Southrop lies on the eastern border of Gloucestershire. The land is mainly flat, and the village is sited on the crossing of the river Leach, where a bridge was recorded in 1379. In fact, it was originally called Leach. The manor-house and church were built close to the river and the village grew up along the road running westwards and across the end of that road, on the Lechlade–Eastleach road. It consists mainly of cottages and small farm-houses of the 17th and early 18th centuries.
(thanks to the invaluable British History Online for this information).
The south-west parish boundary followed an ancient salt-way between Lechlade and Droitwich which gave the names Great and Little Salt hill to two fields beside it in Southrop; the road, which remained a fairly important local route, was called London way in 1591.
Salt was a very important commodity in the preservation of food and London needed large amounts. Mules were used to carry it down from Droitwich to the River Thames at Lechlade and then on to London by boat. The demand for salt grew in proportion to London ‘s expanding population so in the Middle Ages a purpose-built dock was constructed at Radcot, 4 miles downstream from Lechlade.
Map is used courtesy of https://www.archiuk.com/
St Peters Church
St Peters church was built in about 1100, with periodic building after that time. It is remarkable for many things, including (as pointed out by Pevsner) a large extent of herringbone masonry on the north and south walls.
John Keble was curate here from 1823-1825. While here, he took pupils, including John Henry Newman and Robert Wilberforce. Their discussions formed the first seeds of the Oxford movement.
The style of the carving on the bale tombs in the churchyard seems to be particular to this area, as I haven’t come across it elsewhere.
The interior of the church is like a tiny gem. The only thing missing is the Doom painting that would surely have been above the chancel arch.
John Keble’s family came from the parish, and to the right of the arch is one of their monuments. The squints appear to have been reset, as they no longer function.
The monuments to Sir J Conway and his wife were moved from the transept, when the organ was installed.
The 12th Century font is one of the greatest treasures of Cotswold churches. It is carved with figures of the virtues trampling on the vices.
It was moved at some point, and was discovered by John Keble, built into the south doorway. hence its good state of preservation.
The village is situated by a crossing point of the river Leach where a bridge called Vedyng (or Vedhams) bridge was recorded from 1379.
The mill apparently ceased to grind corn in about 1912, but the wheel was still in use for pumping water to the manor-house in 1926. The 17th-century millhouse and buildings had been restored for use as a private house by 1976.
The Swan and the Greyhound
The Swan Inn is believed to have been built in c.1840 from an old bakehouse, previously home to George Hambridge and his brothers. The first landlord was almost certainly Thomas Lediard, but he was declared bankrupt shortly after opening.
In 1843 the inn was sold for £445 to Thomas Byrch Esq. of Cirencester.
At this time there were two inns in the village: The Greyhound, first licenced in 1755, and The Swan. The Greyhound Inn did not survive long after the opening of The Swan and had closed by the early 1890s, becoming Keble and Wadham Cottages. The Greyhound probably brewed its own beer, however, The Swan did not. The 1840s saw a general move away from pub-brewing across the whole country, therefore, this could have been the catalyst for the opening of The Swan and eventual closure of The Greyhound.
At the sale in 1843 The Swan was described as a ‘house called The Swan Inn with brewhouse, stable, garden and yard’. Other records suggest that there was also a smoke room, tap room, kitchen scullery, dairy, larder, beer cellar, four bedrooms, two attics, coach house, coal cellar, pigsty and sanitary offices. The water supply was pumped from a well in the scullery.
For more information, go to The Swan Inn – Southrop
With thanks to Southrop.org.uk for use of the monochrome image of the Greyhound, and the above information.
RAF Southrop
RAF Southrop was picked as a Relief Landing Ground, nice and flat and close to several west of England training airfields of which most were established before the war. An RLG was a place pilots could fly in in the morning, do their pilot training (flying) and then in the evening, fly back to their base. A grass field was laid out, a perimeter track added and a Petrol Tank (Aviation) 4,000galls above ground, was installed to re fuel the planes whilst here.
Due to the massive expansion of pilot training, it must have been decided around 1940/1 to turn it into a full training airfield. That meant that the perimeter was now tarmacked, a new fuel instillation for 24,000gal underground was added, a hangar and a control tower built.
Behind these prominent buildings were, Stores, Armoury, Bulk oil, Gas defence centre, Flight offices, Link trainer, MT sheds, Instructional operations building, Main workshops, Main stores, Guard house & fire party. Oh and separate Latrines for Officers and Men.
Behind the Tech. Site was the instructional Site, where class room teaching could take place. There was an Intelligence Library, Photographic Block, Hunt Recognition Range, Turret instructional Block, Navigation Lecture Room, One hut had DR. RT. & Morse Lecture Room.
The photographs are of one of the pillboxes. Airfield defence was not designed to protect the airfield from attack from outside, it was to protect the airfield from attack by a parachute & glider force onto the airfield. Most of the pill boxes faced into the centre.
The area circled on the map show where the airfield would have been.
with thanks to Atlantikwall.co.uk for the information.
The estate dates from Roman times but is first clearly defined in the Domesday Book of 1086. The Manor House remains a private home and sits on the eastern side of its ancient Norman church. To the west of the church lie the manorial barns, houses and cottages which are at the heart of this medieval estate.
After three centuries of French baronial ownership following the Norman Conquest of 1066, the estate became the property of the Dean and Chapter of the new Collegiate Church of St. Mary in Leicester which turned it into a monastery. It remained church property until the Dissolution in the 16th century. It then passed into the ownership of Sir Robert Cecil, Elizabeth I’s Secretary of State, before being acquired by Nicholas Wadham in 1608. His wife Dorothy founded the Oxford college in her husband’s name upon his demise – the first woman not of noble birth to do so. She gifted the entire estate in her will to the new Wadham College, which eventually sold its interest in 1926.
The ancillary buildings have been have been lovingly restored by the Hibbert family, and the complex includes restaurants and bars, a spa, cookery school, gardens and farm.
Thanks to https://www.thyme.co.uk/our-story for the information and the photograph.
The tithe barn and cow shed of the Manor Farm, before restoration. Notice the bulls head above the arch of the cow shed. In the most recent phase of restoration, a bottle of whisky was placed behind it, as a surprise for the next workman!
The second photos shows the interior of the tithe barn today.