# Blockley > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Blockley > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Blockley.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blockley > Source revision: 1288867388 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) For other uses, see [Blockley (disambiguation)](/source/Blockley_(disambiguation)). **Blockley** is a village, [civil parish](/source/Civil_parish#United_Kingdom) and [ecclesiastical parish](/source/Parish) in the [Cotswold district](/source/Cotswold_(district)) of [Gloucestershire](/source/Gloucestershire), England, about 3 miles (5 km) northwest of [Moreton-in-Marsh](/source/Moreton-in-Marsh). Until 1931 Blockley was an [exclave](/source/Enclave_and_exclave) of [Worcestershire](/source/Worcestershire). The civil and ecclesiastical parish boundaries are roughly coterminous, and include the [hamlets](/source/Hamlet_(place)) of [Draycott](/source/Draycott,_Gloucestershire), [Paxford](/source/Paxford) and [Aston Magna](/source/Aston_Magna), the residential development at [Northwick](/source/Northwick_Park,_Gloucestershire) and the deserted hamlets of Upton and [Upper Ditchford](/source/Upper_Ditchford). Blockley village is on Blockley Brook, a tributary of Knee Brook. Knee Brook forms the northeastern boundary of the parish and is a tributary of the [River Stour](/source/River_Stour,_Warwickshire). ## History See also: [History of Worcestershire](/source/History_of_Worcestershire) and [History of Gloucestershire](/source/History_of_Gloucestershire) ### Manor In AD 855 King [Burgred of Mercia](/source/Burgred_of_Mercia) granted a monastery at Blockley to [Ealhhun](/source/Ealhhun), [Bishop of Worcester](/source/Bishop_of_Worcester) for the price of 300 [solidi](/source/Solidus_(coin)).[2] In 1086 the [Domesday Book](/source/Domesday_Book) recorded that the Bishop of Worcester held an estate of 38 [hides](/source/Hide_(unit)) at Blockley.[2] The Bishops of Worcester retained the estate until 1648, during the [English Civil War](/source/English_Civil_War), when the Parliamentary Trustees sold it.[2] After the [restoration of the English monarchy](/source/English_Restoration) the estate was restored to the Bishop of Worcester, whose successors held the manor until at least 1781.[2] ### Churches The [Church of England parish church](/source/Church_of_England_parish_church) of [St. Peter and St. Paul](/source/Church_of_St_Peter_and_St_Paul,_Blockley) is late [Norman](/source/Norman_architecture),[3] built in about 1180.[2] The ecclesiastical parish now forms part of the Vale and Cotswold Edge team of Church of England churches,[4] with the Team Vicar remaining responsible for Blockley and its outlying villages of Paxford, Draycott and Aston Magna, as well as the parish of [Bourton-on-the-Hill](/source/Bourton-on-the-Hill).[5] The church is used as St Mary's Roman Catholic church in the *[Father Brown](/source/Father_Brown_(2013_TV_series))* television series and the vicarage as the presbytery, Father Brown's residence.[6] The [Baptist](/source/Baptist) Chapel was built in 1835.[7] ### Economic and social history In 1715 the Vicar, the Rev. Dr. [Erasmus Saunders](/source/Erasmus_Saunders_(priest,_died_1724)), had a new school built for the parish.[2] Blockley still has a [Church of England](/source/Voluntary_controlled_school) primary school.[8] Much of the parish was farmed under an [open field system](/source/Open_field_system) until 1772, when an [Act of Parliament](/source/Acts_of_Parliament_in_the_United_Kingdom) provided for the enclosure of the remaining [common lands](/source/Common_land).[2] The [Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway](/source/Oxford,_Worcester_and_Wolverhampton_Railway), built between 1845 and 1851, passes through the parish. [Blockley railway station](/source/Blockley_railway_station) was more than 1.5 miles (2.4 km) northeast of the village and nearer to Paxford. [British Railways](/source/British_Rail) closed Blockley railway station in 1966 but the railway remains open as part of the [Cotswold Line](/source/Cotswold_Line). The nearest railway station still open is . Blockley is home to [Watsonian Squire](/source/Watsonian_Squire), the largest UK manufacturer of [sidecars](/source/Sidecar) and [trailers](/source/Motorcycle_trailer) for [motorbikes](/source/Motorcycle). It has been based in the village since 1984.[9] ## Governance An [electoral ward](/source/Wards_and_electoral_divisions_of_the_United_Kingdom) in the same name exists. This ward has the same area and population as the civil parish. ## Amenities Blockley has two [public houses](/source/Public_house). The Crown Inn and Hotel is a former [coaching inn](/source/Coaching_inn).[10] The Great Western Arms belongs to the [Hook Norton Brewery](/source/Hook_Norton_Brewery).[11] Blockley Sports & Social Club is the local sports club which has Hockey, Cricket and Football sections. The [post office](/source/Post_office) closed in 2007. In May 2008, under a co-operative agreement, the village residents opened a new local [not for profit](/source/Not_for_profit) store[12] that is a grocer, newsagent, post office, off-licence and café.[13] ## References 1. ["Location of North Cotswolds"](https://members.parliament.uk/constituency/4201/location). *parliament.uk*. Retrieved 29 January 2025. 1. *[Victoria County History](/source/Victoria_County_History)*, 1913, pages 265-276 1. Verey, 1970, page 121 1. ["Mission and Pastoral Measure Pastoral Scheme"](https://www.churchofengland.org/media/2059230/230914%20chipping%20campden.pdf). *Church of England*. Diocese of Gloucester. 18 August 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2016. 1. [A Church Near You: St Peter & St Paul, Blockley](http://www.achurchnearyou.com/blockley-st-peter-st-paul/) 1. ["Cotsworld journal"](http://www.cotswoldjournal.co.uk/news/9774502.TV_series_filmed_in_Cotswolds/). Retrieved 17 January 2014. 1. Verey, 1970, page 123-124 1. [Gloucestershire County Council: Details for: Blockley Church of England Primary School](https://archive.today/20120722014118/http://ww5.gloucestershire.gov.uk/findaschool/searchdetails.asp?SchoolSelect=30) 1. ["Watsonian Sidecars"](https://web.archive.org/web/20090119045542/http://madeinbirmingham.org/watsonian.htm). *Made in Birmingham*. Archived from [the original](http://www.madeinbirmingham.org/watsonian.htm) on 19 January 2009. Retrieved 20 January 2009. 1. Verey, 1970, page 123 1. [The Great Western Arms](https://web.archive.org/web/20101019000034/http://www.hooky-pubs.co.uk/pubs/pub_pages09/Great_Western_Arms_BlockleyGL569DT.html) 1. [Blockley Shop & Cafe](http://blockleyshop.org.uk)[Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20081211203955/http://blockleyshop.org.uk/) 11 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine 1. Readhead, Pamela (2008-11-26). ["Collective spirit"](https://www.theguardian.com/society/2008/nov/26/communities-blockley-village-shop). London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-12-07. ## Sources - Verey, David (1970). *[The Buildings of England](/source/Pevsner_Architectural_Guides#Buildings_of_England): Gloucestershire: The Cotswolds*. Harmondsworth: [Penguin Books](/source/Penguin_Books). pp. 121–125. ISBN 0-14-071040-X. - *[Victoria County History](/source/Victoria_County_History): A History of the County of Worcester, Volume 3*. 1913. pp. 265–276. ## External links - [Blockley Tourist Information Guide](https://www.cotswolds.info/places/blockley.shtml) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Blockley](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blockley) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blockley?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.