Inkberrow

History

The earliest recorded version of the village is Intanbeorgas, "Inta's mounds or barrows", from 789. By the 15th century, the spelling may have become Ingtebarwe; nearby villages also mentioned include Church Lench, Abbots Morton and Arrow. By the 16th century, it was known as Inkebarrow.

The area was within Feckenham Forest, a royal forest with harsh forest law punishments.

Cookhill Priory stood 3 mi to the east, at the edge of the county.

In 2006 Inkberrow was awarded the title of Worcestershire Village of the Year and won the Building Community Life section of the competition.

Inkberrow was identified as a potential site for a new town in the 1960s, but this plan was not carried out. 275 properties were built in the village between 1969 and 1972. More houses were built in the village in 2013. In 2016, 100 new houses were built by Bovis Homes.

Inkberrow Millennium Green is an eight-acre public open space to the east of the village, opened in 2000, which includes a medieval moat and fishpond, a variety of wildflowers and fruit trees, and a millennium seat with extensive views.

In 2024, The Daily Telegraph reported that a "class war" was taking place in the village. There was disagreement over plans to increase seating at the local football ground. The reporter said that "There are also fears that more developments will follow, and that Inkberrow may one day lose its village status and become a small town".

''The Archers'' connection

The village is often thought to be the model for Ambridge, the fictional setting of BBC Radio 4's long-running series The Archers. In particular, the Bull, the fictional Ambridge pub, is supposed to be based on the Old Bull in Inkberrow. Coachloads of fans sometimes visit the village. The local health centre is called Grey Gables after a property in the programme. In 2006, when the programme had a storyline in which Ruth Archer contemplated infidelity, a local councillor said "'We used to be honoured by our connection with The Archers, but now I have to admit it's more of an embarrassment ... We feel we've been labelled with an association to a world that has become rather dramatic and extreme'". The local publican said "'anyone who thinks people don't get up to naughty stuff in villages wants to come and spend a few days here'".

Other villages have been suggested as the original site of Ambridge, such as Rippingale, Lincolnshire, and Cutnall Green, Worcestershire.

St Peter's church

The village's parish church is dedicated to St. Peter and contains the Savage family chapel. It is a Grade I listed building. The Domesday Book mentions a church in Inkberrow in Saxon times. It is believed that a minster existed as early as 700 AD. The current church is thought to have been built on the site of the minster, and also perhaps a 12th-century wood and earthwork castle destroyed by Henry III in 1233. The current church probably dates from the 13th century, and was not built on the site of the original church.

The baptismal font dates from around 1200 AD, and is typical of the late Norman style. In 1839 it was cleaned and moved near the pulpit, under the arch linking the chancel to the south transept. It was moved again in 1887 to its current position opposite the south door of the nave.

The church is part of the benefice of Inkberrow with Cookhill and Kington-with-Dormston and the Priest-in-charge is Revd. Ian Perry.

Sport

The village has junior and adult football clubs with large memberships when compared to those of more populous towns and villages. Sporting Club Inkberrow play in the , and have two 11 a-side pitches and a mini soccer pitch.

There is also a tennis club, with a clubhouse near the village hall.

Notable residents

Former residents, brothers Justin Jones (guitar) and Simon Huw Jones (vocals), formed the post-punk band And Also the Trees in the village in 1979.

The village has a large Christmas tree which has been a local attraction for many years. The tree, planted in 1978, is just over 50 ft tall and needs more than 1,000 lights to decorate it. In 2023, it raised over £1,000 for a local charity.

References

References

1. (2006). "2001 Census Worcestershire County Population Report". Worcestershire County Council.
2. A. D. Mills, ''Dictionary of English Place-Names'', Oxford University Press (1991). "Inkberrow", page 187
3. Plea Rolls of the Court of Common Pleas; National Archives; CP 40/629; http://aalt.law.uh.edu/H5/CP40no629/aCP40no629fronts/IMG_0812.htm; third entry, line 4 'apud Ingtebarwe'; year 1418, the place where the trespass occurred; date accessed 6 November 2013
4. "Parishes: Inkberrow | British History Online".
5. [http://www.inkberrow.org.uk/news.html Inkberrow website] {{Webarchive. link. (21 November 2008 retrieved 16 July 2009)
6. Rees, Gwyneth. (1 May 2024). "The class war tearing apart the village that inspired Ambridge". The Telegraph.
7. "Home". Inkberrow Millennium Green.
8. Brinkworth, Alison. (14 November 2021). "Inside Inkberrow the village that inspired BBC's The Archers and Ambridge". Birmingham Mail.
9. Nicholls, Tom. (2017). "Custard, Culverts and Cake: Academics on Life in The Archers". Emerald Group Publishing.
10. Hill, Amelia. (5 November 2006). "Real home of the Archers braced for racy anniversary". The Observer.
11. Moss, Stephen. (18 October 2012). "The Hedgerows Heaped with May: The Telegraph Book of the Countryside". Aurum.
12. Fort, Tom. (6 April 2017). "The Village News: The Truth Behind England's Rural Idyll". Simon & Schuster UK.
13. (17 April 2011). "Have they found the real Ambridge?". The Daily Telegraph.
14. "St Peter's".
15. "CHURCH OF ST PETER, Inkberrow - 1350279 | Historic England".
16. "St Peter's @ Inkberrow".
17. "Welcome to The Benefice of Inkberrow with Cookhilll and Kington with Dormston".
18. "And Also the trees Shaletown".
19. (23 December 2023). "No end in sight for huge Inkberrow Christmas tree tradition".