Every two years a small army of amazing volunteers comes together to showcase the beautiful village of Beckford, a quiet rural village at the southern foothills of Bredon Hill with a long history of settlement stretching back to the 8th century. We warmly welcome visitors of all ages to relax and enjoy the 13 wonderful country gardens and attractions that are at the heart of our community. We also have free children’s attractions to keep the little ones happy, and dog stations to keep our canine friends out of trouble too!
<<<<<<< In 2024, BBC Hereford and Worcester visited us and produced a short video of their visit.
This year we offer the ever popular events like the Champagne Bar & BBQ, the Classic Vehicles, the Treasure Hunt and of course the excellent teas and cakes. New to this year will be information stations about Bees and Bats.
We look forward to welcoming you to our Open Village, with tickets available on the day, purchased at the Airstream sales point in the car park next to the Village Hall.
Beckford History
The name Beckford derives from “Becca’s ford”, a crossing point over the Carrant Brook which runs along the south side of the village. The earliest known settlement was to the east of the current village around 50 A.D. Items of 2nd and 3rd century pottery have been discovered around the village and just to the west, a cemetery dating largely from the 6th century, containing at least 107 graves.
By the late 8th century there was a minster church at Beckford. In 1086 there were 69 inhabitants living in Beckford and by 1662 there were 26 houses assessed for tax (of which 5 still survive). The Main Street is probably ancient and the chief houses, Beckford Hall (Garden Nos.5 and 6), the Court House (Garden No.12), and the Vicarage, stand on the north side of the street close to the church. The Old House (Garden No.7) from the c.16th-century stands at the east end of the village.
Near the entrance to the churchyard the street widened out to form a small square where, in the early 19th century, stood a slate-roofed cross. This square, then called the market-place, now known as the Village Green was bordered on the north side by thatched, timber-framed houses. Houses were built on the west and south sides of the square in the 18th century. The cross has been removed, the timber-framed houses replaced by brick buildings, and the Village Green largely paved over. In Back Lane the Manor House, which is an old house but not a manor-house, is on the south side of the Carrant Brook. A mill on the Carrant is believed to have existed to the west of the bridge.
The appearance of the main street changed significantly in the 1860’s after a serious fire, but also through the activities of a progressive landlord, Robert Timbrill, and through the opening of Beckford station (opened 1865, closed 1963) on the Ashchurch-Evesham branch of the Midland Railway. Most of the old houses in the main street were replaced by brick houses. Robert Timbrill built the Towers, a massive brick house now called The Grange (with an imposing entrance arch between garden Nos. 11 and 13), in 1865.
The school (since converted to homes) by the lych-gate and nearby cottages were built on land given by his father, Rev. John Timbrill (who was vicar of Beckford for 67 years!) and a number of other brick houses, detached and semi-detached, date from the same period. Robert Timbrill provided gas for the village from a small works built in what is now the garden of Adsett Cottage (Garden No.10). In 1870 the village was described as “remarkably clean and interesting”. A sewage works was built c.1906 (happily a reasonable distance away from the village) and a village club was built at the west end of the main street in 1937 (where the Village Hall is now).
Nowadays, Beckford is a vibrant, friendly village with the Nature Reserve, the recently refurbished Village Hall, a Tennis Club, a Croquet Club, the Women’s Institute, Royal British Legion, Church Coffee Mornings and Simply Soup monthly lunches.
For more information about the history of Beckford visit The Shieling. where you will find some additional links to websites about the local history.