Rorrington

Rorrington

Cottages in Rorrington
Rorrington
 Rorrington shown within Shropshire
OS grid referenceSJ299006
Civil parishChirbury with Brompton
Unitary authorityShropshire
Ceremonial countyShropshire
RegionWest Midlands
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town MONTGOMERY
Postcode district SY15
Dialling code 01938
Police West Mercia
Fire Shropshire
Ambulance West Midlands
EU Parliament West Midlands
UK ParliamentLudlow
List of places
UK
England
Shropshire

Coordinates: 52°35′56″N 3°02′02″W / 52.599°N 3.034°W / 52.599; -3.034

Rorrington is a hamlet in west Shropshire, England.

It is in the civil parish of Chirbury with Brompton. Four lanes lead into the hamlet: from Marton in the north, Meadowtown in the east, Middleton in the south, and Wotherton in the west.[1]

National Cycle Route 44 passes through the hamlet.[2]

History

Rorrington's name is possibly derived from Old English personal name and could be translated as "the estate of Hror".[3] As Roritune, it was recorded as a manor in the Domesday Book, when it was held jointly by Robert and Roger fitz Corbet.[4]

There was once a holy well here, located on the hillside at Rorrington Green. In the mediaeval period it was a place of pilgrimage and there was a small chapel on the site, administered by the canons of St Michael's church in Chirbury and probably dedicated to the Virgin Mary. This may have been the Christianisation of an earlier tradition.[5]

Until the 1830s, a "Halliwell Wakes" was held on Ascension Day, when villagers would process round the hillside, with music and dancing: pins were thrown in the well (dressed with green boughs, rushes and flowers) for good luck.[6]

References

  1. Ordnance Survey mapping
  2. Shropshire Council National Cycle Route 44
  3. Mills, A. A Dictionary of British Place-Names, OUP, 2003
  4. Eyton, Antiquities of Shropshire, Volume XI, 1860, p.94
  5. Hannaford, H. R. Notes on a sketch survey of the Holy Well at Rorrington, Shropshire Archaeology Service, 1996, p.2
  6. Hope, R. Legendary Lore of the Holy Wells of England Including Rivers, Lakes, Fountains and Springs, 1893, p.147


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