The Villages have a long and interesting History
STOP PRESS - there is a new update to this section, please scroll down for further information !
The Civil Parish of Stoke Orchard, a triangle of ~2500 acres, begins approximately 1¾ miles southeast of Tewkesbury and ends approximately 4 miles northwest of Cheltenham.
The Parish is bordered by the River Swilgate along its south-west side. South of Rudgeway Farm, Tredington, the parish boundary then goes east along hedgerows and the Tredington-Fiddington Lane, finally following a track which was once an old Bishop’s Cleeve to Tewksbury lane until north of Fiddington Brake where it turns south and later southwest to the Bristol-Birmingham railway line and lastly west of Wingmoor Farm along a tributary to the River Swilgate.
Although only four miles west of the Cotswolds, the whole parish lies in a sheltered valley and enjoys a very moderate climate
The Civil Parish of Stoke Orchard, a triangle of ~2500 acres, begins approximately 1¾ miles southeast of Tewkesbury and ends approximately 4 miles northwest of Cheltenham.
The Parish is bordered by the River Swilgate along its south-west side. South of Rudgeway Farm, Tredington, the parish boundary then goes east along hedgerows and the Tredington-Fiddington Lane, finally following a track which was once an old Bishop’s Cleeve to Tewksbury lane until north of Fiddington Brake where it turns south and later southwest to the Bristol-Birmingham railway line and lastly west of Wingmoor Farm along a tributary to the River Swilgate.
Although only four miles west of the Cotswolds, the whole parish lies in a sheltered valley and enjoys a very moderate climate
This fertile, sheltered, well watered and originally well-wooded area had all the essentials for human habitation and evidence has been found of early settlements.
During excavations for the M5 motorway Roman remains were found, not of the ‘villa’ type previously assumed common, but indicating more dispersed settlements. Eventually, two straggling ‘street villages’ developed in what is now the parish. Tredington, meaning “Tyrdda’s people’s settlement” is recorded in the Doomsday Book of 1086 as having 6 hides (hide=land unit of about 120 acres) and belonged to the Manor and Hundred of Tewksbury which was then the King’s lands (a Hundred was an administrative sub-division of a shire which had its own court).
NEW:- There is a superb account of the history of Tredington on the British History Online website. For more details and to see this information, please click here
Stoke Orchard developed as one village, but in fact consisted of two separate manors which were in different parishes and Hundreds. The first, Downing, at the west end of the village, belonged to the Tewkesbury Hundred. In the Doomsday Book it is recorded a having 2¾ hides. All that now remains of Downing Manor is Manor Farm, Stoke Orchard.
NEW:- there some additonal information about Stoke Orchard (linked to Bishops Cleeve) to be found here.
The name is completely lost. At the east side, the second manor of Stoke Orchard (first recorded in 967AD as ‘Stoc’) was in the Tibblestone Hundred and belonged to the Church of Worcester.
During excavations for the M5 motorway Roman remains were found, not of the ‘villa’ type previously assumed common, but indicating more dispersed settlements. Eventually, two straggling ‘street villages’ developed in what is now the parish. Tredington, meaning “Tyrdda’s people’s settlement” is recorded in the Doomsday Book of 1086 as having 6 hides (hide=land unit of about 120 acres) and belonged to the Manor and Hundred of Tewksbury which was then the King’s lands (a Hundred was an administrative sub-division of a shire which had its own court).
NEW:- There is a superb account of the history of Tredington on the British History Online website. For more details and to see this information, please click here
Stoke Orchard developed as one village, but in fact consisted of two separate manors which were in different parishes and Hundreds. The first, Downing, at the west end of the village, belonged to the Tewkesbury Hundred. In the Doomsday Book it is recorded a having 2¾ hides. All that now remains of Downing Manor is Manor Farm, Stoke Orchard.
NEW:- there some additonal information about Stoke Orchard (linked to Bishops Cleeve) to be found here.
The name is completely lost. At the east side, the second manor of Stoke Orchard (first recorded in 967AD as ‘Stoc’) was in the Tibblestone Hundred and belonged to the Church of Worcester.
