Saxon's Lode is a hamlet on the banks of the

River Severn The River Severn (, ), at long, is the longest river in Great Britain. It is also the river with the most voluminous flow of water by far in all of England and Wales, with an average flow rate of at Apperley, Gloucestershire. It rises in t ...

in the parish of

Ripple, Worcestershire Ripple is a village and civil parish in the county of Worcestershire, England. Ripple is one of the most southerly parishes in the county and is situated on the A38 road with the River Severn as its western boundary. Besides Ripple, the parish co ...

. Saxons Lode Manor House is a historic Grade II listed building located in Ripple, Worcestershire, England. The manor house, also known as Saxons Lode Farmhouse, is recognized for its architectural and historical significance. It was first listed on the National Heritage List for England on 14 June 1985.

Toponymy

It is thought the Lode element may refer to the existence of a ferry here, as other Severn crossings also have this name. Another possibility is that it derives from the early English "gelād" meaning a difficult river crossing.

History

Prehistory, Roman and Anglo-Saxon period

An archaeological dig at Saxon's Lode Farm, Ripple during 2001 and 2002 of two separate areas of archaeological potential identified different densities and types of multiperiod remains. Despite significant levels of truncation, Area 1, featured details of

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

and Middle-Iron Age settlement. In Area 2, a much higher density of remains were recorded. The majority of features related to a Romano British farmstead and an early to middle

Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons, in some contexts simply called Saxons or the English, were a Cultural identity, cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of what is now England and south-eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. They traced t ...

settlement, which seems to have been short-lived. It was, however, the most westerly Saxon settlement in Britain. There is evidence of metal working during these periods.

Post conquest

The manor of Saxon's Lode was held at the end by the 12th century by Jordan of Ryall. Prior to that it was held by Martin Coti. During the 13th and 14th centuries it was held by the De La Lode family. In 1590 the lordship had come to John Woodward (or Smyth) who settled Saxon's Lode on his son Thomas. Thomas died in 1636 leaving it to his daughter Katherine (wife of John Dormer).

20th century

During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

an oil storage depot was set up here as it was conveniently close to the river and the former railway line which crossed the river just to the south.

Today

Saxon's Lode is the location for a gauging station on the River Severn, monitoring the water level to give warning of possible flooding downstream. North of the modern farm is Ryall Quarry for extraction of gravel. It was the desire to extend the quarry south that led to the archaeological excavations taking place. Saxon's Lode Manor House and its surroundings was the filming location for the 2024 film "

Speak No Evil Speak No Evil is a phrase from the " see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" adage. It may refer to: Film * ''Speak No Evil'' (2013 film), an American horror film * ''Speak No Evil'' (2022 film), a Danish-Dutch psychological thriller film * '' ...

." The manor was chosen as its architecture provided the desired English backdrop for the movie's tense scenes.{{Cite web , date=September 13, 2024, last=Smith, first=Ryan, title= James McAvoy new movie with Hollyoaks star on Malvern Hills, url=https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/24584694.james-mcavoy-new-movie-hollyoaks-star-malvern-hills/?ref=socialflow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0lSjvs6new34MevIO2FeU-b34S6L0sNsvkX7knRdOORuQ2iNGT68XIvqk_aem_s0y4V7Gzyh3CHvEi50aNmg#c73vls2mpkv , access-date=2024-09-13 , website=

Worcester News The ''Worcester News'' is a local newspaper, and the only daily newspaper in Worcester (UK), reporting on breaking news and local matters covering the City of Worcester and surrounding areas within the county. It was previously named ''Worces ...

References

Archaeological sites in Worcestershire Bronze Age England History of Worcestershire 2001 archaeological discoveries Anglo-Saxon sites in England