"Whatcote, what ! where?" a Whatcote Travel Page by Tdiver

My friend has just moved here so i thought a visit was in order.To say it's small is an understatement,blink and you'll miss it.Can only be around 30-40 houses at most and 1 pub,no shops.
Situated at the crossing of 2 secondary Roman roads in the Vale of the Red Horse.The Red Horse was on Sunrising Hill and was the job of the innkeeper of the Sunrising inn to keep clear but for the last 200 years or so has been lost and overgrown.That is just down the road from Banbury or Stratford upon Avon.
In the Domesday Book,Quartercote(as then known) had 174 inhabitants and a priest,in 1994 it had 130 and a priest.
Had the dubious distinction of being one of the last places in England to practice "rough music".This is where two people found to be living out of wedlock were driven from their home by the village gahtering outside the house ,creating a great noise and burning effigies of the couple.
The village also had a Parish Coffin,this had loose sides so that even the poorest of villagers could be buried with some dignity.After the mourners had gone the sides and top were removed.
There was also a shroud left to the village solely for use of maiden ladies of impeccable virtue.

Whatcote is just a few miles away from Edgehill where the English civil war started in 1642.The local pub,the Royal Oak was built in 1168 to cater for the workers building churches in the area.(A lot of the churches were built by the Knights Templar.)Although it was not called that until after the restoration of the crown with Charles II.Cromwell was said to have stayed here before and after the battle.

Idlicote on the hill,Whatcote downderry
Beggardly Oxhill,lousy Fullready
Yawning Yettington(Ettington)
Peeping Pillardington(Pillerton)
And one-eyed Marston

Attributed to William Shakespeare.