White Ladies Aston is a village in the

Wychavon Wychavon is a local government district in Worcestershire, England, with a population size of 132,500 according to the 2021 census. Its council is based in the town of Pershore, and the other towns in the district are Droitwich Spa and Evesh ...

local government district of

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see H ...

, England, United Kingdom, and also lends its name to the Civil Parish in which the village is located. The village is located to the east of the A44 which started as a Saltway linking Droitwich to

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

. To the south is

Pershore Pershore is a market town in the Wychavon district in Worcestershire, England, on the banks of the River Avon. The town is part of the West Worcestershire parliamentary constituency. At the 2011 census, the population was 7,125. The town is ...

and five miles west is

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engla ...

. The parish is bound to the east by the

Bow Brook The Bow Brook is a substantial brook that flows for through Worcestershire, England. It is a lower tributary of the River Avon which it joins near Defford downstream of Eckington Bridge. Its principal tributaries include the Stoulton, Dea ...

. The parish, according to the 2011 census, has 87 households with 220 residents. There is evidence that people at least passed through the area during the Neolithic or early bronze age. As a village it has existed since Roman times with the parish boundaries being formed during the Anglo-Saxon period and have remain until today. The

Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...

mentions local land owners notably the

Bishop of Worcester A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

who granted Aston Manor to the

Cistercian The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint B ...

Nuns in 1255. The nuns were referred to as the "White Ladies" which combined with the word “Aston”, derived from the Anglo-Saxon term for “East Farm”, forming the name of “White Ladies Aston". The parish

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Brit ...

church is dedicated to

St John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...

History

Pre Roman and Roman Times

The A44 (Evesham Road) and Edward's Lane are ancient saltways dating back to the

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly ...

. These saltways linked Droitwich to Oxford after branching from the saltway from Droitwhich to Worcester at Martin Hussingtree. The A44 (Evesham Road) saltway to the west and Edward's Lane to the north formed parts of the parish boundaries.

Anglo-Saxon

During the Saxon times the village was referred to as “Eastun”, “Estun” and “Aston” as the term for “East Farm” in relation to the Cathedral of Worcester. Located in the parish was a mound named after Oslaf, a

Bernicia Bernicia ( ang, Bernice, Bryneich, Beornice; la, Bernicia) was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom established by Anglian settlers of the 6th century in what is now southeastern Scotland and North East England. The Anglian territory of Bernicia was ap ...

n prince fighting

King Penda Penda (died 15 November 655)Manuscript A of the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' gives the year as 655. Bede also gives the year as 655 and specifies a date, 15 November. R. L. Poole (''Studies in Chronology and History'', 1934) put forward the theor ...

. This mound became the meeting place for the

Oswaldslow The Oswaldslow (sometimes Oswaldslaw) was a hundred in the English county of Worcestershire, which was named in a supposed charter of 964 by King Edgar the Peaceful (died 975). It was actually a triple hundred, composed of three smaller hundreds.Ma ...

Hundred Court after its creation in 964 A.D. and was renamed after

Oswald Oswald may refer to: People *Oswald (given name), including a list of people with the name *Oswald (surname), including a list of people with the name Fictional characters *Oswald the Reeve, who tells a tale in Geoffrey Chaucer's ''The Canterbur ...

.Mason ''St Wulfstan of Worcester'' p. 4 Now known as Low Hill. The boundaries of the parish date back to Saxon times. The eastern boundary is the

, formalised in 974 AD by King Edgar granting land to the east of the Bow Brook to Pershore Abbey establishing a permanent boundary with the parish of

Peopleton Peopleton is a village and civil parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, England. In 2001 the parish had a population of 640, with 245 households. Location Peopleton is located about south east of Worcester and north of Pershore. Th ...

. In 976 the western boundary was changed as the result of the ruling of the Hundred Court where by a local farmer was accused of illegally farming land to the western side of the saltway. The ruling was in his favor, as a result the parish was expanded to include the area of Snaetch's Hill to the west of the saltway. Today known as Sneachill. As the result of a land dispute between

Bredicot Bredicot is a small village and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, about east of Worcester. It was formerly (as described in 1868) in the hundred of Oswaldslow. In the 11th century the name was ''Bradingecotan'' or ''Bradigcotan''.

and

Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from 1 ...

the Bredicot boundary charter of 983 A.D. defined the northern boundary between Bredicot and Aston Episcopi as, “along the dyke to the salt way”. White_Ladies_Aston_Parish_Boundary

In 984 the south west and southern boundary of the parish was defined by Bishop Oswald as:

"'From Snaet's naetch'sSpring above the Marsh along the Rommes Valley to the Salt Street (Saltway), thence southward past Oswald's Low to the Salters' Well (Egdon) and along the dyke to the Saw Brook and along this brook to the Bow Brook and along the Bow Brook to the Wood Ford at Beornwynn's Valley''.

Norman

Domesday Book entries - 1086

Worcestershire was divided between major landowners with the Church of St. Mary's, Worcester, holding all the land in

and all the ancient dues and rights of the church confirmed at this time Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester, was the Tenant-in-chief. In the Domesday Survey, in 1086, the settlement of Aston was recorded under two tenants. The northern section, called Aston Episcopi, formed part of the Manor of Northwick. The Domesday Book entry for the Manor of Aston Episcopi states

Ordric holds 3 hides and 1
virgate The virgate, yardland, or yard of land ( la, virgāta was an English unit of land. Primarily a measure of tax assessment rather than area, the virgate was usually (but not always) reckoned as hide and notionally (but seldom exactly) equa ...
of this manor at (White Ladies) Estun. He has 3 ploughs; 5 villagers and 4 smallholders with 4 ploughs. The value was 20s; now 40s.

The southern section, called Nether Aston, formed part of the Manor of Warndon which was held by Urse D'Abitot who leased it to Robert de Bracy. The Domesday Book entry for the Manor of Nether Aston states

Urso also holds 1 hide and 3 virgates at Warndon and (White Ladies) Estun, and Robert from him. He has 2 ploughs, with 2 slaves. Meadow, 16 acres; woodland 2 furlongs long and as wide: it is in the Forest. The value is and was 16s

Founding of the Church

In 1204 Robert de Everay made a gift of two palfreys to the Bishop of Worcester. This action won Robert the right to present a candidate for the office of vicar to the parish of Aston Episcopi and it was understood he intended to build a stone church this resulted in the St John the Baptist church which is still present to this day.

The Forest Law of 1217

For people who broke

Forest Laws A royal forest, occasionally known as a kingswood (), is an area of land with different definitions in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The term ''forest'' in the ordinary modern understanding refers to an area of wooded land; however, the ...

the punishment were severe. Under the 1217 Charter of King Henry III the Forest Laws were removed from Aston parish. The village is located in the north of the

Horewell Forest Horewell Forest was a royal forest, i. e. a royal game preserve.Grant, p. 227. In the west, it bordered the river Severn, and Strensham in the south and extended to Pershore. Parts of it ceased to belong to the royal forest in 1229. Inclusions A ...

. As a result of this Charter villagers could hunt and gather wood with impunity. This change came about because of the deforestation of the area around Aston caused by a greater need for farm land. Over this time the area changed dramatically in appearance, unlike the neighboring village of Churchill which lay within the Forest of Feckenham and as a result the villagers of Churchill where still subject to the old laws.

The Manor of Aston Episcopi from the 12th Century to 17th Century

In 1120 part of Aston Episcopi manor was given by Bishop

Theulf Theulf (died 20 October 1123) was a medieval Bishop of Worcester. Life Theulf was a canon of Bayeux Cathedral and a king's chaplainWalter de Cantilupe, Bishop of Worcester, in 1242 acquired additional land for Aston Episcopi from the Manor of Aston Bruley owned by the de Bruley family. In 1255 part of the revenue from Aston Episcopi was granted to the eight

Cistercian Nuns Cistercian nuns are female members of the Cistercian Order, a religious order belonging to the Roman Catholic branch of the Catholic Church. History The first Cistercian monastery for women, Le Tart Abbey, was established at Tart-l'Abbaye in th ...

running the newly formed Whistones Priory in Barbourne, Worcester. The nuns were of the Cistercian Order and wore white habits so creating the village name, White Ladies Aston. During the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

Whistones Nunnery was dissolved in October 1536. The dissolution of the nunnery might have caused another change in the name of the manor but the name White Ladies Aston remained. This manor was granted on 14 July 1544 to Richard Andrews and John Howe, and on 30 July they sold it to Thomas Hill. A descendant of Thomas Hill, Francis Hill died in 1611 leaving a daughter Alice, wife of Richard Andrews, who sold the manor, in 1612, to Robert Berkeley of

Spetchley Spetchley Hall Spetchley is a hamlet and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, that lies in the district of Wychavon, half a mile from Worcester, along the A44 road. Spetchley contains Spetchley Park, a country mansion with extensive garde ...

and the lands continue under Berkeley ownership today. The rest of the Manor of Aston Episcopi was retained by the bishop and remained in the possession of the see of Worcester until 1648. It was then sold by the Parliamentary trustees to Thomas Rawlins, Edmund Giles and Christopher Giles but was restored to the see at the Restoration of Charles II in 1660 and remained in the hands of successive bishops until the death of

Henry Pepys Henry Pepys (; 18 April 1783 – 13 November 1860) was the Church of England Bishop of Sodor and Man in 1840–1841 and of Worcester in 1841–1860. He gave generously to the Three Choirs Festival, held in Worcester every third year. His daught ...

when it is transferred to the

Ecclesiastical Commissioners The Ecclesiastical Commissioners were, in England and Wales, a body corporate, whose full title was Ecclesiastical and Church Estates Commissioners for England. The commissioners were authorized to determine the distribution of revenues of the Chu ...

The Manor of Aston Bruley from the 12th Century to 17th Century

Robert de Bruley is recorded as holding the land of Nether Aston in 1185 and it being referred to as Aston Bruley. In the 13th century the marriage of William de Bruley to Beatrice Beauchamp of Warwickshire. The lands in the area continued in the Bruley Family until the middle of the 15th century, when by marriage it became the property of the Danvers Family, then to the Hubaud or Hubold Family. In 1558 the manor was sold to William Solley. The Solley family was still in possession of the manor in 1610 at the point when the Manor of Aston Bruley ceased to exist. By the time of the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I (" Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of r ...

s (1642 – 1651) the property was in the possession of the Symonds Family who were Roundheads and energetic supporters of Parliament during the English Civil War.

Aston Hall Farm during the English Civil War

John Good and Charles Berkeley of Spetchley mustered at Aston Court to join

Prince Rupert Prince Rupert of the Rhine, Duke of Cumberland, (17 December 1619 (O.S.) / 27 December (N.S.) – 29 November 1682 (O.S.)) was an English army officer, admiral, scientist and colonial governor. He first came to prominence as a Royalist caval ...

in the Royal Cavalry before advancing to support King Charles I at the Battle of Newbury in 1643. By the time of the English Civil Wars the former Manor of Aston Bruley contained a very fine black and white timbered house of Aston Hall Farm. Aston Hall Farm was where

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three ...

, General of the Parliamentary Forces, spent the night of 30 August 1651 with his friend Mr. Justice Symonds in advance of the

Battle of Worcester The Battle of Worcester took place on 3 September 1651 in and around the city of Worcester, England and was the last major battle of the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms. A Parliamentarian army of around 28,000 under Oliver Cromwell d ...

3 September 1651. At the other end of the village, at Aston Court, an archaeological dig has produced evidence that Parliamentary troops plundered the farm, in 1651 before the Battle of Worcester, when the Royalist Good family refused to provide the Parliamentary troops with

billet A billet is a living-quarters to which a soldier is assigned to sleep. Historically, a billet was a private dwelling that was required to accept the soldier. Soldiers are generally billeted in barracks or garrisons when not on combat duty, alth ...

s. On the 31st he moved to Forward Headquarters at Mr. Justice Berkeley's estate at Spetchley. On 3 September the Battle of Worcester began. Oliver Cromwell advanced from Nunnery Wood, attacked the city and routed the Royalist force. Charles II was forced to flee from the City of Worcester out of the back door of his lodgings at Rowland Berkeley House (now the King Charles House) and eventually the country, and remained in exile until he returned as King Charles II in 1660.

Aston Hall Farm in the 18th Century

In 1707 Thomas Symond, of Aston Hall Farm, and John Palmer were leaders of the desperate band of ruffians who terrorised their neighbours in White Ladies Aston,

Upton Snodsbury Upton Snodsbury is a village in Worcestershire, England, United Kingdom, located five miles east of Worcester just off the A422 road. It is surrounded by low hills and farmland. History The church is dedicated to Saint Kenelm and includes sta ...

and Libbery. The Berrow's Journal later described the incident

In the night of the 7th November, 1707, Mrs Palmer of Upton Snodsbury and her maid servant were murdered, and the house burnt down by a gang of desperate villains, at the head of whom was Mr. Palmer, her only son, and Mr. Symonds, whose sister Palmer had married.

They were captured, tried and executed at Red Hill in Worcester. The lands leased by Mr. Symonds and Mr. Palmer in White Ladies reverted to Worcester Cathedral and Bishop Lloyd set up a trust, to be known as Bishop Lloyd's Charity, to receive the revenues. These were devoted to the foundation of two Charity Schools, one for boys and one for girls on one site in Trinity Hall, Worcester. The house and some land was later purchased by Thomas Henry Bund who later sold all his land in the parish to Mr. Berkeley of Spetchley in around 1836.

The Village and the Agricultural Revolution

Prior to 1825 the area around White Ladies Aston operated as an

open field system The open-field system was the prevalent agricultural system in much of Europe during the Middle Ages and lasted into the 20th century in Russia, Iran, and Turkey. Each manor or village had two or three large fields, usually several hundred acr ...

containing medieval

ridge and furrow Ridge and furrow is an archaeological pattern of ridges (Medieval Latin: ''sliones'') and troughs created by a system of ploughing used in Europe during the Middle Ages, typical of the open-field system. It is also known as rig (or rigg) and f ...

field patterns. In 1825 the Enclosure (Inclosure) Act was passed that legally enforced the enclosing of parcels of land into fields of rectangular shapes, surrounded by hedges or fences, these can still be seen in the countryside today.

The Coming of the Railway

On 24 June 1840, on the north western edge of White Ladies Aston, the newly built Spetchley station was located on the recently constructed

Birmingham and Gloucester Railway The Birmingham and Gloucester Railway (B&GR) was the first name of the railway linking the cities in its name and of the company which pioneered and developed it; the line opened in stages in 1840, using a terminus at Camp Hill in Birmingham. It ...

. Spetchley served as the main station for Worcester and passengers alighting here were taken by horse and carriage into the city. Mr. I.K. Brunel opening the station said, "The arrival of this modern facility will increase the prosperity of the whole area”. In the 1851 census 5 villagers were recorded as working for the railway company. The station was closed to rail passengers on 1 October 1855 with the opening of a new railway line into Worcester, the station remained open as a goods yard finally closing in 1963 as a result of the

Beeching Report Beeching is an English surname. Either a derivative of the old English ''bece'', ''bæce'' "stream", hence "dweller by the stream" or of the old English ''bece'' "beech-tree" hence "dweller by the beech tree".''Oxford Dictionary of English Surnames' ...

. In contrast to the closures of railway stations in the 1960s, on Sunday 23 February 2020, a new railway station was opened in the area at

Stoulton Stoulton or Stoughton is a village and civil parish about 5 miles south west of Worcester, in the Wychavon district, in the county of Worcestershire, England. The parish includes the hamlet of Hawbridge. In 2011 the parish had a population of ...

, Worcestershire Parkway.

Culture

The village has given its name to a

Border Morris Border Morris is a collection of individual local dances from villages along the English side of the Wales– England border in the counties of Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Shropshire. They are part of the Morris dance tradition. History ...

dances: the ''White Ladies Aston'' Dance. As part of the revival of Border Morris this is performed each year on the Saturday before Christmas.

References

External links

Victoria County Histories: White Ladies Astonwww.geograph.co.uk : photos of White Ladies Aston and surrounding area
{{authority control Villages in Worcestershire