Fulbrook is a small
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...
and
deserted village in
Warwickshire
Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Staffordshire and Leicestershire to the north, Northamptonshire to the east, Ox ...
, England, situated about north-east of
Stratford upon Avon. Population details can be found under
Hampton Lucy.
Fulbrook today consists mostly of sheep-grazed fields on the banks of the
River Avon.
Ridge and furrow
Ridge and furrow is an Archaeology, 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, open-field system. It is a ...
marks on the bank just down from the road are almost all that remains of medieval strip fields that once supported a village upon the site. Fulbrook was one of many villages first decimated by the
Black Death
The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic that occurred in Europe from 1346 to 1353. It was one of the list of epidemics, most fatal pandemics in human history; as many as people perished, perhaps 50% of Europe's 14th century population. ...
in the 14th century, but doubly unfortunate in that its remaining tenants were later forcibly evicted by the
Duke of Bedford
Duke of Bedford (named after Bedford, England) is a title that has been created six times (for five distinct people) in the Peerage of England. The first creation came in 1414 for Henry IV's third son, John, who later served as regent of Fran ...
so that he could
enclose it as a park for hunting (nearby
Charlecote remains a
deer park).
There are documented reports of a dramatic rise in highway crime on the surrounding roads soon after the eviction of the villagers. The Duke of Bedford also built a castle on the site near a moated house belonging to a widow of noble birth, the moat of which is still clearly visible. Local records tell of fierce rivalry between, on the one side, the Duke of Bedford and the noble widow and, on the other, the
Earl of Warwick
Earl of Warwick is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom which has been created four times in English history. The name refers to Warwick Castle and the town of Warwick.
Overview
The first creation came in 1088, and the title was held b ...
: conflict which on occasions descended into violence between supporters of the two sides in the town of
Warwick
Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon, Warwickshire, River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined wit ...
.
There was once also a
watermill
A watermill or water mill is a mill that uses hydropower. It is a structure that uses a water wheel or water turbine to drive a mechanical process such as mill (grinding), milling (grinding), rolling, or hammering. Such processes are needed in ...
, owned by an order of nuns from
Coventry
Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...
, and there are records of graves found on the site. Later excavations have destroyed almost all traces of the village.
External links
Brief description of the villagevideo reading of a poem and photos inspired by fulbrook
Villages in Warwickshire
{{Warwickshire-geo-stub