English Bicknor

English Bicknor is one of the ancient villages of the Forest of Dean, situated at the top of a hill overlooking the Wye Valley, and once the site of an ancient motte & bailey castle, the remnants of which can still be seen. Close to the village is Bicknor Court, an imposing house some 400 years old. Situated between Symond's Yat and Lower Lydbrook on high ground opposite its namesake Welsh Bicknor, English Bicknor is first recorded as a hamlet in 1066. A primarily agricultural and industrial area, its main attraction today is the small Norman Church of St Mary which has excellent internal masonry and sculpture dating from the 12th century. The original tower was situated centrally but was built from the soft local sandstone which became unsafe. The church is also interesting because it is sited within the outer courtyard of the motte and bailey castle. Norman masonry has been found within the motte, suggesting at least part was built in stone and while nothing is left of the castle's actual structure today, its location is still identifiable. A typical early Norman defence work which is one of many along the Welsh border, it is thought to have been built in the reign of Henry 1 (1100 - 1135) or Stephen (1135 - 54) and was demolished or destroyed by the late 14th Century, but why and how is not known.

Tourist Information

The Wye Valley and the west area of the Forest of Dean

Accommodation

Dryslade Farm (B&B)
Oak Farm
The Laurels (B&B)

Upper Tump Farm (Self catering)
Whitehouse Barn Farm (Self catering)

Nearest Bank

The nearest banks are at Coleford

Shops

The nearest shopping areas are in Coleford.

Local Schools

English Bicknor Church of England Primary School The local secondary school is Lakers at Berry Hill.

Churches

St Mary's, English Bicknor

The present day church is Norman dating to c1100AD and is set in an oval churchyard of Saxon origin within the outer courtyard of a Norman Motte and Bailey Castle. The exterior walls, renewed in Victorian times, offer no clue to the Norman building work within. Only the exterior stonework of the 13th century west tower is original. Inside the church, the four bay north arcade and five bay south arcade are both Norman, but interestingly have different decoration around the capitals. The church had a central tower before the current west tower was built. The interior of the church is dominated by Romanesque pillars and contains a flat tomb with a rare example of Lombardic script which is dated to c1420. This translated means "Pray for the sould of our departed brother in Christ".

The font is Norman, and amongst the treasures of the church are three stone figures. Cecilia Muchegros, who lived in the village and died in 1301, and Hawisia, who died in 1353 and whose figure is dressed in a long flowing robe , both have dogs at their feet. The third figure is of a priest, with an old body and a young head. It is not known who he was, but may have been the priest in the church in the early 1300's.

Other objects of notable interest include stained glass by Percy Bacon from 1908.

Old Church Records for family historians