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The perfect village - KINVER
If a typical English village should have a pub, a church and a shop, Kinver certainly fits the billand then some. Featuring no less than nine pubs in and around the centre; a Norman church in a spectacular position above the village; and a wonderful selection of independent and traditional shops - not to mention the attractions of the surrounding countryside - it's no wonder that Kinver is loved by residents and visitors alike, writes Sally Oldaker.
Kinver was first recorded in 736 AD as Cynibre, meaning woodland' or great hill', but its origins date back much further, with evidence of an Iron Age hill fort and a Roman camp on Kinver Edge. Wulphere, the first Christian king of Mercia, fortified the escarpment in the 7th century and traces of the defensive earthworks still remain.
By the time of the Domesday Book, Cynibre had mutated into Chenevare (some sources say this translates as a royal rose'), and was recorded as having two mills and a manor. It was declared a Royal Manor and Forest by the Norman kings, who enjoyed hunting in the area.
The local church, St Peter's of the Rock, dates from the 12th century, and is dedicated to the memory of Wulphad and Ruffinus, two murdered sons of the first King of Mercia. The building's vestry contains an important document from Charles I, confirming to Kinver's tenants and inhabitants the privileges granted in previous charters.
Kinver's High Street was laid out in the late 1200s, and is an officially designated Conservation Area. It features many historic buildings, including a 16th-century house recently repaired by West Midlands Historic Buildings Trust - the authentic restoration featured the use of traditional daub (complete with cow manure) on the timber frame.
The village and surrounding area have no shortage of fascinating buildings, but the most famous examples must be the Rock Houses. These caves, carved out of the sandstone at Kinver Edge to the west of the village centre, are hailed as the world's first sandstone houses; they were first written about in 1777 but may have been inhabited since the 11th century.
In the mid-19th century, labourers attracted by the success of local ironworks flooded into the area and many moved into the rock houses, adding mod cons to make them more comfortable. These homes were actually inhabited until the 1960s, and were the last troglodyte dwellings in England - the site is now in the care of the National Trust and is open to visitors.
The series of caves along Kinver Edge includes Holy Austin Rock, which was a hermitage until the time of the Restoration. It is now a SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) due to the geological exposure of the rock, while the whole of Kinver Edge - a remnant of the Mercian forest - provides a haven for wildlife such as lizards and adders.
The rock houses were the setting for Sabine Baring-Gould's swashbuckling novel Bladys of the Stewponey (the Stewponey was a real tavern in Stourton, in the parish of Kinver, demolished in recent years to make way for new housing), and a movie version in 1919 was filmed on location in the village.
Some say that Kinver Edge was also the inspiration for Tolkien's Middle Earth, and the legends don't stop there - other tales allude to the presence of highwaymen, giants and witches at the caves, while one myth suggests that a tunnel links the Nanny's Rock caves to the Drakelow tunnels nearly two miles away.
The Drakelow tunnels are famous in their own right, having been built during World War II by the government as a shadow factory' - production of aircraft engines would have been transferred here in the event of the Longbridge factory being destroyed. After the war, the Home Office developed the site for service as a Regional Government HQ, to be used if a nuclear attack wiped out central government. The 285,000 sq ft area would have housed 350 people.
There are various conspiracy theories surrounding the tunnels, including the notion that nuclear missiles were actually stored there at one point (this is apparently unfounded), while in mediaeval times some people believed that dragons existed in the area.
Early this year, a developer submitted proposals to turn the three-and-a-half miles of tunnels into a skills training centre and residential accommodation, and the Drakelow Preservation Trust was set up to fight the plans, leading to their temporary withdrawal. Visitors can view the site on guided tours: call 07901 898120 or visit www.stokes277.freeserve.co.uk
More legends abound at the historic Whittington Inn, built in 1310 by Sir William de Whittington, knight-at-arms and grandfather of the rather more famous Richard Dick' Whittington (yes, that one). It was first built as Whittington Manor, but became an inn in 1788 when then-owner Lord Stamford bought the licence and the old signboard from the original Whittington Inn, a few hundred yards down the road.
The inn's intriguing history includes reports of a haunting by none other than Lady Jane Grey - England's shortest-lived queen - who stayed there as a girl. Like many ancient pubs in the Midlands, it claims to be one of the stops on Charles II's escape route following the Battle of Worcester, and he may even have hidden in the building's priest-hole.
Queen Anne also spent a night at the Whittington in 1711 and the solid oak front door still bears her royal seal, one of only two in the country. Other interesting elements include the legend of a secret stairway within the building and also a secret passage running from the pub, under the River Stour and into Kinver village.
Nearby Gibbet Lane - a short-cut through woodland back towards Kinver village - is the scene of another ghost story: that of William Howe, who shot and robbed a local squire on this spot in 1812. One version of the tale says that Howe was arrested in the original Whittington Inn (although by this time the pub would actually have been operating from its new location) while another maintains that he fled after committing the crime and was later picked up in London.
Either way, when the law caught up with him he was publicly hanged and his body was brought back to the scene of the murder. Howe was one of the last men to be hung from a gibbet in Britain, and the gruesome event attracted a crowd of thousands. The body hung at the site for nearly two years and Howe's spirit is said to haunt the Gibbet Lane area to this day.
Other interesting buildings in the vicinity include Stourton Castle, built in 1195 as a hunting lodge for King John, and - back in Kinver centre - the Old Grammar School and Ye Olde White Harte. The latter is Kinver's oldest and largest pub, and was allegedly used as a 'house of ill repute' when Kinver was a stop-off on the so-called Irish Road' from Bristol to Chester.
Kinver is extremely well-endowed with pubs, boasting three on the high street itself (Ye Olde White Harte, the Royal Exchange and the Plough & Harrow) as well as the Cross, the Crown & Anchor (built in 1856), the Vine (1863) and of course the Whittington Inn. There's also the Anchor Hotel, part of which dates back to 1410.
Visitors to Kinver can take full advantage of the great selection of local ales from breweries such as Bathams and Enville, while Kinver Brewery - a small independent firm using traditional floor-malted Maris Otter barley and Worcestershire hops - offers various Kinver-themed ales, including Over the Edge', a mighty 7.6% winter brew'.
Many of the older inns owe their existence to their proximity to the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal, and also the River Stour - both bodies of water attracted considerable passing trade over the years, as well as enabling Kinver to be part of the Industrial Revolution.
The village was once well-known for producing sturdy woollen cloth, harnessing the flow of the Stour for fulling mills and dyeing. Later the river powered finery forges and slitting mills, such as Hyde Mill - one of the earliest examples in England and an important factor in Kinver's growth. The mill would slit bars of iron, which were then made into nails in the neighbouring Black Country. By the late 18th century there were five slitting mills in the parish: more than any other parish in Britain.
Tourism has always been important to Kinver, since the days when people from the more industrialised nearby towns would visit the countryside' on day-trips. However, Kinver had somehow missed being part of the railway network and, until the start of the 20th century, visitors had to make the journey on horseback, by carriage or cart, or by boat along the river or canal. Even the nearest stop on the Black Country's steam tramway network was some four miles from Kinver.
In 1901, the Kinver Light Railway (KLR) opened, offering the chance to travel the four-mile distance from Amblecote to Kinver village via Wollaston and Stourton. It was Britain's first cross-country tramway and, as well as passengers, the line also carried goods, livestock and even the odd funeral!
The KLR was a great tourist attraction - but by the 1920s much of the Black Country tramway system was facing stiff competition from motorbuses, and the KLR closed in 1930. Over 70 years after its closure, the whole of the trackbed on one section can still be seen, along with some bridges complete with rails.
Much care has been taken to ensure that Kinver retains its historic character, and the latest visitor attraction fulfils that aim. Chenevare Mews is a collection of independent shops selling chocolates, jewellery, vintage fashion and gifts, as well as a delicatessen, art gallery, hair salon and offices. Taking its name from the village's ancient title, the £500,000 development has transformed a disused alleyway just off the High Street into a traditional shopping arcade with Victorian-style copper lamps, cobbled pavements and historic frontages.
Click here to see more photographs
Photography by Jayne Foster
12:02pm Thursday 31st May 2007
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CommentPosted by: Carol, Florida, U.S.A. on 3:57pm Thu 31 May 07
This article on Kinver is absolutely fascinating. This wonderful history must be preserved. I have seen Jayne's wonderful photographs of Kinver before and am so glad to see them featured in this article. Appreciate being able to see the additional page of photos. Looking forward to more fascinating articles and more of Jayne's photography in your magazine.
This article on Kinver is absolutely fascinating. This wonderful history must be preserved. I have seen Jayne's wonderful photographs of Kinver before and am so glad to see them featured in this article. Appreciate being able to see the additional page of photos. Looking forward to more fascinating articles and more of Jayne's photography in your magazine.
Posted by: Gord, Niagara Falls,Canada on 4:02pm Thu 31 May 07
A fascinating article on the history of Kinver, and excellent photography by Jayne.
A fascinating article on the history of Kinver, and excellent photography by Jayne.
Posted by: catherine, stourbridge on 5:00pm Thu 31 May 07
An interesting article on one of my local villages, brought to life with fantastic photography by Jayne
An interesting article on one of my local villages, brought to life with fantastic photography by Jayne
Posted by: Judy aka L@dybug, Florida, USA on 7:32pm Thu 31 May 07
How wonderful that you have added more of Jayne's marvelous photograph. The larger photos add so much to the already wonderful article.
How wonderful that you have added more of Jayne's marvelous photograph. The larger photos add so much to the already wonderful article.
Posted by: Grizzly, Victoria, BC..Canada on 9:49pm Thu 31 May 07
Fascinating article, and a fitting way of preserving this wonderful history of the lovely village... I know of Jayne's wonderful photographs of Kinver, it is so nice to see them featured with this article. The additional page of photos are woonderful, an added treat. I'll be looking for more village articles and more of Jayne's photography in your magazine.
Fascinating article, and a fitting way of preserving this wonderful history of the lovely village... I know of Jayne's wonderful photographs of Kinver, it is so nice to see them featured with this article. The additional page of photos are woonderful, an added treat. I'll be looking for more village articles and more of Jayne's photography in your magazine.
Posted by: Shelley on 11:30pm Thu 31 May 07
Interesting article, and wonderfully illustrated through the photos of Jayne Foster. Her photos are just beautiful!
Interesting article, and wonderfully illustrated through the photos of Jayne Foster. Her photos are just beautiful!
Posted by: Danny Perry, Fallon, NV on 4:54am Fri 1 Jun 07
[italic]Very interesting article and well illustrated by Jayne Fosters photos. Both article and photography are excellent! compared to the USA the history of England is so much more colorful and extensive. our history has just started compared to England. The photos of Jayne Foster sure enhance the article and make it more relevant to me.[/italic]
Very interesting article and well illustrated by Jayne Fosters photos. Both article and photography are excellent! compared to the USA the history of England is so much more colorful and extensive. our history has just started compared to England. The photos of Jayne Foster sure enhance the article and make it more relevant to me. Posted by: Sharon Anne Coultrap, Interior Alaska on 6:15am Fri 1 Jun 07
[italic]While the rich and diverse history, architecture and legends of this beautiful area are intriguing, of special interest to me are the ecological, land use, wildlife and nature conservation efforts of the ancient woodlands of the Forest of Mercia. The South Staffordshire Council provides additional indepth information on these conservation management plans. I have great respect for the forest protection efforts. Most excellent photography by Jayne Foster! So wonderfully composed, the lovely images invite the viewer to visit this beautiful and historic village. Kindest regards ~ Sharon Coultrap[/italic]
While the rich and diverse history, architecture and legends of this beautiful area are intriguing, of special interest to me are the ecological, land use, wildlife and nature conservation efforts of the ancient woodlands of the Forest of Mercia. The South Staffordshire Council provides additional indepth information on these conservation management plans. I have great respect for the forest protection efforts. Most excellent photography by Jayne Foster! So wonderfully composed, the lovely images invite the viewer to visit this beautiful and historic village. Kindest regards ~ Sharon Coultrap Posted by: Charles Miller, Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK on 7:26pm Fri 1 Jun 07
A very interesting article - I had never heard of the Rock Houses before. The link to the extra photos is very welcome, Jayne's excellent photograpy illustrates the article perfectly.
A very interesting article - I had never heard of the Rock Houses before. The link to the extra photos is very welcome, Jayne's excellent photograpy illustrates the article perfectly.
Posted by: Leslie Evans, Nanaimo, B.C., CANADA on 1:20am Sat 2 Jun 07
Nice to see another article on a village in Staffordshire. The history is most interesting and Jayne's photos are lovely!
Nice to see another article on a village in Staffordshire. The history is most interesting and Jayne's photos are lovely!
Posted by: Chesca, Hertfordshire on 10:34am Sat 2 Jun 07
This looks such an interesting village. All that history too. I love old buildings and the photographs make the words come alive. Another super selection of photographs taken by Jayne! Great stuff!
This looks such an interesting village. All that history too. I love old buildings and the photographs make the words come alive. Another super selection of photographs taken by Jayne! Great stuff!
Posted by: Sharon Schultz, United States on 12:23am Tue 5 Jun 07
What an interesting article. I'm so happy to see Jayne's wonderful photos. I'm familiar with a lot of her photos and she has done a great job here.[bold]bold[/bold]
What an interesting article. I'm so happy to see Jayne's wonderful photos. I'm familiar with a lot of her photos and she has done a great job here.
Posted by: Beth, California, USA on 5:30am Tue 5 Jun 07
What a fascinating village! I'm always looking for new places to visit in England, especially in the Midlands - I now have another destination to add to my list. Jayne's excellent photos certainly make the article come alive and draw me to this delightful village.
What a fascinating village! I'm always looking for new places to visit in England, especially in the Midlands - I now have another destination to add to my list. Jayne's excellent photos certainly make the article come alive and draw me to this delightful village.
Posted by: Chris, Australia on 6:39am Tue 5 Jun 07
Wonderful photos of a typical English Village. Great story too. Love to read up on my heritage. Regards from Australia.
Wonderful photos of a typical English Village. Great story too. Love to read up on my heritage. Regards from Australia.
Posted by: Anna Willis, Riverside, CA, USA on 2:55pm Wed 6 Jun 07
How wonderful to see Jayne's photos here! She has a unique "eye" for landscape and other features. As a poet said, "Every prospect pleases!" See you later.
How wonderful to see Jayne's photos here! She has a unique "eye" for landscape and other features. As a poet said, "Every prospect pleases!" See you later.
Posted by: Barbara, Ontario Canada on 7:56pm Wed 6 Jun 07
Hi Jayne..wow awesome site. Thank you so much for your nice message. I am going to have a better look around this site. Is it yours? I must discover. I am so fascinated with England. There are 3 or 4 of your photos in my new stats album. They are all in various positions in the album. I would love to use even more images. Thanks so much.! Barbara
Hi Jayne..wow awesome site. Thank you so much for your nice message. I am going to have a better look around this site. Is it yours? I must discover. I am so fascinated with England. There are 3 or 4 of your photos in my new stats album. They are all in various positions in the album. I would love to use even more images. Thanks so much.! Barbara
Posted by: Joanne Smith, Presque Isle, Mi..USA on 12:57pm Thu 7 Jun 07
Very Interesting Article Of The History On The Village..The Photography Of Jayne Foster Is Excellent. I Enjoyed Seeing Jaynes Photography Again..Jo JO.USA[quote]quote[/quote]
Very Interesting Article Of The History On The Village..The Photography Of Jayne Foster Is Excellent. I Enjoyed Seeing Jaynes Photography Again..Jo JO.USA
quote
Posted by: Tirza Haviv, Los Angeles, California USA on 7:50am Mon 11 Jun 07
This is a very interesting article, and Jayne's pictures actually illustrate the stories in it. The link to the additional pictures is great. England is fascinating. I visited in the past mainly London and not much besides it. This kind of article and the wonderful pictures makes me feel eager to come and visit Kinver!
This is a very interesting article, and Jayne's pictures actually illustrate the stories in it. The link to the additional pictures is great. England is fascinating. I visited in the past mainly London and not much besides it. This kind of article and the wonderful pictures makes me feel eager to come and visit Kinver!
Posted by: Ann Dixon, Chester on 11:56am Wed 13 Jun 07
This is an excellent article, I visited most parts of the Uk being a lover of photography [italic]italic[/italic] but have never been here, I have really enjoyed it, the Photography is outstanding, my compliments to Jayne,
take care Ann
This is an excellent article, I visited most parts of the Uk being a lover of photography but have never been here, I have really enjoyed it, the Photography is outstanding, my compliments to Jayne,
take care Ann
Posted by: allcott, oldbury on 9:33pm Mon 18 Jun 07
This is the first time I've seen Jayne's photographs and I'm very impressed. She has captured the sights and delights of Kivner just how I remember them. EXCELLENT - well done!see you soon Jackie Allcott[italic]italic[/italic]
This is the first time I've seen Jayne's photographs and I'm very impressed. She has captured the sights and delights of Kivner just how I remember them. EXCELLENT - well done!see you soon Jackie Allcott
Posted by: superman, Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA on 12:46am Tue 10 Jul 07
I love looking at other parts of the world. I am disabled so will never be able to travel to these places. The photos taken by Jayne Foster realy are greaat, truely an adventure to sites I would never have seen. Thank you Jayne. Michael from the USA[italic]italic[/italic] [italic]italic[/italic] [italic]italic[/italic] [italic]italic[/italic] [italic]italic[/italic] [italic]italic[/italic]
I love looking at other parts of the world. I am disabled so will never be able to travel to these places. The photos taken by Jayne Foster realy are greaat, truely an adventure to sites I would never have seen. Thank you Jayne. Michael from the USA
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