Boscobel, Shropshire
Civil parish in Shropshire, England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Boscobel was a civil parish in the east of Shropshire, England, on the border with Staffordshire. To the north is the Staffordshire village of Bishops Wood.
| Boscobel | |
|---|---|
Boscobel House | |
  Boscobel Location within Shropshire | |
| Population | 12 (2001 census) |
| OS grid reference | SJ835082 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | STAFFORD |
| Postcode district | ST19 |
| Dialling code | 01902 01785 |
| Police | West Mercia |
| Fire | Shropshire |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
According to the 2001 census it had a population of 12.[1] Because of its small population, it shared a parish council with the neighbouring Donington parish. At the time of abolition it was the smallest parish in Shropshire by population – the smallest by area is Deuxhill.
History
Boscobel was formerly an extra-parochial tract,[2] in 1858 it became a civil parish,[3] on 1 April 2025 the parish was abolished and merged with Albrighton and Donington to form "Albrighton and Donington".[4]
Boscobel House
It is the site of Boscobel House, home to the Giffard family, owners of the Boscobel Royal Oak, where Charles II hid in an oak tree after losing the Battle of Worcester in 1651.
A historical romance on the subject was published as Boscobel in 1872 by William Harrison Ainsworth.
The "pine groves of Boscobel" are mentioned (twice) by Charles Kinbote, narrator of Vladimir Nabokov's 1962 postmodern novel Pale Fire, in descriptions of his escape from Zembla.
White Ladies Priory
Also in the parish is White Ladies Priory.
