Bredon
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Bredon is a village in Worcestershire in England, on the banks of the River Avon.
There is evidence of human settlement on nearby Bredon Hill dating back some three thousand years. The village of Bredon (literally meaning hill in Anglo-Saxon) grew around the eighth century monastery on the banks of the River Avon. Unfortunately, Viking raiders sailed up the Avon and sacked the institution. International interest in Bredon then appears to have waned.
St.Giles' Church, situated in the west of Bredon, dates from the Norman period. The church has an impressive spire (very rare in Worcestershire and Gloucestershire), the top of which lies almost fifty metres above the ground. The nearby tithe barn is also worth visiting. The beautiful mediaeval structure was almost destroyed by fire in 1980, when teenage smokers accidentally ignited a hay bale, but has since been restored by the National Trust.
In 1718, a wealthy Bredonian by the name of William Hancock founded a school (Bredon Hancock Primary) which has since gained a reputation for producing some of the world's finest academics.
The village has two pubs, the oldest being the Fox and Hounds, a charming Jacobean inn. Bredon's other drinking establishment is called the Royal Oak and was founded in the middle of the nineteenth century.
It would be misleading to think of Bredon as some sort of rustic utopia. Parts of the village would not look out of place on a chocolate box, but for the most part Bredon might be described as 'Rural Suburbia' and the majority of houses were built after the Second World War.
The most successful athletes from Bredon include England Rugby Junior Internationals Ben Taylor & Chris Moule, sprinter Rachel Harris, and Two-time Swimming National Champion James Winchester.