Information about the village and its surroundings​
Great Comberton has a village hall and a church and has a vibrant and friendly community (but no pub or shop - sorry).
This page gives some general information about the village history, the Parish, its surroundings, local walks and natural history.
Village History
Great Comberton is a small village lying on a gently sloping river terrace at the foot of Bredon Hill, above the River Avon in Worcestershire.The parish stretches from the summit of Bredon Hill to the Avon and covers 965 acres (390 hectares) of grassland and arable farm land on a calcerous clay loam.
The area was inhabited from prehistoric times, with Iron Age and Roman remains found locally. The origins of the village are likely between the 7th and 9th century AD, a period when scattered and ephemeral farmsteads were coalescing into compact villages surrounded by open fields laid out in strips and farmed communally under a feudal lord. This type of landscape, often described as Champion, is characteristic of a band of land broadly from Dorset to the Wash, contrasting with the scattered settlements and older enclosures of the north-west and south-east.
In 972 King Edgar's Charter describes the boundaries of Pershore Abbey lands and these include Cumbrincgtune, which consisted of 10 manses. The village appears in the Doomsday Book, but we cannot deduce either the area of the parish or the population from the information it lists. The earliest mention of the church is in 1268 but the structure seems to have been almost completely rebuilt in the 14th century, however, the nave has leaning walls which are Norman at the bottom. The church tower houses a set of six bells, some dating back to the 1600s and some cast locally in Evesham. The tower also houses the church clock, which is still working after 150 years, chiming out the hours and which is annually maintained by the same Derby company which made it.
The churchyard contains an enormous English Yew which is probably between 700 - 900 years old.
Great Comberton was notable in having one of the biggest dovecots in England (no longer extant). It was a red brick, square tower with a four-gabled roof and 1425 nesting holes and had been pictured in the Royal Academy. It used to stand near the road in the grounds of Kent Farm.
Village Design Statement
Parish Information
Parish
Council
GC Parish Council meets regularly either at the Village Hall or online.
Please see their official link for more information.
BUS SERVICE
The Bus Stop is the layby next to the Red Telephone Box.
Mon- Sat
564 to Pershore
565 to Evesham
Click here for the timetable
Fri
575 Cheltenham Service
Click below for
DEFIBRILLATOR
The defibrillator is located on the outside of the Village Hall, near the side entrance. It is registered with the ambulance service, so that in the event of a 999 call, they will be able to provide location details of the unit, along with the access code (it is in a locked cabinet, which is accessed by a 4-digit number). The equipment is very simple to use and once accessed it provides simple recorded instructions for the user. Hopefully we will never have to use it!
ROADWORKS
INFO
Click this link to see the Worcs Council Roadworks Page
Also see the Parish Council News section below.
POSTAL SERVICE
Collection times:
Mon-Fri 4.30pm
Sat 8.30am
PHONE BOX LIBRARY
Now a lending library.
Feel free to borrow books and donate them too.
Bin Collections
Bins are collected early every Tuesday (from 7am).
Lower End collections are Mon & Tues (check below)
Black bins alternate with Brown and Green
Other Useful Links
Little Comberton
Our closest neighbours and a somewhat larger village !
For lots of useful info use this link www.little-comberton.com
The Link
There is an online version of the local parish magazine at
Parish Council News
If you would like more details about planned roadworks in our area, please follow this link on the WCC website:
Natural History
The Hedgehog Watch
Hedgehogs
Normally hedgehogs should be deep into their hibernation until the Spring. However, they can wake up from time to time and although unusual its not impossible to see them moving around in our gardens.
Pete and Sally Allen have reported seeing a good-sized, though restless hog in their garden caught on their camera footage in the wee small hours of 22nd Jan. Is this the earliest any have been seen in the village ?
Useful Links:
https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk The British Hedgehog Preservation Society - National information about hedgehogs.
https://www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/hedgehogs Worcester Wildlife Trust - local information on helping hedgehogs and where to find help for injured and ill hedgehogs.
https://bighedgehogmap.org/holes-for-hedgehogs-home/map-hedgehog-sighting Hedgehog Street - Record your sightings of hedgehogs to help understand where hedgehogs are living in the UK.
Also here are the contact details for Vale Wildlife Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre for anyone looking for help for injured wildlife.
Its www.valewildlife.org.uk Tel 01386 882288.
Winter Sightings
Current Sightings
1
Send in your sightings
to the Social Club
Pete and Sally Allen also provided some other sightings from their garden.
"We saw a couple of Redpolls in our garden" (Winter migrants usually)
We saw several Bumblebees feeding on our Lonicera Standishii bush which was in full flower and smelling wonderful on Christmas Eve. Rob and Kirstie Harrison, Stowe Cottage.
Please let us know if you have any similar or more unusal sightings you would like to share.
Hedgehog Sightings
SIGHTING 1 (22nd Jan)
First hog of the year award to Pete and Sally, Orchard House
Last Updated: 18th April, 2024