Upleadon

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Upleadon
Gloucestershire
Upleadon Church.jpg
St Mary the Virgin
Location
Grid reference: SO7626
Location: 51°56’23"N, 2°21’26"W
Data
Population: 276  (2011[1])
Post town: Gloucester
Postcode: GL18
Local Government
Council: Forest of Dean
Parliamentary
constituency:
Forest of Dean

Upleadon is a village and parish in the Botloe hundred of Gloucestershire, situated six miles north-west of Gloucester. Soon after the Norman conquest Upleadon became part of the estates of Gloucester Abbey and was recorded as such in the Domesday Book.[2] Taking advantage of the nearby river, there was a period when iron forges were a focal point for the community but these were subsequently converted into a flour-mill.[3] The village today extends southwards alongside the River Leadon and has a population of 213 according to Gloucestershire Council.[4]

Standing opposite the parish church, Upleadon Court is a large 18th-century farmhouse, but the asymmetry of its north front suggests that it was built around an older house. The lower timber-framed west wing was built in the late 16th or early 17th century.[5] Several outbuildings also predate the main house.

St Mary the Virgin, Parish Church

While there is evidence of much earlier worship on the site the current church is 11th-century in origin but has been heavily modified over the centuries. The Tudor-era tower is a rare, if not unique design as it is timbered from the base to its height and inlaid with red brick. The half-timbered main structure was added in the early 16th century and has a ‘wishbone’ type cross bracing. What used to be the Saxon-era East window now forms an arched entrance into the sanctuary. The nave and carved North doorway are both 12th-century Norman.

A rare Blackletter Bible printed in 1613 is on display in a case within the church. The interior is devoid of monuments and retains a simple decor throughout.[6]

St Mary The Virgin is a Grade-I listed for its architectural and historical significance.[7]

Carswalls Farm

Artist Paul Nash took a collection of photographs around Carswalls Farm, Upleadon, Newent in the late 1930s or early 1940s, that are held in the archives of the Tate.[8]

References

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("Wikimedia Commons" has material
about Upleadon)

Sources

1. David Verey - Gloucestershire 2, The Vale and The Forest of Dean, 1970 - Journal Title: The Buildings of England