Chestnut Close, Aldington

Click on the image above to see this road on the Worcestershire County Council GIS website with the digitised historical maps. Click on the image below to view the original enclosure map.

Photos taken 2006. Aerial photos: a6972 a7150

CHESTNUT CLOSE

Chestnut Close comprises a development of twelve bungalows (four detached and eight semi-detached), built in the 1960s off Main Street, on the site of Little Orchard, which had been part of the estate owned by the Ashwin family. The bungalows are numbered 1-12 with the numbering going in a clockwise direction round the cul-de-sac. It is so-called because of the two chestnut trees at either side of the entrance (at one time, there were eight chestnut trees). Arthur H Savory, a "gentleman farmer", who was tenant of the Manor from 1873-1901, mentions the trees in his book "Grain and Chaff from an English Manor", which he wrote in 1920 having returned to his native Hampshire: "In recalling my earliest impressions of the village of Aldington, near Evesham, Worcestershire, the first picture that presents itself is of two chestnut-trees in full bloom in front of the Manor House which became my home, and their welcome was so gracious on that sunny May morning that it inclined me to take a hopeful view of the inspection of the house and land which was the object of my visit."

This photograph of Main Street, looking west, was taken about 1900. It shows the fence forming the boundary of Little Orchard, where Chestnut Close is now situated, and the line of chestnut trees.

Here is more information about the planning application [To be added.]

Entrance to Chestnut Close (Z027)

In 1807, at the time of the Aldington Enclosure Act, this plot of land was an old enclosure owned by John Phillips. It was a cottage and garden and amounted to 0a 0r 13p. The cottage fronted on to Pitwell Road (Main Street) with the garden behind, and was located exactly at the entrance to the present-day Close. It had originally belonged to William Crisp, a stonemason from Badsey, and Ann his wife, but they sold it to William Phillips of Evesham for £14 in 1777. James Ashwin bought it from William Phillips of Great Hampton, the eldest son of William Phillips, for £20 in 1810. It was demolished some time during the 19^th century (it had gone by the time of the 1883 Ordnance Survey map) and the land became part of the adjoining Little Orchard owned by the Ashwin family. A wooden farm gate was erected to provide access to the orchard from Main Street. James Taylor rented the orchard in the mid 20^th century and kept chickens under the mixed fruit trees.

1, 2, 3 eastern part, 4 northern part (Aldington Map A012)

This plot of land originally belonged to the Reverend Thomas Williams with the Laugher family as tenants. In June 1806, a full year before the Aldington Enclosure Act was passed, George Day, who owned the neighbouring land, entered into an agreement with the Reverend Thomas Williams: "….. after reciting that the said Thomas Williams and George Day had each of them freehold estates in Aldington aforesaid and that the said Thomas Williams had also freehold estates in the parishes of Offenham and Badsey in the county of Worcester part of which lay adjoining to the estate of the said George Day situate in the hamlet of Aldington and reciting that the proprietors of lands in the hamlet of Aldington had it in contemplation to inclose the open and common fields and other commonable and waste land within the said hamlet and in case the said inclosure should take effect it would be much to the advantage of the said Thomas Williams and George Day to make exchanges of part of their said estates it was mutually agreed by and between the said parties thereto and their respective heirs executors and administrators that in case the said Inclosure should take effect the said Thomas Williams should receive in exchange for his lands in Aldington so much of the under-mentioned lands of the said George Day as should in the judgement of the Commissioner or Commissioners to be appointed for making the said Inclosure be a full equivalent to the said Thomas Williams for the lands and hereditaments in the said hamlet of Aldington ..…". In 1808, when the Enclosure Commissioners made their awards, the exchange with the Reverend Thomas Williams was formally agreed and this plot of land was allotted to George Day for the Farm as his fourth allotment: "Also all that other piece or parcel of old Inclosed Land called the Little Orchard situate in the Village of Aldington aforesaid containing one rood and thirty perches, bounded on the North and East sides by Lanes or Streets in the Village of Aldington aforesaid, on the South and part of the West by a Garden and Orchard belonging to the said Edward Bootle, and on the remaining part of the West by Cottages and Gardens belonging to the said Edward Laugher and exchanged to the said George Day ….. and the Orchard called the Little Orchard are set out, allotted and Awarded as aforesaid by and with the consent and approbation of the said Thomas Williams, testified by his signing and sealing these presents as well as by an Agreement between him and the said George Day bearing date on or about the twenty-seventh day of June in the year of our Lord 1806." On 6^th October 1808, just two days after the Enclosure Awards, George Day sold this plot of land, together with all the estate he had bought from Lord Foley in 1805, to James Ashwin of Bretforton, for £12,000; the land remained in the Ashwin family until the middle of the 20^th century. In the inter-war period, a tennis court belonging to the Manor was situated here (approximately on the site of No 1), but had fallen into disuse after the Second World War.

3 western part (A013)

Until the early part of the 19^th century, four cottages belonging to Edward Laugher stood on this piece of land which forms part of the garden of Number 3. In 1808, when the Aldington Enclosure Commissioners made their awards, this plot of land was allotted to George Day for the Farm as his fifth allotment: "Also all that Messuage divided into four dwellings with the site thereof and Gardens thereto adjoining situate in the Village of Aldington aforesaid, heretofore the property of the said Edward Laugher, containing sixteen perches, bounded on the North by a Street or Lane in the Village of Aldington aforesaid, on the East by a Close called the Little Orchard hereinbefore Awarded to the said George Day, on the South by an Orchard belonging to the said Edward Bootle, and on the West by a Messuage and Garden belonging to the said John Phillips." On 6^th October 1808, just two days after the Enclosure Awards, George Day sold the cottages, together with all the estate bought from Lord Foley in 1805, to James Ashwin of Bretforton, for £12,000; the land remained in the Ashwin family until the middle of the 20^th century. The cottages were demolished some time during the 19^th century (they had gone by the time of the 1883 Ordnance Survey map) and the land became part of the adjoining Little Orchard. A wooden farm gate was erected to provide access to the orchard from Main Street. James Taylor rented the orchard in the mid 20^th century and kept chickens under the mixed fruit trees.

4 southern part, 5, 6, 7 eastern part (Aldington Map Z026)

In 1807, at the time of the Aldington Enclosure Act, this plot of land was an old enclosure owned by Edward Bootle. It was an orchard and amounted to 0a 2r 12p. It was acquired by the Ashwin family some time in the 19^th century. By the time of the 1883 Ordnance Survey map, it had become part of Little Orchard. The land remained in the Ashwin family until the middle of the 20^th century. James Taylor rented the orchard in the mid 20^th century and kept chickens under the mixed fruit trees.

7 western part, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 (Aldington Map A010)

In 1807, at the time of the Aldington Enclosure Act, this plot of land was an old enclosure called The Park owned by William Chambers. In 1808, when the Aldington Enclosure Commissioners made their awards, this plot of land was allotted to George Day for the Farm as his second allotment (William Chambers was allotted land in the western part of the parish, presumably as compensation): "Also all that other piece or parcel of old Inclosed Land called the Park, containing two roods and twelve perches, bounded on the North by a Lane or Street in the Village of Aldington aforesaid, on the East by a Cottage and Garden belonging to the said John Phillips and an Orchard belonging to the said Edward Bootle, on the South by an Orchard belonging to the said Edward Laugher, and on the West by the second Allotment herein Awarded to the said Edward Laugher and an old Inclosure belonging to the said Philip Rock, which said Inclosure called the Park is set out, allotted and Awarded as aforesaid by and with the consent of the said William Chambers testified by his signing and sealing these presents." On 6^th October 1808, just two days after the Enclosure Awards, George Day sold this plot of land, together with all the estate bought from Lord Foley in 1805, to James Ashwin of Bretforton, for £12,000; the land remained in the Ashwin family until the middle of the 20^th century.