no post office. The nearest money order office
7719-507: The structure face, and to the right of the trough is a Victorian post-box. On the A3400 there are four Grade II lodges. The northernmost, at the junction with the road to Cherington, is Broadmoor Lodge (listed 1987), possibly designed by Edward Blore as part of his scheme for the now demolished Weston House. It dates to c.1830 and is of coursed limestone in two storeys with a gabled and buttressed porch with Tudor-arch-style portal, and an upper sill course with gargoyle at each corner below
7812-488: The time of the later Robert de Stafford, becoming Great and Little Wolford. Ownership stayed with the Stafford family , including the 15th-century Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham . In 1521 Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham was executed by Henry VIII for treason. The year before he had, through trustees, sold the manors to Henry's courtier , Sir William Compton . The manors of Great and Little Wolford stayed in
7905-474: Was 229. By 1841 Little Wolford contained 274 inhabitants in 53 houses, in a parish area of 1,324 acres (536 ha), in which were 339 acres (137 ha) of common land or waste. The industrialist, politician and lord of the manor Sir George Philips in 1844 purchased Little Wolford Manor , formerly in the possession of the Ingram family. Directory listed trades and occupations in 1850 included five farmers, two in
7998-436: Was a soldier and one of the most prominent courtiers during the reign of Henry VIII of England . Compton was born around 1482, the only son and heir of Edmund Compton (d. 21 April 1493) of Compton, Warwickshire and Joan, the daughter of Walter Aylworth. He was around eleven years of age when his father died in 1493, at which time he became a ward of Henry VII , who appointed him page to Prince Henry, Duke of York . He
8091-488: Was about nine years older than Henry, but the two became close friends. He married firstly, in May 1512, Werburga, the daughter of Sir John Brereton and Katherine Berkeley, and widow of Sir Francis Cheyney . They had at least one son and two daughters, including: He married secondly, after 8 March 1523, Elizabeth Stonor, the daughter of Sir Walter Stonor and by her had at least one child. On Henry's accession in 1509, he
8184-599: Was also the steward , or administrator, of several royal manors. Compton was knighted 25 September 1513 at Tournai , following the Battle of the Spurs . He had been able to muster 578 soldiers for the campaign in France from the manors he stewarded, almost as many as all the other members of the Privy chamber raised in total. In 1521 he was present at Henry VIII's meeting with Francis I at
8277-399: Was at Long Compton , the nearest telegraph offices at Moreton-in-Marsh and Shipston-on-Stour . A National School for 70 children was erected in 1874 by Lord Redesdale; its average 1896 attendance was 61. Trades and occupations listed in 1896 included six farmers, a shoemaker, two graziers and a blacksmith & farrier . Population in 1901 was 181. In 1912 Little Wolford Manor House was
8370-659: Was buried in the chapel at Compton Wynyates . Compton is depicted in stained glass in the chapel at Compton Wynyates and at Balliol College in Oxford. His widow, Elizabeth, was still attempting to claim her jointure at the time of her second marriage to Walter Walshe, a page of the Privy chamber in November 1529, and the matter had not been resolved by June 1538, when her father wrote to Thomas Cromwell on his daughter's behalf: "We both desire your Lordship's favour in her causes, else she
8463-421: Was dated 8 March 1523, Compton made provisions for Lady Hastings, his first wife, Werburga and his children. His will was made while his first wife was still living and not updated to provide for his second wife, Elizabeth, who was expecting a child at the time of his death. He died 30 June 1528 of the sweating sickness which killed several courtiers including Anne Boleyn 's brother-in-law, William Carey . He
8556-588: Was given the position of Groom of the Stool , the man who was in closest contact with the young king. The Groom waited on the king while he used the latrine or close stool , and was also in charge of linen and the King's clothes, jewels and tableware. One of his duties, according to the courtier Elizabeth Amadas , was to procure women for his monarch and arrange trysts with them at his London home, in Thames Street. Compton
8649-527: Was part of the West Midlands constituency of the European Parliament . Little Wolford civil parish has no amenities, and is entirely rural, of farms, fields, and dispersed businesses and residential properties, the only nucleated settlement being the hamlet of Little Wolford. It approximates an oval in shape, 2.5 miles (4 km) north to south, and 1.5 miles (2 km) east to west at its widest. It
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