Bascote Heath Church still stands on the corner of Featherbed Lane, but has fallen into disuse since the lovely photo of the roof being thatched was taken. Today (2019) it is in disrepair, overgrown with trees and indeed dangerous (as you can see from the two photos above). However a well-kept, detached graveyard survives to the south-west of the church, hidden away behind a wooden fence and overgrown yew trees.
First World War memorial
A war memorial nearby commemorates men of the parish and those of Stoney Thorpe who gave their lives in the first World War: W.A. Bleloch, E.Bloxham, D.R. Hillier, D.O. Hillier, A.O.T. Izzard, T.A. Markham and W.W. Morton.
A strange sign
Alan Winterburn1 reports that there used to be a sign beside the road here asking ‘Gypsy and Gentry alike’ to leave no rubbish.
- Little Known Warwickshire, based on talks given by A.W. Winterburn, p.21.
Comments
With reference to Bascote Heath cemetery, the derelict chapel is still in situ at the top of Featherbed Lane on the right hand side going towards the Fox and Hen. The sign that was mentioned requiring gentry and the like, still exists but was removed for P C purposes some years ago.
Details of the cemetery and persons buried there has been collated and is in the possession of myself and Stoneythorpe Estates.
Many thanks for the useful information Andy. I’ve corrected the article and will try to get a photograph next time I’m in that neck of the woods. It would be great if you could deposit a copy of the information about the cemetery at the Warwickshire County Record Office, if it hasn’t already been done.
Is it possible to find out who is buried here. I suspect my great aunt is buried here as my mum(when very young) used to visit a grave but wasn’t sure whose. The name was Daisy E Washbrooke. Died 1912.
I had a look at the memorial inscriptions for Bascote Heath graveyard (diligently recorded by the Birmingham & Midland Genealogical Society) and available at the Warwickshire County Record Office – but sadly there is no record of Daisy there. (Of course it could have been a grave with no headstone.)
I will be going to there in the next day or two. If I can because of hs2 I will happily look for you and let you know if I see any sign of Daisy Washbrook.
My father erected the sign by instruction of the owner of the wood as he was the forester at the time so I would be very interested in finding out if the sign is still around, as when I was a child my father would tell us about it.
I lived at Fox Farm when little, we moved to Ufton, and later near Offchurch, my great grandparents are buried in the Basecote cemetery and my mums grandmother. We live in Canada now, but have been back and visited, mum and dad got married in that church – too bad its in such rough shape.
Hi all, driving through Bascote Heath and saw a mock London tube sign saying “Bascote Heath Underground”. Can anyone enlighten us?
Probably because HS2 tunnel is going under this churchyard
I was by Bascote Heath19th Nov 19th 2021 and noticed a very derelict pile fenced of and the fencing with a notice dangerous building. It was next to a water pump and fronting the road. If this is/was the church it is sadly now a pile of building rubble.
Both the chapel and war memorial were built by Mrs Chamberlayne, who lived at Stoney Thorpe Hall, sometime prior to 1923.
The chapel was built to serve the two hamlets of Stoney Thorpe and Bascote Heath.
Source: “Rural Romance: Quaint Tales of Old Warwickshire (Shakespeare’s Country)” by T B D Horniblow
I have relatives here they are the Rofe family my grandfather, uncle, cousin, great grandmother and also great uncles and my auntie all there ashes are here
I visited the cemetery today and wondered why a lot of the gravestones are triangle shaped? I can’t seem to find an answer why that might be. Does anybody know? Thanks 🙂
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