The Longhope Village Website

It is known that the Forest of Dean and the Severn Valley were covered in dense woodland at the time the Romans occupied Britain. While we don't think Longhope dates back to Roman times it is highly likely Longhope was founded in Saxon times. This is suggested by the fact that three saxon cross bases still exist in the village, one in the churchyard of All Saints', another near the site of the former Plough Inn and one at Dursley Cross. It has been disputed that the base in the churchyard is not that of a cross but that of the old mediaeval font before it was destroyed.

1000s

At the time of the Domesday Book, the Manor of Hope was held by two saxons called Forne and Wulfheah (sometimes referred to as Ferne and Ulfeg). It is likely, therefore, that the village of Longhope would have existed at this time albiet rather smaller than it is today. Domesday also records that the Manor had five taxable hides (about 600 acres) and a total of 14 ploughs used to work the land, two being held by the Lords and 12 in private hands [4]. The total value of this land was, before 1066, £8 and at the time of Domesday was 100s [4]. The population at the time comprised 12 villagers, a smallholder and three slaves. There is also mention of one mill in the Manor with a value of 17d [4].

Soon after the Norman invasion, the manor was given to William fitz Baderon, Lord of Monmouth, who was one of William the Conqueror's followers. Fitz Baderon also had land in Gloucestershire and Herefordshire.

1100s

Longhope All Saints' church is believed to have been built by Norman settlers sometime in the 12th century as lower parts of the tower and a window date back to these times. It is entirely possible that the church replaced an older saxon church, which were made from wood and so didn't last for long. Inside the church in the North Transept is an effigy of a priest dated c. 1300.

1200s

The Manor of Hope passed to Gilbert Talbot in about 1256 and stayed in the family for several generations.

1300s

1400s

1500s

Sometime after Domesday, the name Hope was changed to Longhope so that it would not be confused with another Hope in Herefordshire. It is in 1599 that the name Hope Longa is used in the registers of the bishop of Gloucester. The name was probably used before this date but this is the earliest documentation we have found so far.

At the visitation of 1548 by the then bishop, John Wakeman, it was found that Longhope had sold items of value from the church, namely a pyx, cross and chalice, to pay for soldiers to be sent to Scotland and also for "thamendyng of the highe waye betwixt the said parisshe and Huntleye" [1].

1600s

In 1642, Royal Spring (formerly an inn) was named by Charles I when he stopped here on his way back from the Battle of Powick Bridge near Worcester, to drink from the spring, or maybe sample the local wine produced from locally grown grapes.

1700s

In Chancellor Parsons' survey of the diocese in about 1700 he noted that several houses and land that was to be used for the upkeep of the church and caring for the poor and wounded soldiers were not being used as such. This was rectified by a commision directed to Sir John Hungerford, Sir Henry Winston, Sir Robert Partridge, Robert George and Geore Masters esqs. who gave "12 or more substantial men of Longhope to direct income from lands and heriditaments to the value of 20 marks per year to these end" [2].

Not all the citizens of Longhope were honest and law-abiding. The Churchwardens' Accounts for the parish recorded outcomes of trials and any fines that were handed out to the unsavoury. In 1712, for example, a parishoner whose name was unrecorded in the accounts was fined 6d for "swearing a Constable or Tythingman". There are others including the use of a dog to kill a hare.

1800s

Longhope Church of England School was built in 1829 on glebe land (land belonging to the church) close to what is now the old rectory. The original school building still exists but is due for demolishon as it has become unsafe. Log books were kept by the headteacher from these early times and have survived to this day.

A police station was built in Longhope in the Latchen in the 1850s and was on the left hand side of what is now known as Brook House. The other half was the village shop.

1900s (Draft)

A collection was made to help the families and survivors of the Titanic disaster in 1912.

At a service led by Reverend Murray Penfold, of Longhope, a new plaque was erected on the top of May Hill to replace one put there in 1877 to commemorate the plating of trees for Queen Victoria's golden jubilee. The original had been missing for many years and no-one could remember the exact wording of it. The plaque read: "This plaque replaces one which was erected in 1877 by the Parish of Longhope at the planting of these trees to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. At the same time the land within the ditch was given to the Parish for all time".

Not many people know about the Longhope lifeboat tragedy of 1969. This may sound strange due to the fact that Longhope, being in a valley, does not have any access to the sea. This is easily explained by the fact that the other Longhope on the Isle of Hoy in the Orknies has since 1874. The lifeboat TGB was launched on the evening of March 17th, 1969 to lead assistance to a Liberian cargo ship by the name of Irene. Sometime after 9:30pm the same evening, when the lifeboat was last seen, it capsized with the loss of the entire crew.

The population survey of 1981 showed that, although 180 new houses had been built since the end of the Second World War, the population had not increased significantly since 1932. This was mainly due to the fact that families were larger back then than they are now, as many as 23 people were recorded in one council house.