{{Short description|Village in Wiltshire, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}} {{Use British English|date=August 2019}} {{Infobox UK place |country = England |static_image_name= St Michael's, Tidcombe - geograph.org.uk - 1436692.jpg |static_image_caption= St Michael's, Tidcombe |coordinates = {{coord|51.323|-01.585|type:city(50)_region:GB-WIL|display=inline,title}} |official_name= Tidcombe |label_position= left |population = |civil_parish = Tidcombe and Fosbury |unitary_england= Wiltshire |lieutenancy_england= Wiltshire |region=South West England |constituency_westminster = East Wiltshire |post_town= Marlborough |postcode_district = SN8 |postcode_area= SN |dial_code= 01264 |os_grid_reference= SU290583 }} '''Tidcombe''' is a small village in Wiltshire, England, on the eastern edge of the county, near Hampshire, about {{convert|9|mi|km|0}} southeast of Marlborough and {{convert|7|mi|km|0}} southwest of Hungerford. With few inhabitants, it forms part of the civil parish of Tidcombe and Fosbury, which has a parish meeting.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tidcombe and Fosbury Parish Meeting|url=https://cms.wiltshire.gov.uk/mgParishCouncilDetails.aspx?ID=491|last=|first=|date=|website=Wiltshire Council|url-status=|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=18 May 2020}}</ref>
== History == There is a prehistoric ditch on the slopes of Tidcombe Down, south and southwest of the village; part of the western boundary of the parish follows it.<ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1004729|desc=Linear earthwork on Tidcombe Down|access-date=18 May 2020}}</ref> Also on the down is a Neolithic long barrow, 54m long.<ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1012253|desc=Long barrow 700m south of Tidcombe|access-date=18 May 2020|fewer-links=yes}}</ref> The eastern boundary of the ancient parish followed the Roman road from Cirencester to Winchester, known in this area as Chute Causeway; on this section, between Marlborough in the northwest and Andover in the southeast, the road deviates south to avoid the dry valleys around Hippenscombe.<ref name=vch />
Domesday Book of 1086 recorded nine households at ''Titicome''.<ref>{{OpenDomesday|SU2958|tidcombe|Tidcombe}}</ref> Tidcombe lay within Savernake Forest until 1330.<ref name=vch />
Lords of the manor included William Esturmy of Wulfhall (died 1427; MP and Speaker of the House of Commons) and John Seymour (died 1464, also an MP). By 1540 the manor had been acquired by Edward Seymour (brother of queen consort Jane Seymour; later Duke of Somerset and Lord Protector; executed 1552) and it passed to his son Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford (1539–1621). The manor remained with the Dukes of Somerset until 1675, and was then held by the Seymours alongside Pewsey until sold around 1767 by Hugh Percy, 1st Duke of Northumberland and his wife Elizabeth (née Seymour) to Edward Tanner (d.1779).
left|thumb|Tidcombe manor house Tanner's son John (d.1797) was probably the builder of the manor house, near the church. In brick and stone dressings and with a five-bay front, it is now Grade II* listed.<ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1365508|desc=Tidcombe Manor|access-date=18 May 2020|fewer-links=yes}}</ref>
In the 19th century, the names Tidcombe and Titcombe were both in use.<ref>{{London Gazette | issue = 20534 | date = 15 November 1845 | page = 4299 }}</ref>
== Parish church == There is evidence of a church in the mid 13th century.<ref name=vch>{{cite web|title=Victoria County History: Wiltshire: Vol 16 pp215-222 – Tidcombe|url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol16/pp215-222|author-last1=Baggs|author-first1=A P|year=1999|editor-last=Crowley|editor-first=D.A.|website=British History Online|publisher=University of London|access-date=17 May 2020|author-first4=J H|author-last4=Stevenson|author-first5=E|author-last5=Williamson|author-first3=C|author-last2=Freeman|author-first2=J|author-last3=Smith}}</ref> The present church, in part-rendered flint with stone dressings, is from the 14th century. The nave was re-roofed in the 15th century, and in the 17th the low two-stage west tower was added which necessitated shortening the nave.<ref name=chlisting>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1299891|desc=Church of St. Michael|access-date=20 May 2020|fewer-links=yes}}</ref> The north porch, in brick and described by Pevsner as humble<ref>{{cite book |last1=Pevsner |first1=Nikolaus |authorlink1=Nikolaus Pevsner |last2=Cherry |first2=Bridget (revision) |year=1975 |orig-date=1963 |title=Wiltshire |series=The Buildings of England |edition=2nd |place=Harmondsworth |publisher=Penguin Books |isbn=0-14-0710-26-4 |page=519}}</ref> carries a date of 1675. The chancel was restored and paved in the 19th century.<ref name=chlisting />
Two of the three bells are from the 17th century.<ref name=vch /> The churchyard has a chest tomb of 1770, a memorial to Marie and Jane Tanner;<ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1033998|desc=Tanner monument in churchyard|access-date=21 May 2020|fewer-links=yes}}</ref> and 19th-century tombs of the Hawkins family of neighbouring Wexcombe.<ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1365507|desc=Pair of Hawkins Monuments|access-date=21 May 2020|fewer-links=yes}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1299862|desc=Hawkins Monument in Churchyard|access-date=21 May 2020|fewer-links=yes}}</ref> The church was recorded as Grade II* listed in 1966.<ref name=chlisting />
The Fosbury tithing was made a separate ecclesiastical parish in 1856 after a church was built there.<ref name=vch /> Hippenscombe, until then extra-parochial, was added to Tidcombe parish in 1879.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=24728 |date=27 May 1879|pages=3603-4|nolink=y}}</ref> Fosbury benefice was united with Tidcombe in 1926, although the parishes remained distinct; the incumbent was to live at the Fosbury parsonage.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=33226 |date=3 December 1926|pages=7897-9|nolink=y}}</ref> In 1962 the benefice was united with East Grafton.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=42846 |date=30 November 1962|page=9350|nolink=y}}</ref> The parish was united with Tidcombe in 1979<ref name=vch /> and Fosbury church was declared redundant.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=47987 |date=25 October 1979|page=13334|nolink=y}}</ref> Today the parish forms part of the Savernake team ministry, alongside eleven other rural churches around Burbage.<ref>{{cite web|title=St Michael's, Tidcombe|url=http://www.savernaketeam.org.uk/church/tidcombe-and-fosbury/|website=Savernake Team|access-date=20 May 2020}}</ref>
There is an early parish register, for 1635 to 1700.<ref>[https://www.flipsnack.com/5D5F55D9E8C/tidcombe-parish-registers-1639-1700/full-view.html Tidcombe parish register] at flipsnack.com</ref>
== Notable residents == George Jellicoe, 2nd Earl Jellicoe, wartime commander of the Special Boat Service and long-serving politician in the House of Lords, lived at Tidcombe Manor in later life until his death in 2007.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Remembering Lord Jellicoe|url=https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/remembering-lord-jellicoe|last=Leigh Fermor|first=Patrick|authorlink=Patrick Leigh Fermor|date=3 March 2007|website=The Spectator|url-status=|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=21 May 2020}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category-inline}} * [http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/tidcombe_-_approved_statement-2.pdf Tidcombe Conservation Area Statement] – Kennet District Council, 2005. Describes each building of the village.
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Category:Villages in Wiltshire