| Offenham | |
|---|---|
 Main Street, Offenham | |
  Offenham Location withinWorcestershire | |
| OS grid reference | SP0546 |
| Civil parish |
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| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | EVESHAM |
| Postcode district | WR11 |
| Dialling code | 01386 |
| Police | West Mercia |
| Fire | Hereford and Worcester |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
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Offenham is a large rural village and civil parish in theWychavon district ofWorcestershire, England, located about three miles east ofEvesham, in theVale of Evesham. TheRiver Avon flows through Offenham. The civil parish extends beyond the area of the settlement of Offenham and includes Blackminster Middle School and the Blackminster Trading Estate. It was awarded the title of Calor Worcestershire Village of the Year in 2004.
Offenham was founded as amonastic grange andmedieval deer park by theBenedictineAbbots ofEvesham Abbey in the 13th century, the old grange stood where Court Farm now stands. The grange was established to enclose the large flocks of sheep needed by the Abbots to trade wool withFlanders.During theDissolution of the Monasteries the grange became crown property andHenry VIII granted both Offenham and Evesham toPhilip Hoby, one of his English Ambassadors. The grange and park later became the property of the Hazelwood family until the mid-18th century when it was sub-divided, by this time the village had formed an adequate farming and market gardening community.[1]
Offenham village is noted for its 64 ftmaypole, the tallest of only six permanent maypoles remaining in England. OnMay Day there is maypole dancing,morris dancing and the crowning of theQueen of the May. It is not known for how long Offenham has had a maypole but the tradition dates back to medieval times.[1]
The village church was built in 1538 and rebuilt in 1861/2 byFrederick Preedy who was born in Offenham in 1820.
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