Grove, Nottinghamshire
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Grove is a small village, lying about 2 miles south-west of Retford, Nottinghamshire. In fact, the Parklands, of Grove Hall, separate it from Retford town, and a set of Gates for Grove Hall, can be found near the London Road, the A638.
The village itself, is very pleasant, with a village green, stretching either side of the main road. The village boasts a Garden Centre, housed in the former Kitchen Gardens, of the Hall, and there is also a very fine Parish Church.
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[edit] History
The barony of Grove, with the manor of West Retford, was part of the large property granted by William the Conqueror, to Roger de Busli and is thus noted in Doomsday survey, as "Grave".
From Roger de Busli it came to Gerbert (or Gilbert) de Arches, Baro de Grove, (in the early part of the reign of Henry II,) whose great grand-daughter, Theophania, being a co-heiress, carried it to Malvesinus de Hercy, in the reign of Henry III. It continued in the Hercy family till Sir John de Hercy bequeathed it to Barbara, one of his sisters, and co-heiress, who had married George Nevile, Esq. of Ragnall, in whose family it continued till the latter end of the seventeenth century, when Sir Edward Nevile sold it to Sir Creswell Levinz, one of the Judges of the Common Pleas. Sir Creswell Levinz was succeeded by his son, William Levinz. who resided at Grove, and was sometime one of the members for East Retford, and afterwards for the county. This William Levinz left a son, William, who alienated the greatest part of his inheritance, and sold the manor and estate of Grove, with its appurtenances, in the year 1762, to Anthony Eyre, Esq. of Rampton, and of Adwick, the father of Anthony Hardolph Eyre, Esq. the present possessor. A large brick house, in the old English style, with gable ends, and mullion windows, had been erected at Grove, at a period which is not known, and had undergone considerable alterations. During the wars between the Houses of York and Lancaster, the Hercy family, with their neighbours the Stanhopes, of Rampton, were active supporters of the House of Lancaster, and during the arduous struggle for superiority, were frequently surrounded by dangers of no common kind; till at length Victory
"To Tudor's brow transfer'd the gem, The long disputed diadem."
[edit] Parish Church
The period when this church was founded is not exactly known, but in all probability it was anterior to the Norman conquest, as in Doomsday book is observed, that here was a priest and a church, and eight acres of meadow; pasture wood one league long and half-a-one broad, of the yearly value of 40 Shillings. Anciently it was a double rectory, and also a vicarage of medieties, but on the 3rd of the nones of May, 1227, Walter de Grey, Archbishop of York, consolidated them, when George de Ordsall, who was vicar of one mediety, was presented to the whole by Malvesinus de Hercy, (the first of that ancient family,) on condition that he should allow the rector 28s. per annum, for ever.
In 1425, Sir Thomas Hercy, Knight, bequeathed to the rector of this church, "in name of his principal," his best horse with his array, according to his estate. Humphrey Hercy, Esq. at his death, bequeathed "his soul to God, and his body to be buried in the Queare or Chancel of the Invention of the Crosse of Grove."
"The situation of this church is peculiarly pleasing and interesting; seated on an eminence, and surrounded by trees rendered venerable from their great age, it may with propriety be stiled a place where
"The traveller outworn with life’s pilgrimage dreary, Lays down his rude staff like one that is weary, And sweetly reposes for ever."
Indeed, the whole scene is calculated to excite those finer feelings of the mind whilst ruminating over the scattered fragments of mortality; whilst they, unconscions of the visitors tread, sleep on in silence and obscurity. Here the ashes of some of the bravest and best of human kind commingle together, and although the destroyer—Time, has obliterated nearly all the visible signs which once mark’d the hallowed spot, he has not yet been enabled altogether to blast with his oblivious breath those records which bear testimony that they have once existed."
The church is small and ancient; it is dedicated to St. Helen, and consists of a nave and chancel; in its exterior it has nothing whereof to boast, its interior is simple, clean, and in good repair. The tower is squat and contains two bells.
Within the chancel are two or three curious antique monumental floor stones, on one of which is inscribed an ornamental cross, hut the rest is illegible. By the side of this is another to the memory of Hugo de Hercy, on which
"Outstretch’d together are exprest, He and my Lady fair; With hands uplifted on the breast, In attitude of prayer."
This is an alabaster slab, six feet six inches long, and three feet three inches broad; one of the figures represents a man in armour, on his head a hat and feather, a greyhound at his feet looking up,—the face worn out: at his side a woman,—her face and head-dress very indistinct, on the left side of her head some appearance of a reticulated dress. The crack across the stone is so splintered that whatsoever has been at her feet is not now to be known. Above the man’s head is a shield, but the colours are quite indistinct; above the woman’s, the saltiere is engraved, with a round pell,.— it appears black, being inlaid with pitch. Near the edge of the stone—
"Hic jacet Hugo Hercy qui obiit VI die Decembris anno dm m. cccc. I. V. et Elizabeth uxor ejus quae obiit anno dm m. cccc. I. Animae proprietur Deus."
In the aisle is another, having the following,—.
Resvrgam Katharine Neville obiit 17mo. die Mass 1683.
In the chancel is a neat mural monument as under,—
To the memory of WILLIAM LEVINZ, Esq. only son of Sir Creswell Levinz, Kt. Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, whose many virtues he inherited, having represented in Parliament for many years the Borough of East Retforel, and then this county, with uncommon abilities, diligence and integrity. He died May 7th, 1747, aged 76 years. He married Anne daughter of Samuel Buck, Esq. barrister at law, a partner worthy of so much merit, who died June 15th 1726, in the 51st year of her age, and lieth here interred.
The living of Grove is a rectory, and when Mr. Hercy was paton, it was valued at £10; it is now £11. 14s. 2d. in the king’s books, and pays for tenths, £1. 3s. 5d.; for first fruits, 6s. 5d.; and for synodals, 3s. Patron, Anthony Hardolph Eyre, Esq. Incumbent, Rev. Abraham Youle, M. A.
[edit] Castle Hill Wood
"All hail! ye mighty, venerable work. Of our forefathers, great in deeds of arms! To late posterity memorial stand Of their immortal fame."
The situation of Grove, being bold and commanding, and strongly fortified by nature, we can hardly suppose that it would escape the attention of warriors, who, in ancient days no doubt saw this, as being a place admirably suited for military purposes, and capable of being used as an exploratory situation: to the greatest possible advantage. There have been strinking traces, of what is belived to be such a site.
Within the precincts of the parish, is a wood, generally designated "Castle Hill Wood," where, as its name suggests, has formerly stood a castle on a mount(or Mote), which appears to have been surrounded by a double trench of considerable magnitude, having the entrance to the south-east. To the south-east of this mount is a piece of ground, now almost level, where the traces of foundations are discernible; this is surrounded by a moat, both wide and deep, having formerly circumscribed a mansion or castle, but of which no definite remains are now in existence. This place, as well as the one just alluded to, together with the greatest part of an extensive wood, are still circumvallated, and a trench or foss, in some instances double, may be distinctly traced for upwards of a mile.
It is generally acknowledged that this part of the country formed a portion of the settlements of the Coritani, but that in common with the rest of Great Britain, it became a prey to the Roman armies, who, in making the conquest, were necessitated to undergo considerable hardships and privations, and on obtaining possession, to cast up those fortresses and bulwarks, which, in almost every part of the United Kingdom, remain to the present time, as mementos of their bravery and determined perseverance.
It is believed it "may be properly attributed the formation of these extensive works, although others have supposed them to have been originally British".[citation needed] But opinion with respects to this site, are "other circumstances concurring with the above, tending to confirm the supposition of their being of Roman origin".[citation needed] About a mile beyond Gringley are the traces of an encampment to the right of the road leading to Leverton; "which road has every appearance of having been Roman, and was continued to North Leverton onward to the Roman station at Littleborough, without fetching the compass towards South Leverton, which it now does; and the old road may still be traced, being, with the intervention of a wood, nearly entire".[citation needed]
The situation is particularly noted in some of the oldest maps of Nottinghamshire, under the appellation of ‘Little Gringley Castle."
"This place has occupied the attention of antiquarians for a long period, in attempting to fix upon it as the Segelocum, mentioned in the Itenerary of Antoninus Camden, in his first edition of the Brittanica in 1504, had fixed this station at Eaton, but afterwards, it is said, he changed his opinion in favour of Littleborough. Mr. Horsley, also decidedly says "Segelocum or Agelocum, as called in two iters, is certainly Littleborough. Dr. Gale was of the same opinion; and Pegge, in his British Topography, seems to coincide therewith. To such an host of observations and conjectures, I cannot presume to add any thing, save that of recording an humble opinion in favour of that given by Mr. Horsley. In 1684, when the inclosures between the bridge and town were first ploughed up, many coins of Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Constantine, &c. were found, together with Intaglios of Agate, and Cornelian, the finest coloured urns, and paterae, some wrought in basso relievo, with the workman’s name generally impressed on the inside of the bottom; also a discus, or quoit, with an emperor’s head embossed upon it. Again, in 1718, two very handsomely moulded altars were dug up, and in 1759, the drawing of another was communicated to the society of antiquaries. A curious tassera, or tally, was also found near this place; these tallies were supposed to have been used in the Roman armies, to distinguish each other from the enemy, and for setting the nightly watch."[citation needed]
On this road, between Leverton and Littleborough, formerly existed a stone bridge, about the repairs of which, several disputes arose. In 1253, the court of Oswardbeck was held at Sturton, when an inquisition was taken, as to whether the inhabitants of Sturton and Fenton, or the abbot of Welbeck should repair it; the jurors gave it in favour of the abbot. Another inquisition was likewise held at Retford, in 1290, when the jury.
[edit] References
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