The Jordans of Little Compton, and the Four Shire Stone

Mr Alfred Jordan was a lengthman¹, at the beginning of World War 2 and so was exempt from having to serve in the war because of this. He was able to trace his direct line back to 1638 all of whom lived in Little Compton.

Protecting the monument during World War Two

At the beginning of World War Two Mr Jordan was asked by the county council to board up the Four Shire Stone which stood on the A44 where the counties of Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Worcestershire all met. This stone was a nine foot high monument built from local Cotswold stone in the 18th century. He had to board up the monument to protect it and also so that the Germans couldn’t use it as a navigation point if they made it this far into the county. After the war he then had to return and remove the boards.

Jordan’s Orchard

Mr Jordan was given a piece of land which had some fruit trees in it, for example apples and plums (Warwickshire droopers) and was always just called The Orchard. This land eventually was passed to his son George. The rural housing association was looking for a small piece of land to build four affordable rentable houses for people with a connection to Little Compton.

George sold half of the land and these houses are now called Jordan’s Orchard.

This story was created as part of an intergenerational digital inclusion project, in conjunction with Orbit Heart of England, with the assistance of students from Southam College.

¹ A lengthman was employed by the council to look after a length of road.