Coleshill, Oxfordshire

Toponym

The toponym "Coleshill" is derived from the Old English kollr, meaning "head", "top" or "hill". It may be that the river was named after the hill, and then "hill" was added as a suffix to "Cole". The earliest known record of it is Colleshyll in a Saxon will dated 950. The Domesday Book of 1086 records it as Coleselle and Coleshalle. A document dated 1220 and included in the Book of Fees records it as Coleshull. Coleshull and Colleshulle were used from the 14th to the 16th century, before the current form came to be used.

Coleshill estate

The National Trust's Coleshill Estate is in the parish. Coleshill House was the ancestral home of the Earls of Radnor.

In the Second World War, Coleshill House, on the estate, was the headquarters of the secret Auxiliary Units, who were to hamper Nazi German forces if the United Kingdom were invaded. Coleshill House burned down in 1952.

Parish church

The oldest parts of the Church of England parish church of All Saints are late 12th-century; other parts are 13th-century and the tower is 15th-century. The building was refashioned in the 18th century and restored by Street. In 1708, Abraham I Rudhall of Gloucester cast a ring of five bells for the west tower. In 1884, Mears and Stainbank of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry recast the third bell. In 1938, Mears and Stainbank cast a new treble bell to increase the ring to six. All Saints is a Grade II* listed building.

Amenities

Much of the village was shaped by the local landowner, the Earl of Radnor. Coleshill has an 18th-century pub, the Radnor Arms. School Lane has a number of Grade II listed Radnor estate cottages dating from about 1850.

Notable people

The record producer Sir George Martin lived at the former rectory until his death in March 2016. His private funeral was held in All Saints parish church.

References

Bibliography

References

1. "Coleshill Parish".
2. {{harvnb. Ekwall. 1960
3. "The Buscot and Coleshill Estates". National Trust.
4. "Coleshill House Pre War". Coleshill Auxiliary Research Team.
5. "The Auxiliary Units History". Coleshill Auxiliary Research Team.
6. "Coleshill House Post War". Coleshill Auxiliary Research Team.
7. {{NHLE
8. [[John Betjeman. Betjeman, J.]] (ed.) (1968) ''Collins Pocket Guide to English Parish Churches: the South''. London: Collins; p. 112
9. Davies, Peter. (1 February 2018). "Coleshill All Saints". [[Central Council of Church Bell Ringers]].
10. {{NHLE
11. [https://radnorarms.co.uk/ The Radnor Arms]
12. (15 March 2016). "Sir George Martin: Private funeral held for producer". BBC News.