Sevenhampton, Gloucestershire

Demographics

Name

The name was recorded as " SEVEN..hā..TONE " in the Domesday Book of 1086 A.D. The Survey of English Place-names documents its history as SEVEN..hā..TONE (1086), Seuehamton (1221), Sevehampton (1241), Seueshampton (1327), Sevezhampton (1327), and Senhampton or Sen(n)yngton (1575).

The parish is now known by the village name of Sevenhampton, but during the 16th century it was variously known as Senhampton and Sennington. A house near Brockhampton was known as Sennington, and an old village now deserted was known as Old Sennington.

The name element seve (13th–14th century) is from English dialect seave (sedge or rush). The springs and streams that feed the River Coln in its early stages provide an ideal habitat for sedges and rushes to grow. During the medieval period sedges and rushes were known as "seaves". The name element Seven arose from a common mistake whereby Anglo-Saxons confused Old Norse sef for Old English seofon (seven).

The name element hampton is from Old English hām and tūn.{{efn| WiKtionary : Old English

History

The Domesday Book entry for Sevenhampton also included Prestbury in the land and resources totals, which were 5 lord's plough teams and 29 men's plough teams of ploughland, 20 acre of meadow, and 1 by 0.5 leagues of woodland.

A rabbit warren was established in the woods in the 13th century, however the warren was later destroyed in the 17th century.

During the Middle Ages the woods were of economic importance for the supply of timber and firewood; also for sheep grazing in the wood-pastures. Parts of the woods were available to local people as common land for the grazing of horses and cattle.

Sennington DMV

Old Sennington is a deserted medieval village (DMV) about 0.5 mi north-west of Sevenhampton village. The site is listed as a Scheduled Monument.

Geography and ecology

The landscape is mostly of high limestone plateau that has been bisected by the north – south aligned valley of the River Coln. The river rises from springs to the north of Brockhampton and is fed by more springs along the way. The springs and streams that feed the River Coln in its early stages provide an ideal habitat for sedges and rushes to grow. During the medieval period sedges and rushes were known as "seeves", hence the origin of the name Seven..hampton.

Puckham Woods is a large area of ancient woodland in a deep valley on the western fringe of the parish. It is designated as a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The woodland consists of a mix of original and managed ancient woodland.{{cite web |title= MAGiC MaP : Puckham Woods SSSI. . . . " Puckham woods (or wood), which were partly in Prestbury parish, were presumably represented in 1086 by woodland recorded on the bishop of Hereford's Prestbury estate. . . " }}

There are fragmented areas designated as ' Woodpasture and Parkland – BAP Priority Habitat ' in and around Brockhampton Park.{{cite web |title= MAGiC MaP : Brockhampton Park – Wood-pasture and parkland. |url= http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?chosenLayers=lbuildIndex,bapwoodIndex&xygridref=403310,222520&startScale=10000

References

Notes

Citations

Sources

• {{cite book |last1= Cragoe |first1= Carol Davidson |last2= Jurica |first2= A R J |last3= Williamson |first3= Elizabeth
• {{cite book |last1= Reaney |first1= P H |year= 1969 |title= The Origin of English Place Names

References

1. "Location of North Cotswolds".
2. {{NHLE
3. "St Andrew's Church, Sevenhampton". Coln River Group of Parishes.
4. "SEVENHAMPTON". Open Domesday.
5. "Survey of English Place-Names: Sevenhampton, Gloucestershire". University of Nottingham.
6. {{harvnb. Cragoe. Jurica. Williamson. 2001
7. {{harvnb. Cragoe. Jurica. Williamson. 2001. Prestbury]] had liberty to dispose of the coneys in that part of the woods belonging to her manor..."
8. {{harvnb. Cragoe. Jurica. Williamson. 2001
9. {{harvnb. Cragoe. Jurica. Williamson. 2001. tithes]] as [[fodder]] for its sheep..."
10. {{harvnb. Cragoe. Jurica. Williamson. 2001. common]] in the 1270s. . .and the tenants of Sevenhampton manor had a customary right to graze horses and cattle but not sheep throughout the year in them in 1503..."
11. {{harvnb. Cragoe. Jurica. Williamson. 2001
12. "Deserted Villages in Gloucestershire". [[University of Hull]].
13. {{National Heritage List for England