Exhall, Stratford-on-Avon

Exhall is a small village located approximately 1.7 miles (2.7 km) south-south-east of the Roman town of Alcester, and approximately 6 miles (10 km) west of Stratford-upon-Avon in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England. The civil parish of Exhall includes the hamlet of Little Britain and part of Ardens Grafton (the greater part of which is in the neighbouring civil parish of Temple Grafton). Its two other neighbouring civil parishes are Alcester (which has town status) and Wixford, with which it shares both an ecclesiastical parish^[1] and a cricket club.^[2]

History

Exhall is known as one of the Shakespeare villages. William Shakespeare is said to have joined a party of Stratford folk which set itself to outdrink a drinking club at Bidford­-on-Avon, and as a result of his labours in that regard to have fallen asleep under the crab tree of which a descendant is still called Shakespeares tree. When morning dawned his friends wished to renew the encounter but he wisely said "No I have drunk with “Piping Pebworth, Dancing Marston, Haunted Hillboro’, Hungry Grafton, Dodging Exhall, Papist Wixford, Beggarly Broom and Drunken Bidford” and so, presumably, I will drink no more. The story is said to date from the 17th century but of its truth or of any connection of the story or the verse to Shakespeare there is no evidence.^[3]

The manor of Exhall is recorded in the Domesday Book as part of the lands of William son of Courbucion; who was appointed Sherrif of Warwick soon after 1086; where it reads, "In Ferncombe Hundred, Thorkell holds 1 1/2 hides in Ecleshelle (Exhall). Land for 1 plough. 2 smallholders. Meadow, 10 acres. The value was 10s now 5s. Swein held it freely before 1066." ^[4]

Governance

Exhall is part of the Bardon ward of Stratford on Avon District Council and represented by Councillor Valerie Hobbs, Conservative. [1] Nationally it is part of Stratford-on-Avon (UK Parliament constituency), whose current Member of Parliament is Nadhim Zahawi of the Conservative Party. It is included in the West Midlands electoral region of the European Parliament and the six members are; Mike Nattrass (UK Independence), Liz Lynne,(Liberal Democrat), Malcolm Harbour (Conservative), Michael Cashman (Labour), Philip Bradbourn OBE (Conservative) and Nicole Sinclaire (UK Independence).

Notable buildings

The parish church for Exhall and Wixford is located in Exhall and dedicated to St Giles.

Notable buildings in the surrounding area include Ragley Hall, at nearby Arrow and the remains of Oversley Castle, near Wixford.

Transport links

The main waterway in the Exhall is the Hay Brook, a tributary of the River Arrow. The Arden Way footpath also passes through the village.

References

1. ^ The Exhall with Wixford page on the Church of England's A Church Near You website
2. ^ Exhall & Wixford Cricket Club
3. ^ Highways and Byways in Shakspeares Country, Hutton 1914
4. ^ Domesday Book for Warwickshire, Phillimore edited by John Morris ISBN 0 85033 141 2