Steeple Bumpstead

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Steeple Bumpstead is a village in the district of Braintree, Essex, United Kingdom, 3 miles south of Haverhill.

The parish church does not actually have a steeple, however the Congregational Church has a small Victorian one. It is believed that the Steeple referred to was actually located on the A1307 close to what is now the Wixoe pumping Station. The Moot Hall is recorded in the Doomsday book.

1 History
2 Modern times
3 External links

[edit] History

Nurse Edith Cavell died in Brussels on 12th October 1915, shot by a German firing squad for helping Allied soldiers to escape. She became, of course, a legend for bravery and sacrifice. But her ties with Steeple Bumpstead occurred long before that and before she became a nurse. During 1886, Edith was appointed governess to the four children of the Reverend Charles Powell, vicar of Steeple Bumpstead. The vicarage, where a stone plaque commemorates her stay, is no longer the residence of the local vicar, but it is still there, a private residence, on the corner of Chapel Street and Finchingfield Road. There is, in the 11th century village church, a plaque to Edith Cavell and there is also a road named after her.

There has been a long history on non-conformist belief in the village. A Bumpstead man was burnt to death in the parish for his beliefs in the days of the Catholic church. Along the Blois Road, leading from Bumpstead to Birdbrook, is a field that has been called the ‘Bloody Pightle’, and that is where he is believed to have been martyred. In 1527 John Tibauld and eight other village residents were seized and taken before the Bishop of London, charged with meeting together in Bower Hall to pray and read a copy of the New Testament.

The Shopping Basket - Bowtells - (Then high Street) Chapel Street around 1930

Although the non-conformist in the village were encouraged by the powerful Bendyshe family that lived at Bower Hall, even their influence could not save Tibauld. He was burned at the stake. Having fallen into ruin after use as a ‘concentration camp’ in the First World War, Bower Hall was finally demolished in 1926 and the materials sold off. The great staircase found its way to America.

Mott Hall, or ‘the Old Schole’, symbolises Steeple Bumpstead. Built in 1592 by the inhabitants on land rented from the Crown, in the 1830s when it was ‘a school for farmers’ sons’ the villagers forcibly took possession of it, disputing the claim of George Gent of Moyns to have the right to appoint the headmaster. Eventually an Ecclesiastical Court upheld the villagers’ claim.

Colonel J. C. Humphrey, son of the village wheelwright, allegedly invented corrugated iron. He built and lived in the Iron House, North Street, which was sadly demolished in the 1960s. At one time Humphreys Ltd of London claimed to the be ‘largest works in the world’ and held a Royal Warrant as ‘supplier to His Majesty King Edward VII’.

[edit] Modern times

Recently there has been much property development around Steeple Bumpstead including the addition of Freezes Barns, Old Hall Close and Suckling's Yard.

There are many facilities in Steeple Bumpstead for residents including a local village Mace Store, a Post Office, a Petrol station, an Antiques Shop, and a library in the aforementioned Moot Hall. Steeple Bumpstead is also fortunate enough to have it's own medical practice providing first rate care to the community. In addition to these local facilities, Steeple Bumpstead has two pubs, The Fox and Hounds and The Red Lion.

Steeple Bumpstead has its own School, Stanley Drapkin Primary School, Steeple Bumpstead. In the latest Ofsted report, Stanley Drapkin Primary School, Steeple Bumpstead was described as follows:

"This is an effective school which provides good value for money. Leadership and management are good. Pupils are happy, behave very well and enjoy their work. By the time they leave the school, pupils are achieving above-average standards overall. The teaching is good overall and this ensures that pupils enjoy learning and achieve well."

Steeple Bumpstead has a Scout Group: 1st Steeple Bumpstead Scouts, this consists of a Beaver Colony, A Cub Pack and a Scout Troop. The group in total has circa 100 members. The Cub Pack and Scout Troop meet on Fridays while the Beaver Colony meets on Mondays. An Article on 1st Steeple Bumpstead Scouts has recently been published by the Haverhill Echo written by a member of the Scout Troop on Work Experience. For further information consult The HCV Scout Website. There is also an active Brownies group, and a Girl Guides group.