55-649: Ansley may refer to: Places [ edit ] Ansley, Warwickshire , in Warwickshire, England Ansley, Louisiana Ansley, Nebraska , in Nebraska, US Ansley Park , in Georgia, US Ansley Township, Custer County, Nebraska Names [ edit ] Ansley (given name) Ansley (surname) Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with
110-533: A Woolliscroft Commemorative Window (2015) by Claire Williamson. In 1931 a window designed by Karl Parsons , Christ in Majesty , together with a new screen, choir stalls and electric lights, were dedicated to the memory of William Garside Phillips, who had been the managing director of Ansley Hall Colliery since 1879, and his wife. Over the years, Ansley has had the following additional places of worship, all now closed: The Ansley Village Soldiers’ Relief Fund
165-510: A "bone of contention for many centuries". It is currently spelt with a ‘u’. In 1206 William de Hardreshulle, Lord of Hartshill (d.1261) bestowed the church to the nuns of Polesworth Abbey . It stayed in the possession of the Abbey until the Dissolution of the monasteries in the mid 16th century. It then became the property of the crown. The church’s tower and clerestory were added in
220-645: A Chinese temple and a hermitage (cell) which is attributed to Capability Brown (c.1715-1783) who built a similar hermitage at Weston Park . The park’s Chinese temple was designed by Sir William Chambers (1723-1796), architect to George III and author of Designs of Chinese Buildings, Furniture, Dresses, Machines and Utensils (1757). Chambers had travelled to China in the 1740s and was regarded as an expert in his field, "unrivalled by others in his profession". He built Ansley Hall’s temple in 1767, and designed similar structures in Kew , Blackheath and Amesbury . Beneath
275-479: A London dyer, in 1592. Sir Thomas Glover sold it in 1609 and it was purchased by George Ludford in 1613 (or possibly 1611). From this time, the inhabitants of hall were as follows: Ansley Hall was described in The Beauties of England and Wales (1814) as "a large and rather confusing mansion, irregular but very respectable." It was part Elizabethan, part Georgian with gothic sash windows. Most of
330-554: A document granting land to the monastery of St Mary, Worcester , and the endowment of the minster at Stow St Mary , Lincolnshire . They are commemorated as benefactors of other monasteries as well, at Leominster , Chester , Much Wenlock , and Evesham . Apart from Northman, killed in 1017, Leofric had at least two other brothers: Edwin was killed in battle by Gruffydd ap Llywelyn in 1039, and Godwine died some time before 1057. Leofric may have married more than once. His famous wife Godgifu ( Godiva ) survived him and may have been
385-683: A population of 6.5 households and 13 villagers. The settlement was part of the Hemlingford Hundred of Coleshill, Warwickshire , in the subdivision of Atherstone . After Leofric’s death in 1057 the title of Lord and tenant-in-chief passed to his wife, Lady Godiva . The Lord of the Manor was Nicholas the Bowman , a Norman soldier rewarded for his service during the conquest. It was probably William II (c.1057-1100) who gave Ansley to Hugh d'Avranches, Earl of Chester , (c.1047-1101). In
440-550: A private home. Hoar Park , located on the B4114, was established in 1430. The current building dates from the 1730s. Hoar Park Wood was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1987. Other woodlands in the parish are Lady Wood, Seven Foot Wood and New Park Spinney. Ansley Hall and its estate was home to the Ludford family for the best part of 450 years, from 1410 when Sir Thomas Colepeper leased 50 acres of
495-475: A second or later wife. Since there is some question about the date of marriage for Leofric and Godgifu, it is not clear whether she was the mother of Ælfgar , Leofric's only known child. If Godiva was married to Earl Leofric later than about 1010, she could not have been the mother. Leofric used a double-headed eagle as his personal emblem, and this has been adopted by various units of the British Army as
550-558: A separate Norman castle built by Hugh Hardreshulle in 1125 are still visible. When the Black Death reached Warwickshire in the mid-14th century, the people of Ansley abandoned the village and moved approximately a mile to the village’s current location. The parish church of St Laurence, however, remains in its original position. Traces of the original village can still be seen from the air, as can signs of medieval and post-medieval " ridge and furrow cultivation". By 1482, Ansley
605-549: A symbol for Mercia. Historians disagree extensively on the character of Leofric. Folklore tends to depict him as an unfeeling overlord who imposed over-taxation, whereas many historians object to this, and consider it as part of the Lady Godiva myth; they suggest that he was a strong and respected leader. There is also great disagreement over his reputation as a military leader: some historians believe Leofric to have been weak in this respect, but others go as far as to give him
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#1732780968589660-480: A workable quality potentially providing over 100 million tons of gettable coal." The deepest point was 540 feet below ground. William Garside Phillips (1849-1929) became the managing director in 1879 and was "instrumental in improving the colliery’s productivity and economic fortunes". Ansley Hall Coal and Iron Company’s largest stakeholder was Sir James Barlow (1821-1887), a cotton magnate from Bolton, Lancashire. His son, Sir Thomas Barlow, 1st Baronet (1845-1945),
715-656: A year to the King. Towards the end of the century, the land passed by marriage to the Colepeper family (also spelt Culpeper). Ansley Castle belonged to the Hastings family during the reign of Henry I (1100-1135). It was licensed to be crenellated by Johannes de Hastings in 1300 but was deserted soon after. By the turn of the 17th century, the antiquarian William Camden (1551-1623) wrote of "mouldering towers covered with ivy". The castle no longer stands. A few traces of
770-649: Is a civil parish in Warwickshire consisting of Ansley, Ansley Common, Church End, Birchley Heath and, previously, Ansley Hall Colliery. Ansley is on the River Bourne , a tributary of the River Tame . The parish is 526 ft above sea level. The Arley Tunnel runs underneath Ansley village. Built in 1864 it forms part of the Birmingham to Leicester railway line. Some suggest that the etymology of
825-561: Is derived from Ansley. The earliest evidence of human settlement in the area consists of a round barrow – an artificial mound concealing a grave – dating from the Bronze Age . Located near where Ansley Hall stands, the mound was excavated and lowered in the mid-twentieth century. Before the Norman Conquest, the principal landowners of the region were Leofric, Earl of Mercia and his family. Ansley’s Domesday Book entry lists
880-509: Is one of those places which is just on the edge of things, yet possesses little in the way of modern conveniences. It has neither electric or gas lighting, is without an adequate water supply and has no sewerage system. A resident [said] that owing to the lack of a sewerage system the district was infested with rats… and if a fire were to break out in a block of houses it would be impossible to get under control, there being no water to cope with it." In 1931, cast iron water mains were finally laid to
935-573: The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , he died on 30 September, but the chronicler of Worcester gives the date as 31 August. Both agree that he was buried in Coventry at St Mary's Priory and Cathedral . Leofric was succeeded by his son Ælfgar as earl. Earl Leofric and Godiva were noted for great generosity to religious houses. In 1043 he founded and endowed a Benedictine monastery at Coventry. John of Worcester tells us that "He and his wife,
990-629: The Ansley Common Forces Fund was established, to "provide comforts for members of His Majesty’s forces who have gone from Ansley Common." The administrative centre, for when the men were demobilised, was situated at 173 Ansley Common. In 1947 the fund paid for an oak reredos to be installed at the Mission Church of St John, dedicated to two local men who died in WWII. Ansley has played host to many clubs and societies since
1045-782: The Wolfson Foundation in 2008 was used to clean, repair and repoint the joints of the Hollington sandstone. In 1940, women from Ansley made 1,263 articles for the Warwickshire War Supply Services scheme, which were distributed to, amongst others, the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France and to Ansley’s Air Raid Precaution Point No. 8. In 1941, Ansley Women’s Voluntary Services (WVS), overseen by Mrs J H Phillips,
1100-927: The 19th century: The following clubs and societies are no longer in operation: In recent history Ansley has been the recipient of several community grants: Ansley has successfully applied for the following grants from the National Lottery Community Fund : In 2008, Ansley became part of the North Arden Heritage Trail, a circular walk around North Warwickshire, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The 25-mile trail passes through Atherstone, Mancetter , Hartshill, Ansley, Arley, Fillongley, Maxstoke , Shustoke , Nether Whitacre , Kingsbury , Dordon , Baddesley Ensor and Merevale . Leofric, Earl of Mercia Leofric (died 31 August or 30 September 1057)
1155-546: The Cartwright family of Ansley. In the early 20th century, St Laurence took part in the Warwickshire tradition of bell ringing on Bonfire Night , Restoration Day (29 May) and the Sovereign’s birthday . The north window in the chancel contains fragments of 15th century glass from Coventry. There are also windows by Jones and Willis (1872), Clayton and Bell (1897), two by William Morris & Co (1921 and 1928) and
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#17327809685891210-648: The Forest of Arden) that originally covered the area, and the gradual creation of new settlements preceding and following the Norman Conquest . Others believe the name to come from ãnstiga , with ‘ãn’ meaning one and ‘stig’ meaning path. Ansley appeared as Hanslei in the Domesday Book (1086). Other later derivations have included Anesteleye (1235), Anstle (1316), Ansteley (1416), Anceley (1658), Anestelay and Anseley . The name Ainsley
1265-592: The Nuneaton Fire Brigade, owing to "there being no public water supply, and very little other sources of supply in the Ansley village." In 1929 Atherstone ’s Medical Officer of Health called Ansley "the one black spot of my district" in terms of water supply. He went on to say that "they would always have trouble at Ansley Village, as there was no water scheme. The water from the wells had been condemned." An article published in 1929 read, "Ansley village
1320-452: The building dated from 1720 to 1730. It had in its art collection "the celebrated drawing made by Beighton in 1716 from the curious fresco painting of Kenilworth Castle " from a wall at Newnham Paddox . Nearby Bretts Hall , named for the Brett (or Bret) family, who lived there during the time of Henry III was pulled down in 1750 to create Ansley Park , which included a formal avenue,
1375-458: The churchyard is a Parish Room, an on-site function room, by Kenneth Holmes Associates (2003), and the octagonal base of a Medieval cross. The church’s financial situation has varied considerably through the centuries, but was particularly parlous in 1837, when the vicar of St Laurence, whose annual salary was £116 – far below the national average of £285 – appealed to the bishop to be ‘non-resident’ in Ansley, citing an "unfit residence". By 1884,
1430-523: The early 12th century Ansley passed, through marriage, to the Earl of Arundel , however the manor and its land was given to his tenant, William de Hardreshulle (Hartshill), Lord of Hartshill . When Hardreshulle died, his eldest son, Robert, inherited Ansley. In the 13th century, Ansley and neighbouring Hartshill were granted by the Hardreshulle family to an unknown knight in exchange for 40 days’ service
1485-523: The early 20th century the principal crops were wheat, oats, peas and beans. Coal was worked on a small scale. The Ansley Hall Coal and Iron Company established the Ansley Hall Colliery in 1872. A pit was sunk between 1873 and 1874 with three shafts, one for ventilation. The mine was described as covering "approximately 3,000 acres and encompassed no less than eleven seams of coals, giving a total thickness of eighty feet and with six seams of
1540-830: The funeral of Phillips’ grandmother, Mrs Dorothea Phillips . When the couple married, the parishioners of Ansley gave them "an inscribed telephone notepad". St John’s Church in Ansley Common, built in 1927, is now twinned with St Laurence Church. There are six bells in the tower: Bell 1: Made by Thomas Newcombe (c.1580) named ‘Margareta’ and is marked with their shield and a cross Bell 2: Made by Robert, Thomas and William Newcombe (1609) Bell 3: Made by George Oldfield (1669) stamped with Feare God Honour The King 1669 Bells 4-6: Three trebles made by John Taylor & Co (1976). These modern bells were funded by Ansley parishioners, from fund-raising barbeques held at Red House Farm and by Frederick and Daisy Cartwright in memory of
1595-411: The gas, which had been rotten." In 1932, St Laurence Church was "fitted out and made ready for lighting by means of electricity" for which, in the words of the vicar, Rev. R P Rowan, "we have waited long and patiently." In 1934, despite "the large volume of traffic which use the road", there was still no street lighting in Ansley village, although later that year cabling to Ansley Road via Arbury Hall
1650-470: The hall was derelict by the 1960s. Between 1998 and 2001 it was developed into 16 private homes. Until coalmining came to Ansley in the 1870s, its principal industry was agricultural (barley, rye, pasture and meadow land), with some silk ribbon weaving and brick making. In the early 19th century John Newdigate Ludford of Ansley Hall had been a "noted cheese-maker", selling to the Leicester market. By
1705-743: The knight") to whom King Æthelred II granted the village of Twywell in Northamptonshire in 1013. Northman, according to the Chronicle of Crowland Abbey, the reliability of which is often doubted by historians, says he was a retainer (knight) of Eadric Streona , the Earl of Mercia . It adds that Northman was killed on Cnut's orders along with Eadric and others. Cnut then "made Leofric ealdorman in place of his brother Northman, and afterwards held him in great affection" . Becoming Earl of Mercia, which occurred sometime before 1032, made him one of
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1760-576: The land to Henry Ludford. Colepeper’s grandson increased this to 300 acres, but not the hall itself. This gave rise to the situation where the Ludfords claimed for rightful ownership, taking legal action against the Colepepers in 1535 and 1544, both times unsuccessfully. In 1551, the Colepepers sold Ansley Hall and its estate. It passed through several hands, including George Wightman of Elmesthorpe , Leicester in 1558, who sold it to William Glover,
1815-404: The late 15th century. The chancel was doubled in length in the 18th century. The porch was added the late 19th century and the north aisle in 1913. The church was restored in 1894 and 1902. A west gallery was removed in 1931. On one column there is a "grotesque carving of two monsters striving for possession of a man". There are the remains of Norman hinges on a door, dating from around 1150. In
1870-495: The memorial was given to the parish by the Ansley Hall Coal and Iron Company on 21 August 1920 and the memorial was dedicated by Dr Charles Lisle Carr (1871-1942), Bishop of Coventry , on 21 August 1921. The memorial originally featured two artillery guns, but these were removed in 1939 to be melted down for the war effort. The concrete bases on which the guns stood remain. A grant of £1,300 from English Heritage and
1925-491: The most powerful men in King Cnut's court, second only to the ambitious Earl Godwin of Wessex. Leofric may have had some connection by marriage to Ælfgifu of Northampton , the first wife of Cnut, which might help to explain why he was the chief supporter of her son Harold Harefoot against Harthacnut , Cnut's son by Emma of Normandy , during the succession crisis after Cnut's death in 1035. However, Harold died in 1040 and
1980-467: The name Ansley is a derivation of the Old English ansetleah , with ‘anset’ meaning isolated hermitage and ‘leah’ (ley) meaning wooded pasture. Many place names in the area end with ‘ley’, including Arley , Fillongley , Astley , Hurley , Baxterley , Witherley , Corley , Binley , Allesley , Hinckley and Keresley . This is likely a result of the "sporadic clearing of the woods" (specifically
2035-476: The nobility on both sides; the loss of these men, should many die in battle, would leave England open to its enemies. In the end the issue was resolved by less violent means; in accordance with Leofric's advice the settlement of the dispute was referred to the Witenagemot , and Earl Godwin and his family were outlawed for a time. Earl Leofric's power was then at its height, but in 1055 Leofric's own son Ælfgar
2090-509: The noble Countess Godgifu, a worshipper of God and devout lover of St Mary ever-virgin, built the monastery there from the foundations out of their own patrimony, and endowed it adequately with lands and made it so rich in various ornaments that in no monastery in England might be found the abundance of gold, silver, gems and precious stones that was at that time in its possession." In the 1050s Leofric and Godiva appear jointly as benefactors in
2145-440: The north aisle of St Laurence Church. Production ceased in 1959. Ansley was the last parish in Warwickshire to get a "more or less efficient supply of good water", and remained dependent on shallow wells until 1913. As late as 1927 there were still "no water closets in the village, and some of the sanitary arrangements were distinctly objectionable." In 1928 Ansley Parish Council cancelled the retaining fee they had been paying to
2200-514: The park was described as "well stocked with deer". Ansley Hall and its land was leased to the Ansley Hall Coal and Iron Company by the Ludford family in 1872 after which the hall was used as a club and institute for colliery officials and estate tenants. After the UK coal industry was nationalised in 1947, the Hall became a social club for miners and their families. With the collapse of the mining industry,
2255-412: The pit became fully electric, the first colliery in Warwickshire to adopt this "pioneer movement". In 1904 it could produce 1,200 tonnes of coal a day. At its peak, in 1940, it employed 670 people. The pit merged with Haunchwood colliery in 1959 which in turn closed in 1967. The company also owned a brickworks capable of producing 3 million hard red bricks per year. Some of the bricks were used in
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2310-503: The temple was a cell containing a monument relating to the Purefoy family, Parliamentarians who had had their estates confiscated because of their involvement in the death of Charles I . In 1758 Ansley Hall was visited by the poet Thomas Warton , who would later become poet laureate . He wrote the poem An Inscription about Ansley’s hermitage which begins "Beneath the stony roof reclin’d / I sooth to peace my pensive mind . In 1814
2365-498: The title Ansley . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ansley&oldid=1138252425 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Place name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Ansley, Warwickshire Ansley
2420-728: The title 'Hammer of the Welsh'. A prose account of Leofric's life, entitled Visio Leofrici or the Vision of Leofric , was written in Old English , surviving in MS Corpus Christi College, Cambridge (CCCC) 367. It is split into four episodes, each of which depicts one of Leofric's miraculous visions. The last of these four has been noted for its similarities to the account of Leofric's vision in Osbert 's later account of
2475-801: The vicar’s annual income was £236, but had fallen again to £160 by 1904. The church was submitted to the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings to be considered for inclusion in their list of historic buildings in 1898, 1908 and 1913. It received its Grade II* status in 1968. Temporary girders were added to the church interior by the National Coal Board for the period between 1960 and 1968, to prevent subsidence from coal mining directly underneath. In 1973, seven weeks before their wedding, and amid much secrecy, Mark Phillips and Princess Anne visited St Laurence Church to attend
2530-467: The village. The following year a sewage scheme for Ansley Common and Chapel End was put in place. The possibility of Ansley’s being added to Nuneaton’s electricity supply from the Leicestershire and Warwickshire Electric Power Company Limited was first raised in 1923, when the supply to neighbouring Chapel End and Hartshill was imminent, Hartstill having "suffered for years from the quality of
2585-552: The wife of Ansley Hall Colliery’s managing director, contributed 1,344 articles to the war effort, including 50 theatre gowns,180 pairs of pyjamas and 650 bandages, putting them first in the North Warwickshire WVS collection drive. There was also a Soldiers’ Comforts and Parcels Fund based at the Boot Inn, meaning "every soldier, sailor or airman in the village received several gifts from the fund." In April 1945
2640-490: Was an Earl of Mercia . He founded monasteries at Coventry and Much Wenlock and was a very powerful earl under King Cnut and his successors. Leofric was the husband of Lady Godiva . Leofric was the son of Leofwine, Ealdorman of the Hwicce , who witnessed a charter in 997 for King Æthelred II . Leofric had three brothers: Northman , Edwin and Godwine. It is likely that Northman is the same as Northman Miles ("Northman
2695-592: Was chairman of the company for some time (he was also the royal physician and known for his research into infantile scurvy). His son in turn, Sir James Alan Barlow, 2nd Baronet (1881-1964) was a director. The company bought the entire estate in 1899. The colliery became significant enough to have its own railway line, and the Ansley Hall Colliery Branch Line opened in 1876. It remained in operation until 1959. In 1888, instead of relying on pit ponies for transporting coal and coal refuse
2750-515: Was created during WWI. The parish’s Grade II listed war memorial, a Latin cross built of Portland stone and Hollington sandstone, stands on the corner of Birmingham Road and Nuneaton Road. A plaque reads "To the honour of the Ansley men who served their country in his Majesty’s forces during the Great Wars" and lists the names of the 32 men of Ansley who died in WWI and nine in WWII. The land for
2805-401: Was laid. St. Laurence Church is located at Church End. It is a Grade II listed building with mid to late-12th century foundations. It is possible that it was originally built for Lady Godiva, as she had "several churches built in the area at this time that were dedicated to St Laurence , after Abbot Laurence, a trusted friend." Whether the name should be spelt Laurence or Lawrence has been
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#17327809685892860-642: Was outlawed, "without any fault", says the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle . Ælfgar raised an army in Ireland and Wales and brought it to Hereford , where he clashed with the army of Earl Ralph of Herefordshire and severely damaged the town. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle wryly comments "And then when they had done most harm, it was decided to reinstate Earl Ælfgar". Leofric died in 1057 at his estate at Kings Bromley in Staffordshire . According to
2915-469: Was owned by the Prior of St Mary’s, Coventry. Bourne Brook, running north-east to south-west through the parish, has had an Irish bridge ford at Ansley Mill since the 12th century. The mill was sold by John Colepeper to Ralph Pickering and John Dyson in 1550. The building that currently stands was built in 1768. The last known miller was Isaac Thurn, in 1896. The mill has subsequently been converted into
2970-485: Was the cathedral city of the Hwicce, his people. When Harthacnut suddenly died in 1042, he was succeeded by his half-brother Edward the Confessor . Leofric loyally supported Edward when he came under threat at Gloucester , from Earl Godwin, in 1051. Leofric and Earl Siward of Northumbria gathered a great army to meet Godwin. Edward's advisors counseled him that battle would be folly, as there'd be important members of
3025-416: Was then succeeded by his brother Harthacnut, who made himself unpopular by implementing heavy taxation during his short reign. Two of his tax-collectors were killed at Worcester by angry locals. The king was so enraged by this that in 1041 he ordered Leofric and his other earls to plunder and burn the city, and lay waste to the surrounding area. This command must have tested Leofric's loyalty, since Worcester
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