Throckmorton, Worcestershire

Last updated

Throckmorton
Throckmorton Church - geograph.org.uk - 10665.jpg
Throckmorton Church
Worcestershire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Throckmorton
Location within Worcestershire
Population200 (2001 census)
OS grid reference SO980496
Civil parish
  • Throckmorton
District
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town PERSHORE
Postcode district WR10
Police West Mercia
Fire Hereford and Worcester
Ambulance West Midlands
List of places
UK
England
Worcestershire
52°08′42″N2°01′48″W / 52.145128°N 2.030097°W / 52.145128; -2.030097 Coordinates: 52°08′42″N2°01′48″W / 52.145128°N 2.030097°W / 52.145128; -2.030097

Throckmorton is a small village and civil parish in the administrative district of Wychavon, in the county of Worcestershire, England.

Contents

The village lies 3.5 miles northeast of Pershore, five miles north-west of Evesham and 9 miles southeast of the city of Worcester. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 200.

The church

The village is ancient and the earliest extant remains are parts of the church and bell-tower (now a chapelry), dating from the 13th century. Excavations discovered the stone foundations of an even earlier church on the site. The church has no electricity and is lit by gas-lamps and candles.

QinetiQ Pershore

Disused control tower, Pershore Airfield Disused Control Tower, Pershore airfield - geograph.org.uk - 10653.jpg
Disused control tower, Pershore Airfield

Formerly RAF Pershore, also known as Throckmorton Airfield, the site is owned and operated by QinetiQ as a Business Park and Trials Centre.

At the periphery of the village is the former military airfield officially known as RAF Pershore. Archaeological investigations of the airfield have suggested that it was originally a Roman site. [1] The airfield was built in 1940 during the Second World War and was home to No 23 Operational Training Unit equipped with Wellington bombers. Subsequently, the airfield was home to No 1 Ferry Unit, No. 10 Advanced Flying Training School and several other RAF units then latterly by the Royal Radar Establishment Flying Unit.

The airfield was also sometimes used by Vulcan and Valiant V-bombers as one of a number of dispersal sites for the RAF's V-Force nuclear-deterrent; none were ever dispersed on anything other than training missions. In response to a question raised in Parliament, assurance was given that there are no records of radioactive contamination as a result of this use of the site as no V-bomber was ever dispersed with live weapons. [2]

Several plans have been put forward for the development of the site, which was used in 2001 as a burial ground for the carcasses of over 100,000 animals afflicted with foot and mouth disease. [3] In 2008 it was suggested that the site be used as a prison camp to relieve overcrowding in Britain's jails. [4] In 2008 proposals were put forward by QinetiQ to use the site for the development of an eco-town for a population of up to 20,000. [5]

From 2010 to 2015, the airfield hosted Throckmorton Air Show to benefit local charities. [6]

In 2019, people from Throckmorton and surrounding villages came together to share their opinions on the Throckmorton Airfield housing development. The development would bring over 2,000 houses to the area as well as schools, services and employment. [7]

The Throckmorton family

The village gave its name to the Throckmorton family.

In the media

The village has had a number of television and radio documentaries made about it, notably by Channel 4's archaeological television programme Time Team in 2002 [8] and BBC Radio 4 in 2006.

Culture and countryside

The surrounding countryside is that celebrated by A. E. Housman and Edward Elgar, and there are numerous heritage sites locally.

Related Research Articles

RAE Bedford Airport in Thurleigh near Bedford

RAE Bedford was a research site of the Royal Aircraft Establishment between 1946 and 1994. It was located near the village of Thurleigh, north of the town of Bedford in England and was the site of aircraft experimental development work.

RAF Andover Former Royal Air Force flying base in Hampshire, England

RAF Andover is a former Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force station in England, 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Andover, Hampshire. As well as RFC and RAF units, units of the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps, Royal Canadian Air Force, United States Army Air Forces, and the Air Transport Auxiliary were also stationed at the airfield.

RAF Gaydon Royal Air Force station

Royal Air Force Gaydon or more simply RAF Gaydon is a former Royal Air Force station located 5.2 miles (8.4 km) east of Wellesbourne, Warwickshire and 10.8 miles (17.4 km) north west of Banbury, Oxfordshire, England.

MoD Boscombe Down

MoD Boscombe Down(ICAO: EGDM) is the home of a military aircraft testing site, on the southeastern outskirts of the town of Amesbury, Wiltshire, England. The site is managed by QinetiQ, the private defence company created as part of the breakup of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) in 2001 by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD).

RAF Thurleigh Second World War RAF station

Royal Air Force Thurleigh or more simply RAF Thurleigh is a former Royal Air Force station located 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. Thurleigh was transferred to the United States Army Air Forces Eighth Air Force on 9 December 1942 and designated Station 111, and used for heavy bomber operations against Nazi Germany.

RAF Hemswell Former RAF station in Lincolnshire, England

Royal Air Force Hemswell or more simply RAF Hemswell is a former Royal Air Force station located 7.8 miles (12.6 km) east of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England.

Royal Air Force Defford or more simply RAF Defford is a former Royal Air Force station located 1.1 miles (1.8 km) northwest of Defford, Worcestershire, England.

Defford Human settlement in England

Defford is a small village in the county of Worcestershire, England, located between the towns of Pershore and Upton-upon-Severn. It was once part of the Royal forest of Horewell. The woodlands were mostly removed around the time of the Civil War.

Tibberton, Worcestershire Human settlement in England

Tibberton is a village in Worcestershire, England. It is located around 4 miles north-east of Worcester and less than a mile from junction 6 of the M5 motorway. The Worcester and Birmingham Canal passes just to the north of the village.

Royal Air Force Long Marston or more simply RAF Long Marston is a former Royal Air Force station, that was opened in 1941 in the county of Warwickshire.

Peopleton Human settlement in England

Peopleton is a village and civil parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, England. In 2001 the parish had a population of 640, with 245 households.

Royal Air Force Honeybourne or RAF Honeybourne was a Royal Air Force station located 0.6 miles (0.97 km) south of Honeybourne, Worcestershire, England and 4.6 miles (7.4 km) east of Evesham, Worcestershire, England

Netheravon Airfield

Netheravon Airfield is a Ministry of Defence grass strip airfield on Salisbury Plain, in Wiltshire, England. Established in 1913 by the Royal Flying Corps, it became RAF Netheravon from 1918 until 1963, then AAC Netheravon until 2012. Buildings from 1913 and 1914 survive on part of the site. The site forms part of the Tidworth, Netheravon and Bulford (TidNBul) Garrison.

Royal Air Force Acaster Malbis or more simply RAF Acaster Malbis is a former Royal Air Force station located 5.9 miles (9.5 km) south of York city centre and 5.7 miles (9.2 km) east of Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England. It was developed from a small grass airfield at the beginning of the Second World War and its main use was as a training base for RAF Bomber Command before being used by RAF Maintenance Command from 1944 until 1957.

RAF Snitterfield Airport in Snitterfield

RAF Snitterfield is a former Royal Air Force station located west of Snitterfield, Warwickshire, England, 3.3 miles (5.3 km) north of Stratford-upon-Avon and 4.6 miles (7.4 km) south-east of Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire.

RAF Hockley Heath Airport in Hockley Heath

RAF Hockley Heath is a former Royal Air Force station located 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Solihull, Warwickshire, England, 7.7 miles (12.4 km) north-east of Redditch, Worcestershire.

Royal Air Force Worcester or more simply RAF Worcester is a former Royal Air Force relief landing ground (RLG) which was located 1.7 miles (2.7 km) north east of Worcester city centre, Worcestershire, England and 4.4 miles (7.1 km) south west of Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire.

Royal Air Force Bitteswell or more simply RAF Bitteswell is a former Royal Air Force station located 2.0 miles (3.2 km) west of Lutterworth, Leicestershire and 6.1 miles (9.8 km) north of Rugby, Warwickshire, England.

QinetiQ Pershore is a Business Park and Trials Centre operated by QinetiQ. The site is located near the village of Throckmorton, Worcestershire, England.

RAF Hixon Former RAF base in Staffordshire, England

Royal Air Force Hixon or more simply RAF Hixon was a Royal Air Force station located on the north western edge of the village of Hixon in Staffordshire, England. The airfield was 7.5 miles (12.1 km) east of Stafford and bounded at the west and north by railways.

References

  1. Archeological investigations of the airfield Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
  2. House of Commons minutes: Hansard 21 February 2008 Retrieved 3 August 2009
  3. Worcestershire news archives Retrieved 3 August 2009
  4. Birmingham Post 2008 Retrieved 3 August 2009
  5. Worcestershire news archives Retrieved 3 August 2009
  6. "Throckmorton Air Show".
  7. "'Supervillage' plan is 'biggest threat since Norman Conquest'". Worcester News. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  8. "Categories - All 4".