Somerford Keynes

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All Saints parish church

Somerford Keynes (SU019952) is a small village in Wiltshire, close to the River Thames and Thames Path a couple of miles from its source and close to the Cotswold Water Park. It is close to the boundary with Gloucestershire to the north, midway between Cirencester, Swindon and Malmesbury.

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 Age 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 brooches, 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).

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 later held by William de Cahaignes in 1211, an ancestor of the Keynes family.

The village has a flourishing history group, details of which are given in the external link below.

Manor House

Somerford Keynes Manor

The Manor House dates from the 15th century and is grade II listed.

SOMERFORD KEYNES SOMERFORD KEYNES VILLAGE SU 09 NW 8/207 Manor House 4.6.52 GV II Large detached manor house. Core probably of late C15 or early C16, enlarged to east c1630s, with wing to north-west added in 1924. Random coursed rubble stone with flush quoins, stone slate roof, renewed stone stacks including flue to large partially external stack to main fireplace on north side. Originally a single range with through passage, gabled cross wing added to east and projecting wing to north-west forming 'L'-shape. Mostly 2 storeys and attic. Probably originally a hall with solar to east of screens passage, with 2-storey service wing to west. Roof raised at some stage, probably in early C17, requiring raking buttresses to be built against south wall to take extra weight, and some of the original smoke-blackened timbers may have been reused to form new roof structure. On north side, original external entrance with chamfered and stopped Tudor stone archway with initials "M" and "S" in spandrels (Strange family), covered over with long lean-to and original vertical battened plank door moved to outer entrance, recessed under cambered beam with carved stone heads to each side. External stack rises through this lean-to, which has mostly small leaded casements to left and C20 raised window to right. Cross wing of C17 has coped gables to both ends, with 3-light hollow-moulded leaded stone mullion and transoms with square hoodmould to ground and first floor, and 2-light stone mullion with square hoodmould to attic on north side and to angle wing linking it with main range to right. North-west wing of 1924 built in sympathetic style with leaded stone windows. South front has original service wing to west with 3 and 2-light stone mullion and transom with square hoodmould and relieving arch to first and ground floors. Original hall steps slightly forward with wide hipped porch with depressed Tudor arch with chamfered jambs and lintel whose original inner vertical battened plank door has been moved to original external north entrance. Three-light stone mullion and transom above and 2 similar to ground and first floors to right, raised to far right on ground floor for original dais. All fenestration leaded iron casements, including 2 small hipped dormers. Early C17 wing has large squared masonry on south gable end. Interior substantially altered in 1967 and in 1970s. Partitions in main hall have been moved, including removal of screens partition. Large C16 strapwork stone fireplace below external stack on original north wall; behind plaster on east wall is former fireplace for solar, also large stone fireplace carved with terms and Hungerford arms. C17 panelling survives in additional north entrance hall. There is reputed to have been a manor house on this site since the C14.
— (David Verey, Buildings of England - Gloucestershire: The Cotswolds, 1979; Geoffrey Gibbon, Through the Saxon Door - the story of Somerford Keynes, 1969)

Parish church

The parish church of All Saints is a Grade II* listed building which has Anglo-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.

Outside links

Other listed buildings

 ("Wikimedia Commons" has material
about Somerford Keynes)

There are several other grade II listed buildings in the village:

References

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