Cameley
| Cameley | |
| Somerset | |
|---|---|
 Church of St James, Cameley | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | ST610575 |
| Location: | 51°18’58"N, 2°33’18"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 1,292 (2011) |
| Post town: | Bristol |
| Postcode: | BS39 |
| Dialling code: | 01761 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Bath & NE Somerset |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
North East Somerset |
Cameley is a village in Somerset, in the Chew Valley, and within the Chewton Hundred in the north of the county. The village is found just off the A37 road, ten miles from Bristol, Bath and Wells. The nearest town is Midsomer Norton, which is six miles away. The parish has a population of 1,292 and includes the village of Temple Cloud.
History
It lies on Cam Brook. According to Robinson it was listed as Camelie in the 1086 Domesday Book and the name means 'The curved river meadow' from the Old Welsh cam and Old English leah.[1]
About 1150 the manor was given to Bath Abbey by the Alnes (or d'Alneto) family. In the 13th century it was held by the Marisco family, better known for their connection with Lundy, and then passed into the control of the Knights Templar, which was confirmed in a grant of 1201. During the 13th and early 14th century the manor was again under the control of the de Marisco family.[2]
Parish church
The parish church, the Church of St James, dates from the late 12th century. The tower, probably from the 15th century with 19th-century restoration, is built of red Mendip stone which contrasts with the local blue lias limestone of the rest of the church. The tower contains a bell dating from 1779 and made by William Bilbie of the Bilbie family.[3] There are fragments of wall paintings on the nave north and south walls. Fragments from the 12th to the 17th century have been identified, the most impressive being the fine early-17th-century Ten Commandments over the chancel arch, framed in twining leaves with cherubs' faces peering out. These remained hidden behind whitewash until the 1960s leading John Betjeman to describe it as "Rip Van Winkle's Church".[4] The west gallery is dated 1711 but with Jacobean]] style balusters and attached Charles I]] coat of arms. The south gallery is dated 1819. There are two early-19th-century monuments on the north wall of the nave to the Rees-Mogg]] family of Cholwell House]] within the parish, and a brass plaque]] commemorating the nine people from the village who died in the First World War.[5] The church is surrounded by trees. It is a Grade I listed building[6] Several of the monuments in the churchyard are Grade II listed.[7][8]
About the village
Cameley Lodge is now a hotel, wedding, conference and events venue.
Cameley Lakes comprise a group of small fishing lakes immediately to the west of the village. They frequently attract small numbers of waterfowl.
Various historic estates are situated within the parish of Cameley including:
- Cholwell, successively a seat of the families of Mogg, Wooldrige and Rees-Mogg, today Cholwell House is a nursing home.
Grade II listed buildings
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Cameley) |
- "Rural Landscapes". Bath and North East Somerset. http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/sites/default/files/rural_landscapes_-_chapters_1-6.pdf. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
References
- ↑ Robinson, Stephen (1992). Somerset Place Names. Wimborne, Dorset: The Dovecote Press Ltd. ISBN 1-874336-03-2.
- ↑ Faith, Juliet. The Knights Templar in Somerset. The History Press. pp. 59–86. ISBN 9780752452562.
- ↑ Moore, James; Rice, Roy; Hucker, Ernest (1995). Bilbie and the Chew Valley clock makers. The authors. ISBN 0-9526702-0-8.
- ↑ Scott, Shane (1995). The hidden places of Somerset. Aldermaston: Travel Publishing Ltd. p. 22. ISBN 1-902007-01-8.
- ↑ "Cameley WWI Ref: 7503". United Kingdom National Inventory of War Memorials. http://www.ukniwm.org.uk/server/show/conMemorial.7503/fromUkniwmSearch/1. Retrieved 2006-05-19.
- ↑ National Heritage List 1320783: Church of St. James
- ↑ National Heritage List 1320784: Group of 2 Tombs, south of chancel
- ↑ National Heritage List 1129538: Naish monument south-east of south porch
- ↑ National Heritage List 1129539: Cameley House
- ↑ National Heritage List 1129544: Cholwell House
- ↑ National Heritage List 1129540: Humphreston House
- ↑ National Heritage List 1129543: The Patches
- ↑ National Heritage List 1320786: The Refuge