SHIPTON MOYNE
The rural parish of Shipton Moyne lies 2½ miles
south of Tetbury and 3 miles north-west of
Malmesbury. The ancient parish contained 2,360 a. (fn. 1)
and was compact in shape. Until the transfer to
Gloucestershire of Long Newnton in 1930 it
marched on three sides with Wiltshire, the boundary
following the Tetbury branch of the Bristol Avon
on the north-east, the Foss Way on the south-east,
and field boundaries, including Cranmore hedge
mentioned in 1677, (fn. 2) on the south-west. On the northwest Shipton was separated from Tetbury by field
boundaries and a stream running into the Avon, and
on the west from Westonbirt by a Roman road that
branched off the Foss Way. In the mid 19th century
that road was diverted to the east, and the 21 a.
lying west of the new line of the road were transferred in 1935 to Westonbirt with Lasborough, (fn. 3)
under which parish they are treated.
The name Shipton, recorded in 1086, indicates
the early importance of sheep-farming in the parish
economy; the affix Moyne, recorded from 1287, (fn. 4) was
acquired when the manor was owned by the Moyne
family. The land of the parish is mostly flat, rolling
gently in the north-east. It lies at over 300 ft. on the
Forest Marble which is overlaid with cornbrash in
two small areas in the south part (fn. 5) where the soil is
poor. In the north part the soil produces grassland (fn. 6)
which is well suited to pastoral, especially dairy,
farming, and there were open fields until inclosure
in 1742. Estcourt park in the north-east had been
created by 1515; (fn. 7) it contained 49 a. c. 1774, (fn. 8) and
was planted with ornamental fir trees at the end of
the 18th century. (fn. 9) It is adjoined on the east by
Shipton wood, mentioned in 1611. (fn. 10) The woodland
was exploited in the 14th century when tenants of
the Beauboys family's estate were presented for
felling trees and taking wood, (fn. 11) and a lease of the
estate in 1399 reserved the right to take three
cart-loads of firewood. (fn. 12) In the mid 17th century the
Estcourt manor tenants were allowed to take hedge
wood and coppice wood and in 1664 four cart-loads
of coppice wood formed part of the rent for the
tithes of that estate. (fn. 13) The sale of timber was always
important in the estate's economy. (fn. 14) Shipton wood,
which included 237 oaks and 100 elms in the late
18th century, (fn. 15) comprised 24 a. c. 1774, (fn. 16) and the
estate included 43 a. of woodland in 1796. (fn. 17) In 1901
the parish had 102 a. of wood and plantation. (fn. 18) The
river Avon, on reaching the northern point of the
parish, opens into an elongated lake, created
between 1798 and 1807 (fn. 19) as part of the pleasure
grounds for the newly-built Estcourt House. (fn. 20) The
lake was landscaped c. 1850 to include several small
islands. (fn. 21) In 1916 the West Gloucestershire Water
Co. sank several wells by the Foss Way. (fn. 22)
The north-south alignment of Shipton Moyne
village street suggests that the most significant
route through the parish was originally one linking
Tetbury with the Foss Way by way of Cranmore
lane; (fn. 23) the Foss Way by Shipton remained in use in
the mid 18th century. (fn. 24) By the 17th century
Cranmore lane had been superseded in importance
by Malmesbury way, recorded in 1677, (fn. 25) leading
south-eastwards from the village. It was turnpiked
in 1798, together with the road running from the
north end of the village to the Roman road on the
west boundary, as part of the Gloucester-Malmesbury road. The turnpike also included the Tetbury
road as far as the parish boundary at Under bridge, (fn. 26)
which was rebuilt in 1818. (fn. 27) There were two tollhouses, one at the northern end of the village and
the other at the cross-roads, (fn. 28) recorded in 1506, (fn. 29)
where the road crossed the Tetbury-Chippenham
route through Easton Grey. The latter, recorded as
Chippenham way in the south part of the parish in
1677, (fn. 30) ran from Under bridge along Wormwell
lane. (fn. 31)
The village grew up on the route from Tetbury to
the Foss Way. The church on the east side of the
street probably stands near the site of the medieval
manor-house but the later manor-house was some
way east. (fn. 32) The village contains several early
cottages but some recorded in 1838, notably at the
road junction south of the village, (fn. 33) were later
demolished. During the 19th century several estate
cottages were built. The village includes two farmhouses. Street Farm, at the northern end, is an
L-shaped building, probably of the early 18th
century, with a late-18th-century block built into
the angle. Further south on the west side of the
street is a farm-house of several periods. Part may
date from the 17th century or earlier, but the house
was remodelled in the 18th century (fn. 34) and again
altered in the early 19th when it served Cranmore
farm. (fn. 35) Opposite stand the alms-houses dated 1851;
owned and maintained by the Estcourt family, they
were occupied as four dwellings in 1922, (fn. 36) but by
1974 had become a private house. Further north, by
the lane to the church, the school was built in 1843;
after its closure in 1971 it became the village hall. (fn. 37)
In the mid 20th century a small council estate was
built at the southern end of the village on the site of
an early-19th-century allotment field. (fn. 38)
The settlement at Shipton Dovel in the west part
of the parish, recorded in the 1340s and apparently
so called after the family of Dunville, (fn. 39) grew up on
the Tetbury-Chippenham road. The hamlet, also
called Upper Shipton in the 18th and 19th
centuries, (fn. 40) was said to be of considerable size
c. 1710. (fn. 41) In 1974 it comprised scattered cottages,
including two of the mid 20th century, and two
farm-houses. Westend Farm appears to be of 17thcentury origin but has been so extensively altered
and enlarged that the original plan is obscured. It
was owned in 1717 by John Hillier, whose family
retained it until c. 1870 (fn. 42) when it became part of the
Westonbirt estate. (fn. 43) Pond Farm was built in the
early 18th century with a symmetrical south front.
The house, which was part of the Tugwell family's
estate in 1838, (fn. 44) was greatly enlarged to the east and
north in the 19th century. From 1858 until the
1930s it was the glebe farm-house. (fn. 45) West of the
house an 18th-century barn forms one side of a
court with ranges of sheds and stables.
The parish contains several outlying farmsteads
and cottages. There has been a habitation at Estcourt,
north-east of the village, since the early 14th century
and from its location was derived the family name of
Estcourt. (fn. 46) There was possibly a dwelling at Hillcourt in the west part of the parish by 1375, (fn. 47) and
north of it stands Clayfield Farm. (fn. 48) Near by are two
large houses built after the break-up of the Westonbirt estate in 1927; the one called Tanners was built
by Mrs. E. M. Glasier in 1929. (fn. 49) Cranmore Farm in
the south part of the parish was built c. 1837. (fn. 50) In
the eastern part of the parish Manor Farm, also
known as Beaven's or Ivyhouse Farm, (fn. 51) is a building
of the later 19th century on the site of a farm-house
recorded from the 1820s. (fn. 52) Ivy Cottages further
east occupy the site of Ivy House, recorded in 1824 (fn. 53)
but probably of much earlier origin. South-west of
Manor Farm stands Park Farm, which with its later19th-century out-buildings was in ruins in 1974.
Thirty-eight inhabitants of Shipton Moyne were
recorded in 1086 (fn. 54) and 34 assessed for tax in 1327. (fn. 55)
The assessment of 1381 records at least 60 names. (fn. 56)
The number of communicants was estimated at 90
in 1551 (fn. 57) and the number of households at 26 in
1563 (fn. 58) The population evidently rose in the 17th
century and in 1650 there were said to be 40
families. (fn. 59) About 1710 250 people in 60 houses were
enumerated, (fn. 60) but the population apparently fell
to 234 by c. 1775. (fn. 61) In 1801 the population was 273.
By 1831 it had risen to 389 but by 1841 had fallen
to 353. Over the following three decades it fluctuated
markedly and in 1881 was 420. After falling to 278
by 1921 it rose to 356 by 1951. In 1961 it stood at
337. (fn. 62)
In 1661 two parishioners were keeping unlicensed
alehouses (fn. 63) and in 1755 two victuallers were
licensed. (fn. 64) A beerhouse on the west side of the village
street was recorded in the early 19th century (fn. 65) and
was presumably occupied by the beer-retailers
listed in the parish later. (fn. 66) Apparently still unnamed
in 1891, (fn. 67) it was called the Estcourt Arms in 1927 (fn. 68)
but by 1931 the name had been changed to the Cat
and Custard Pot. (fn. 69) A labourers' friendly society,
planned c. 1795, (fn. 70) was apparently in existence in the
early 19th century (fn. 71) but had lapsed by 1815. (fn. 72)
Since the late 18th century the chief influence on
the life of the parish has been the Estcourt family,
which lived in Shipton Moyne from the early 14th
century and gradually acquired most of the land.
Thomas Estcourt (d. 1818) devised several schemes
to help the poor and to reduce the burden of the
poor-rates. (fn. 73) The coal club planned by T. G. B.
Estcourt in 1838 (fn. 74) was still functioning in 1876. (fn. 75)
In 1869 T. H. S. Sotheron-Estcourt installed a
water-supply for Estcourt House and the village. (fn. 76)
John Oldham the poet (1653-83) was born at
Shipton Moyne where his grandfather was rector
and his father apparently curate. (fn. 77)