Bodgeham-on-Wye
| Bodgeham-on-Wye | |
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| Description | In care of Hackerly Parish Council |
| Contact | User:Joenash |
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| View all Villages | |
Bodgeham-on-Wye is a village within the civil parish of Hackerly, in Herefordshire, England, near the border with Wales. It had a population estimated at 15 in 2024.[1] It lies in south-east of the county, on the River Wye[citation needed], and adjacent to the Eastnor Deer Park.
History
The name "Bodgeham" is derived from the Middle Dutch and Old High German words meaning "to knock together", though the historical record is unclear on what, or who, was the subject of the knocking. It was renamed "Bodgeham-on-Wye" in 1931 by the General Post Office, due to confusion with other places of the same or similar name (such as Bodham in Norfolk).[2]
Bodgeham-on-Wye is known as the birthplace of saying "I beg your pardon" pejoratively.
Present day
Village FĂȘte
The village is known for its biannual village fĂȘte, which takes the format of a non-profit camping festival for those with an inquisitive mind or an interest in making things: hackers, artists, geeks, crafters, scientists, and engineers.
Whilst featuring traditional village fĂȘte activities such as a coconut shy and a raffle, the Bodgeham fĂȘte creates a temporary town of nearly three thousand like-minded people enjoying a long weekend of talks, performances, and workshops on everything from blacksmithing to biometrics, chiptunes to computer security, high altitude ballooning to lockpicking, origami to democracy, and online privacy to knitting.
Hackerly Parish Council provides fast internet, power to the tent, good beer, and amazing installations, entirely organised by a dedicated team of volunteers.
A local resident, when asked about the success of the fĂȘte, said "This is suddenly getting much higher-profile than I intended".
Tourism drive
In 2022, faced with falling visitor numbers and a deleterous effect on the local economy, Vicar Grimblesby began a grass-roots tourism campaign to encourage visitors to Bodgeham and the surrounding areas. The campaign included the placement of blue plaques to commemorate the many notable people and historical events of the village, as well as the commissioning of a jingle.
Governance
Bodgeham-on-Wye is part of the civil parish of Hackerly, and is managed by the Hackerly Parish Council.
In 2023, Bodgeham was voted the "Least corrupt small village".
Sport
Bodgeham-on-Wye has one youth football team, the Bodgeham Bravehearts. When asked about the origin of the team name, Coach Porter said "Braveheart is Celtic, innit? We're near Wales.".
Legends and traditions
The Bodgeham Badger has been reported many times, but never identified with certainty.
Since 2016, rumours of an underground cult worshipping a mysterious prophet have plagued the village.
Media
The town is served by the local newspapers The Bodgeham Byline and Eye-on-Wye.
Climate
Bodgeham-on-Wye experiences an unusually wet climate, almost as if it is situated entirely within an outdoor camping festival and thus cursed by the gods for its hubris.
Twin towns
Bodgeham-on-Wye has two twin towns:
- đłđ± Knoeidijk, Netherlands.
- đ©đȘ Basteldorf, Germany.
Notable people
Bodgeham has many incredibly famous and excellent people of which you have no doubt heard, They include:
- Hugh, inventor of Bodgeham's famed Egg Mayonnaise-based dish,
- Joe Nash, once recorded as saying "no village organising this year",
Gallery
The Man Of Ross inn
The Market House from the west
St Mary's Church spire
View of the town from the banks of the River Wye
Interior of St Maryâs, the parish church
See also
- Hackerly Parish Council
References
- â Hackerly Parish Census. Retrieved 27 April 2024
- â Bodgeham-on-Wye: History, Bodgeham-on-Wye.com. Retrieved 23 November 2019