Description of this historic site
A row of almshouses, houses that were built for poor people to live during the Post Medieval period. They are situated on Rugby Road, Dunchurch.
It was built in the 16th century as a yeoman’s house but soon became an inn called over the years ‘The Lion’, ‘The Red Lion’ and ‘The Falconer’. At one time it had a grocer’s shop facing onto the main road. It ceased to be licensed in the late 19th century and became a farmhouse. There is said to be a tunnel containing a small room that runs from the cellar under the road to near the ‘Green Man’. The Home Guard had their headquarters here during the 2nd World War and the English Electric Company acquired it in 1954. Source: A Glimpse into the Past by Freda Bennett, 2006.
The old Lion Inn where the gunpowder Plot conspirators met on fifth November, 1605 to await news of the destruction of Westminster. Upon the arrest of Guy Fawkes their plan to seize Princess Elizabeth from nearby Coombe Abbey was abandoned and the rebellion which led to their defeat three days after the fifth was planned by the conspirators here at the Lion.
In 1605 the monarch was James I; the Princess Elizabeth was his eldest daughter and sister to the future Charles I. In 1605 she was nine and being educated by Lord Harington at nearby Coombe Abbey. She wasn’t a Catholic, but the conspirators planned to convert her and use her as their figurehead.
A Brief History of this Medieval Property.
The property now known as the Old Forge was built around 1300AD by the Monks of Pipewell who almost certainly lived there with their animals while they were rebuilding St. Peter's Church.
The original Old Forge building was built in the style of a single storey hall with timber frame and brick infill which along with the roof structure can still be seen today. The thatched roof was constructed from local wheat sheaves and the building set on stone foundations,
the same type as those used to build St. Peter's Church.
After the monks had completed the building of St. Peter's they probably used the property as a farmhouse and in the 1600's, a second floor was added within the hall using local oak floorboards to create a sleeping space.
Local legend says that during the English Civil War (1642 -51) Roundhead troops were billeted at The Old Forge and the original interior doors were used by the troops as firewood.
It is recorded that The Old Forge became the home and workshop of a Blacksmith from the 17th century until the 1920's.
Certainly, the Blacksmith would have been kept busy during the 18th and 19th centuries looking after the many coaches and horses (up to 40 a day) that came through Dunchurch via what is now known as the A45 and was then the main London to Ireland (Holyhead Rd).
The last Blacksmith at The Old Forge was George White and when he was working the property, it was also known as Longfellow's Smithy which refers to the legend that the American poet, Longfellow, was inspired by it to write the poem ‘The Village Blacksmith.’
The Blacksmith's Forge finally closed as a working forge in the 1920's and the Blacksmiths daughter opened a tearoom in the property.
In The 1940's, during the 2nd World War, although several village properties were damaged by bombs from the German Luftwaffe, the Old Forge thankfully survived and in the late 1940's, the Headmaster of Winton Hall School, Mr Phillips converted the Old Forge and the Cafe into a family home, which it still is to this day.
The Smithy and a cyclist (Sam Stuart)
H W Longfellow's poem (Howard Scott Walker)
The Forge (postcard)
The Forge (Tony Evans)
The Forge 2020 (Tony Evans)
The Bellows at The Forge 2021 (KB374)
Anvil at The Forge 2021 (KB374)
Water Pump at The Forge-2021 (KB374)
Website: www.dunchurchsportsandvhall.co.uk
Dunchurch Sportsfield in Rugby Rd was conveyed to a Charity of that name by Baron Waring on the 2nd March 1929 for sporting purposes. It was administered by three trustees, two nominated by the owner of 'White Lodge' in Vicarage Lane and one by the clubs who used the field. (White Lodge was occupied by Baron Waring's daughter until about 1970.) In 1987 the Charity Commission made a new Scheme to govern the Sportsfield and under it the field was to be administered by a committee which had representatives from the Cricket and Football Clubs and the Parish Council. Dunchurch Village Hall Charity owned the old village hall on Daventry Rd. The site was donated on 6th March 1936 by The Dunchurch Lodge Stud Company which still exists but does not operate locally. The hall was of wooden construction and by the mid-sixties, was little used so the trustees leased it to WCC for use as a youth club although it remained available for hire. Around 2000, Marilyn Greenwood with the backing of Dunchurch Parish Council formed a committee to investigate the possibility of building a modern and practical village hall. Marilyn and a representative from the WCC Estates Department searched the village to find a suitable site. An approach had already been made to Dunchurch Sportsfield but initially, permission for a new building had been declined. The most likely site identified was the old County Council depot in Southam Rd but County would only sell at full residential value, £500,000.00 approx. An idea formed to terminate the WCC lease of the Daventry Rd hall and apply for planning permission to build two or three houses on the site to raise funds. The Village Hall and Sportsfield charities could then merge and use the money towards building a new hall and changing rooms on the Rugby Rd site. Dunchurch Cricket Club was the most active of the sports clubs and in fairness, had done a lot of work in maintaining the sports field and had erected a pavilion with changing rooms but by 2000 these were in rather a sorry state. The trustees of the two charities agreed a merger although there were some issues to overcome with the Cricket Club who would lose their facilities. However, they were persuaded to agree in return for improved amenities. The Charity Commission made a scheme on the 25th January 2002 merging the two charities and creating the Dunchurch Sportsfield and Village Hall. Raising funds was a challenge but selling the Daventry Rd site raised £296,000.00 giving a good start. (The deeds relating to this site had a restrictive covenant against its use for any purpose other than that of a village hall but this was overcome by a technical point and a single premium insurance policy for £750.) Funds were raised by local appeals but the majority came from such bodies as County, Borough and Parish Council and Entrust, which distributed the Landfill Community Fund. In getting money from the local authorities, the late Councillor Gordon Collett was most helpful and building of phase 1 of the project started in January 2003 and was opened by Gordon Collett on the 13th December 2003. At this stage, the Cricket Club had lost their lounge but were still using their old changing rooms. Further fundraising took place to build the new changing rooms and the County Council gave £150.000.00 to build what is now the Club Room but was originally a room for the youth club. The new facilities were opened in May 2005 and the entire project erected without borrowing any money at a total cost of about £750,000.00. The original budget included £10,000.00 to cover the initial running costs but this was never needed as the premises were well used from day one. The current committee members are largely active retired people. About half were involved from the beginning before the premises were built. Most of the trustees are "hands on" but are not getting any younger! If anyone is prepared to become a trustee and give a bit of time towards keeping this well-used facility going, please contact bookings@dunchurchsportsandvhall.co.uk or 01788 522444. You can also get further information from the Charity's website on www.dunchurchsportsandvhall.co.uk
Friends of Dunchurch, a charity formed on 6th September 2018 by like-minded residents who love Dunchurch and its heritage and wish to protect and enhance its environment in order to make the village a better place to live in, work in and visit.
CONTACT US
Email: friendsofdunchurch@gmail.com
Village Green House, The Green, Dunchurch CV22 6NX