Bradpole Parish Council

Monday, 6th September 2010

History

The Parish Definition

The historic definition of 'Parish' is an area served by a priest from a local church to whom tithes* and other church dues were payable. A parish could contain more than one township, or be part of a much larger manor. Parish Councils were created in the Parliament Act of 1894 and reformed in 1974.
* The word 'tithe' is derived from Old English, meaning 'tenth'. Thus one tenth of a commodity was paid as a contribution, tax or levy. Historically, this was usually paid in kind, such as agricultural produce or other such items.

Holy Trinity Church

The Holy Trinity Church is entirely Victorian, having been rebuilt on a different site to the old church in 1845 / 1846. A spire was added to the tower in 1863 and the peal of five bells were placed in the tower in 1865. The church was enlarged in 1897 by C.E. Ponting. The original medieval 15th Century church had a font and royal coat of arms in metal, which were saved and installed in the current church. In 1904, the church was heated throughout via various hot water pipes, while in 1912, the church spire was covered with oak shingle. A wrought iron cross in the grounds of the church remembers those from the village who gave their lives during World War II.

Village of Bradpole

The Parish of Bradpole is mentioned in the 'Domesday Book' where its name is spelt as 'Bratpolle'. As with many similar villages, Bradpole's history centres around the Parish Church and the Manor House. Unfortunately the Manor House is no longer in existence. It was built in the 13^th Century during the reign of Henry III by members of the Norman family, the de Morvilles. It is thought that the housing estate which today includes Court Close, Church Close and the Gore Cross Estate is built on the grounds of the Ancient Manor.

On September 23^rd 1651, Charles II after the battle of Worcester, fled south to Charmouth to board a promised boat to take him to France. The boat never materialised. So the Royal Party left and headed east to Bridport. Unknown to Charles, the alarm had been raised as the party left. Captain Macey and his troop of Parliamentary soldiers entered Bridport from the western end. At the Junction of Lee Lane with the main Dorchester Road, the Royal Party decided to take the spur and return to Trent, thus avoiding Mackey. Lee Lane used to be an obscure single carriageway running through Bradpole village, but is known to locals as the route that King Charles took when fleeing Cromwell’s Roundheads. Where Lee Lane meets the main road, there is a plaque which commemorates Charles II's flight following the battle of Worcester and his failure to find a boat at Charmouth to carry him to France.

In the 1800's, Bridport's Workhouse which was in Barrack Street, was then situated within the Parish of Bradpole.

In 1848, Bradpole Village School was built.

Bradpole's most famous son is probably William Edward Forster. He was born in Bradpole in 1818. His father was a minister of the Society of Friends. He was educated at home by his mother in early childhood and later went to a Quaker School. He trained as a lawyer, taking a keen interest in politics. In 1835 he changed careers and entered the wool trade. In 1850 he left the Society of Friends and married Jane Arnold. In 1861 he was elected MP for Bradford and entered Parliament in 1865. In 1870 he was responsible for carrying the Education Act of 1870 through the House of Commons and was committed to universal education. This act allowed for education to be funded by government and the local rates, with grants being given to Church Schools and School Boards being created to establish new schools. These were the first major steps towards universal education in England. Forster died in Burley in 1886. In 1889, the Forster Memorial Institute was built by public subscription and opened the following year.

In 1894, the Parish Council was formed on 17^th December.

In 1959, Bradpole School closed.

In 1975, there were restoration works, improvements and an extension to the Forster Institute, which is now the Bradpole Village Hall. These works were completed in 1980.

Village of Pymore

Pymore is divided into two Parishes. East Pymore on the east bank of the River Brit is within Bradpole Parish, while the west bank of the river is within Allington Parish.

Pymore dates back to the early 14^th Century, when it had a flour mill powered by the River Brit. According to the Domesday Book, the land was owned by one Robert de Pymore.

By the 1700's, the population of Pymore depended for their livelihoods on rope and twine making at the village mill, or by growing flax and hemp in the nearby fields. Rope walks were set up near the millpond, while outbuildings, cottages, a dairy and a brewery were built by the mill owners. A stone privy in the form of a roofed bridge across a stream, its seat a wooden plank with a hole in it, was used by the apprentice spinners. A steam engine was installed into the mill in 1833.

Pymore school opened in 1870. A hostel for working girls was still going strong in the 1930's when several girls were sent to work in the ropery, many from South Wales and Ireland.

The advent of man-made fibres forced the ropery to close in 1955. Many of the villagers moved from the area in search of employment, leaving much of Pymore deserted and its buildings became derelict. Today, many of the buildings have been converted into dwellings and the village is once more inhabited.

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