Stretton
From Ars Magica
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Situation
Church Stretton - Saxton Map: Church Stretton
The village sits at the broadening of a valley between the rolling hills of The Long Mynd to the north west, and the sharp edged ridge hills of Ragleth Hill (393m) and Caer Caradoc (459m) to the east. To the south, about a mile and a half away lies Little Stretton, and a mile to the north is All Stretton. Water comes from the Stretton Hills, fresh & calcium rich.
Little Stretton - Saxton Map: Stretton Pua
Little Stretton (180m) lies under the Long Mynd hills, about a mile and a half south from Church Stretton It faces east across the valley to the sharp ridge of Ragleth Hill (393m) as the valley opens out to the South.
About a mile to the SW lies the village of Minton.
Half way between Church Stretton and Little Stretton stands Brockhurst Castle
All Stretton - Saxton Map: Alstrelton
All Stretton lies on the road about a mile north of Church Stretton and four miles south of Dorrington. It lies directly below The Long Mynd hills to the north west. A minor road leads through these hills to Ratlinghope three miles to the north west.
History
Domesday
4 Land of Earl Roger
4,1 What Earl Roger himself holds
4,1,27
Stretton (Stratvn), Earl Edwin held it, with 4 outliers. 8 hides... In lordship 3 ploughs; 6 male and 2 female slaves.; 18 villagers and 8 smallholders with a priest who have 12 ploughs. A mill; a church; in the woodland 5 hedged enclosures; a further 6 ploughs possible. Value before 1066 £13; now 100s
4,28 What Earl Roger himself holds
4,28,4 Earl Leofric had 2 manors, Minton (Mvnetvne) and Whittingslow (Witecheslawe). 4 hides which pay tax. These two manors are included in the revenue of Earl Roger at Stretton (Stratune).
Post Domesday
Charter granted to hold a market by King John in 1215
A History of the County of Shropshire: Volume 10 gives...
"In 1066 the manor of STRETTON, later known as STRETTON-EN-LE-DALE, was held by Edwin, earl of Mercia (d. 1071). Roger of Montgomery, created earl of Shrewsbury c. 1068, held it in chief in 1086, and it was forfeited to the Crown by the rebellion of his son Earl Robert in 1102. (fn. 97) The manor remained in the Crown until 1229. For much of the reigns of Henry II and his sons its revenues were assigned to successive keepers of Stretton castle. Between 1192 and 1194, however, they were enjoyed by William and James, sons of a former keeper, Simon, but not themselves keepers of the castle. (fn. 98)
In 1229 Henry III granted the manor in fee to Hubert de Burgh, earl of Kent, who had formerly farmed it. (fn. 99) He forfeited it in 1232. (fn. 1) In 1238 Henry III granted the manor in tenenciam to Henry de Hastings and his wife Ada, a sister and coheir of John, earl of Chester (d. 1237), in lieu of her purparty of the earldom of Chester, (fn. 2) but in 1245 it was resumed by the Crown. (fn. 3) In 1267 Henry III granted the manor, with other estates, to Hamon le Strange of Wrockwardine, an old friend and companion in arms of the king and of his son Edward; the grant was to Hamon and his heirs until the king should provide them with other land worth £100 a year. (fn. 4) About 1270, before leaving on the ninth crusade, Hamon assigned Stretton to his sister Hawise, wife of Gruffudd ap Gwenwynwyn, lord of southern Powys. (fn. 5) Early in 1273, when Hamon's death overseas became known, Stretton was resumed by the Crown as an unlicensed alienation, though from 1275 Hawise was allowed all the manor's revenues for life. Hawise died in 1310 and Edmund FitzAlan, earl of Arundel, then entered into possession, having been granted the reversion of the manor for life in 1309. (fn. 6)"
Church
St Lawrence. The Norman nave has corner pilaster buttresses and a north doorway with two rolls in the arch and a sheil-na-gig above, and a south doorway with one order of shafts. In the 13th century the building was made cruciform with a new central tower, chancel, and transepts, and the trussed rafter roof of the nave is also of that period. Expanded further later, and new windows added.
Castle
Brockhurst Castle lies under a mile SSW of the village.
