Cropthorne
| Cropthorne | |
| Worcestershire | |
|---|---|
 St Michael's Church, Cropthorne | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SO999449 |
| Location: | 52°6’10"N, 2°0’9"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 723 (2021) |
| Post town: | Pershore |
| Postcode: | WR10 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Wychavon |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Mid Worcestershire |
Cropthorne is a village beside the River Avon in the south-east of Worcestershire. It is in the Vale of Evesham, on the north-west edge of the Cotswolds, about thirteen miles south-east of Worcester, 19 miles north of Cheltenham, and 18 miles south-west of Stratford-upon-Avon. The 2001 census recorded a population of 603, in 237 households.
The neighbouring village, Fladbury stands on the opposite bank of the Avon, and the two communities are linked by the Jubilee Bridge.
Standing on a small ridge overlooking the River Avon, Cropthorne's ancient orchards sweep down to the river and offer clear, unbroken views across the vale to the Malvern Hills in the distance.
The village is listed in the Domesday Book
Cropthorne has two pubs, The Bell Inn and The New Inn, both offering food and guest accommodation.
Church
St Michael's Church dates back to the 12th century. It is a Grade I listed building.[1]
St Michael was built in the Norman, Romanesque style, with later additions in the Perpendicular Gothic style. It has a clerestoried nave with late 12th century arcades, and a west tower which has a 15th century top. The chancel rebuilt when the church was restored in 1894. Inside the church is a 9th century, Anglo-Saxon cross. Fragment of mediæval wall painting have been revealed over arcade.
The parishes of Fladbury, Hill and Moor and Cropthorne are combined, with a single rector looking after all of the churches.
About the village
The village has many unique examples of timber-framed thatched cottages from the 16th and 17th centuries, and about half the village is designated as a Conservation area.
Holland House in the village, is a conference and retreat centre. Its black and white half-timbered Tudor buildings are set in gardens on the edge of the River Avon, offering a ‘safe space where people are encouraged to feel at home and allowed to get on with what they came to do'.
Cropthorne has a large playing field (the Sheppey), with a village hall and children's play area.
The Cropthorne Walkabout is an annual event that takes place on the Sunday and bank holiday Monday at the beginning of May each year, to coincide with the blossom season. Several of the historic gardens on the banks of the River Avon are opened to the public.
The village is on the Vale of Evesham Blossom Trail that takes place during the two weeks in the spring when all the apple, pear, and cherry trees are in bloom.
Cropthorne Floods 2007
In 2007 Cropthorne and the surrounding area were severely flooded. The B4084 road linking the towns of Evesham and Pershore collapsed and caused major hold-ups throughout Worcestershire. The repairs to the road nicknamed locally 'Cropthorne Canyon' took four months to be repaired at a cost of around £1 million.
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Cropthorne) |
- Cropthorne Village
- Cropthorne Walkabout
- Holland House, Cropthorne
- Cropthorne Autonomous House
- Cropthorne and Charlton Village Hall
- Cropthorne Parish Council
References
- ↑ National Heritage List 1116923: Church of St Michael (Grade I listing)