Chapel Ascote

Chapel Ascote is a civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district, in Warwickshire, England, south of Ladbroke near the A423 road. The parish of Bishop's Itchington lies to the west. In 2021 the parish had a population of 18.

Name

The parish was historically known under a variety of names; the earliest recorded is "Astanescote", from the 12th century. The name evolved and was recorded as just "Ascote" in 1372; in 1667 it was first recorded as "Chappell Ascott". The etymology of the name is unclear: one theory is that the name derives from "Ēadstan's cote". Another suggests it comes from "Aelfstan's cottages"; Aelfstan being a man granted land in Bishop's Itchington.

Chapel of St Helen

There was a medieval chapel in the parish. There is a 20-metre-long, 10 metre-wide mound in a field. A chapel is known to have existed in 1208 at the earliest; it was probably abandoned by 1595, and subsequently torn down in 1632. Drainage works in the field revealed medieval-era skeletons.

Geography

Climate

Chapel Ascote has a temperate oceanic climate, meaning it has a narrow temperature range, with moderate summers and relatively mild and cool winters.
The Met Office provides a forecast service for adjacent Bishop's Itchington.