Sambourne

Sambourne, formerly spelled Sambourn, is a village and civil parish north-west of Coughton, south of Redditch, north-west of Stratford-upon-Avon and west of Warwick in the county of Warwickshire, England. It is situated on sloping ground rising westwards to about 500 feet near the ancient Ridge Way, and forms part of the county boundary with Worcestershire. The village itself is centred round a small triangular green at the junction of four roads and contains several timber-framed buildings of 17th century date. By a designation of 22 July 1991 much of the central area became a conservation area.

==History== The earliest reference to Sambourne is of 714 when it is recorded as being given by Egwin Bishop of Worcester to the monastery at Evesham Abbey upon its foundation. William Dugdale quotes the conventional date for the Abbey's foundation. This holding is confirmed by the Domesday Book which records, Land of Evesham Church, "The church itself holds in Sambourne 3 hides. Land for 4 ploughs. In lordship 1;2 slaves; 2 villagers and 4 smallholders with 3 ploughs. Woodland 1 league long and ½ league wide. The value was 20s now 30s." The medieval history of the village is bound up with that of the Royal Forest of Feckenham, where the abbots of Evesham at one time enclosed a considerable amount of the King's hunting forest without permission.