Somerford Keynes
Encyclopedia
Somerford Keynes is a small village in Gloucestershire
, close to the River Thames
and Thames Path
a couple of miles from its source and close to the Cotswold Water Park
. It is on the boundary with Wiltshire
midway between Cirencester
, Swindon
and Malmesbury.
Somerford Keynes is also the name of a character in the Rutshire Chronicles
books by Jilly Cooper
.
and Roman
settlement at Somerford Keynes. The earliest features discovered comprised a series of curvilinear enclosures dating from the early 1st century AD to the early 2nd century AD, which may have been part of a farmstead. A religious focus is also hinted at by an unusually large number of coins
and brooch
es, which may have been votive deposits. Stone sculptural fragments were found of an eagle and a shield. These may have belonged to a representation of the Roman Capitoline triad
(The gods Jupiter
, Juno
and Minerva
), and therefore point to an official religious presence.
The village is first mentioned in writing in the year 685AD. A charter in that year confirmed a gift of 40 hides of land by King Ethelred's
nephew Bertwald
, to Aldhelm, the first abbot of Malmesbury.
The manor was held by William de Cahaignes in 1211an ancestor of the Keynes family
.
The village has a flourishing history group, details of which are given in the external link below.
.
dates from the 15th century and is grade II listed.
of All Saints is a grade II* listed building which has Saxon
foundations dating from about 685. It was largely rebuilt in the early 13th century, with the tower being added in 1710-13, which was restored
in 1875. The north aisle contains a large black and white marble
monument with reclining effigy
to Robert Straung (Strange), who died in 1654. Several monuments in the churchyard are also listed, commemorating the Ferrebec family, William Hales, died 1806, Harrison and two Davis monuments, and several other monuments.
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, close to the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
and Thames Path
Thames Path
The Thames Path is a National Trail, opened in 1996, following the length of the River Thames from its source near Kemble in Gloucestershire to the Thames Barrier at Charlton. It is about long....
a couple of miles from its source and close to the Cotswold Water Park
Cotswold Water Park
The Cotswold Water Park is the United Kingdom's largest water park. It consists of 147 numbered lakeswhich were formed by allowing old gravel quarries to become filled with water.-Location:...
. It is on the boundary with Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
midway between Cirencester
Cirencester
Cirencester is a market town in east Gloucestershire, England, 93 miles west northwest of London. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in the Cotswold District. It is the home of the Royal Agricultural College, the oldest agricultural...
, Swindon
Swindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
and Malmesbury.
Somerford Keynes is also the name of a character in the Rutshire Chronicles
Rutshire Chronicles
The Rutshire Chronicles is the name given to a series of romantic novels by Jilly Cooper. The stories tell tales of mainly British upper-class families, as well as the show-jumping and polo crowd, in numerous different sexually charged scenarios, often laced with adultery, illegitimate children,...
books by Jilly Cooper
Jilly Cooper
Jilly Cooper OBE is an English author. She started her career as a journalist and wrote numerous works of non-fiction before writing several romance novels, the first of which appeared in 1975. She is most famous for writing the Rutshire Chronicles.-Early life:Jilly Sallitt was born in Hornchurch,...
.
History
A series of salvage excavations at Spratsgate Lane from 1986 to 1988, before the creation of the Cotswold Water Park, revealed part of an Iron AgeIron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
and Roman
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
settlement at Somerford Keynes. The earliest features discovered comprised a series of curvilinear enclosures dating from the early 1st century AD to the early 2nd century AD, which may have been part of a farmstead. A religious focus is also hinted at by an unusually large number of coins
COinS
ContextObjects in Spans, commonly abbreviated COinS, is a method to embed bibliographic metadata in the HTML code of web pages. This allows bibliographic software to publish machine-readable bibliographic items and client reference management software to retrieve bibliographic metadata. The...
and brooch
Brooch
A brooch ; also known in ancient times as a fibula; is a decorative jewelry item designed to be attached to garments. It is usually made of metal, often silver or gold but sometimes bronze or some other material...
es, which may have been votive deposits. Stone sculptural fragments were found of an eagle and a shield. These may have belonged to a representation of the Roman Capitoline triad
Capitoline Triad
In ancient Roman religion, the Capitoline Triad was a group of three supreme deities who were worshipped in an elaborate temple on Rome's Capitoline Hill, the Capitolium. Two distinct Capitoline Triads were worshipped at various times in Rome's history, both originating in ancient traditions...
(The gods Jupiter
Jupiter (mythology)
In ancient Roman religion and myth, Jupiter or Jove is the king of the gods, and the god of the sky and thunder. He is the equivalent of Zeus in the Greek pantheon....
, Juno
Juno (mythology)
Juno is an ancient Roman goddess, the protector and special counselor of the state. She is a daughter of Saturn and sister of the chief god Jupiter and the mother of Mars and Vulcan. Juno also looked after the women of Rome. Her Greek equivalent is Hera...
and Minerva
Minerva
Minerva was the Roman goddess whom Romans from the 2nd century BC onwards equated with the Greek goddess Athena. She was the virgin goddess of poetry, medicine, wisdom, commerce, weaving, crafts, magic...
), and therefore point to an official religious presence.
The village is first mentioned in writing in the year 685AD. A charter in that year confirmed a gift of 40 hides of land by King Ethelred's
Ethelred of Wessex
King Æthelred I was King of Wessex from 865 to 871. He was the fourth son of King Æthelwulf of Wessex...
nephew Bertwald
Bertwald
Berhtwald was the ninth Archbishop of Canterbury in England. The medieval writer Bede claims that he served as the Abbot of Glastonbury, and documentary evidence names Berhtwald as abbot at Reculver before his election as archbishop...
, to Aldhelm, the first abbot of Malmesbury.
The manor was held by William de Cahaignes in 1211an ancestor of the Keynes family
Keynes family
The Keynes family is a prominent English family that has included notable economists, writers, and actors.The descendants of Geoffrey Keynes , are also related to the Darwin — Wedgwood family.-Family tree of modern Keynes family:-History:...
.
The village has a flourishing history group, details of which are given in the external link below.
Government and politics
Somerford Keynes has a parish council and is represented by the county councillor for South Cotswold and the three district councillors for Water Park ward on Cotswold District CouncilCotswold (district)
Cotswold is a local government district in Gloucestershire in England. It is named after the wider Cotswolds region. Its main town is Cirencester....
.
Manor House
The Manor HouseManor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
dates from the 15th century and is grade II listed.
All Saints parish church
The Church of England parish churchChurch of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of All Saints is a grade II* listed building which has Saxon
Anglo-Saxon architecture
Anglo-Saxon architecture was a period in the history of architecture in England, and parts of Wales, from the mid-5th century until the Norman Conquest of 1066. Anglo-Saxon secular buildings in Britain were generally simple, constructed mainly using timber with thatch for roofing...
foundations dating from about 685. It was largely rebuilt in the early 13th century, with the tower being added in 1710-13, which was restored
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
in 1875. The north aisle contains a large black and white marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
monument with reclining effigy
Effigy
An effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture or some other three-dimensional form.The term is usually associated with full-length figures of a deceased person depicted in stone or wood on church monuments. These most often lie supine with hands together in prayer,...
to Robert Straung (Strange), who died in 1654. Several monuments in the churchyard are also listed, commemorating the Ferrebec family, William Hales, died 1806, Harrison and two Davis monuments, and several other monuments.
External links
- Somerford Keynes - Somerford Keynes Parish website in The Cotswolds