Marton Village, Warwickshire

Local History Group: June 2016 Update

Group at Green Man
Group at Green Man

In May the Group went for a walking tour of the historic buildings in Dunchurch. This walk was researched and led, as usual for the “May history walk”, by Mike Johnson (photo shows group starting out on the walk). A brief summary of the buildings seen on the walk is given below.

The Group now has a summer break and the next meeting will be in the village hall on Monday October 31st. More details about this and the rest of the new programme will be publicised nearer the time.

green man_0975Mike started the walk at the Green Man, which, in the days of stagecoaches, was one of Dunchurch’s many coaching inns. Dunchurch was on the routes between London and many other locations such as Holyhead (for Ireland), Liverpool, Birmingham and Manchester.

church_0982The Church of St Peters was mentioned in the Domesday Book and the current building mainly dates from the 14th C when it was rebuilt after a fire.

 

 

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Old Red Lion Inn

What is now “Guy Fawkes House” (somewhat of a misnomer) was once the Red Lion coaching Inn. It was here that some of Guy Fawkes’ fellow conspirators awaited news of the Gunpowder Plot, with the intension of then going to Coombe Abbey and seizing the Princess Elizabeth and proclaim her as the new monarch.

school_0980
Old School House

In 1707 a trust was founded to build a school which was free for local children.

alms_0985
Alms Houses

Alms Houses seen today date from 1880 with an extension added in 1949.

 

 

 

statue_0987The statue at the cross-roads is that of Lord John Scott, second son of the Duke of Buccleugh and Lord of the manor of Dunchurch. He was born in 1809 and died in 1860. His statue is decorated every Christmas with various costumes.

smithy_0989
The Old Forge

The Old Forge is the oldest property in the village. It is believed to have been the subject of Longfellows’ poem “The Village Blacksmith” (Under a spreading chestnut tree / The village smithy stands / …)

 

 

 

dun cow_0992The Dun Cow is purported to have had many famous guests, including, in 1837, George Stephenson (during the building of the London to Birmingham railway).

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Location of old Market Cross

The original Market Cross was replaced by a sign post in 1813.