St. Lawrence, Weston-sub-Edge

The church of St. Lawrence, Weston-sub-Edge near Broadway in the Cotswolds has the appearance now of a 'Victorian Barn'! After an enthusiastic rector heightened the roof and rebuilt the chancel etc. it is hardly recognisable as a mediaeval church. However the signs are there if you look.




Inside the church:-
There is the blocked off doorway to the ancient rood-loft still outlined on the south wall. (The pulpit is Jacobean)


The piscina and alcove that used to hold the aumbrey remain in place on the south wall of the sanctuary.

There are the remains of ancient carvings in a corner near the north doorway.

As seen in the first photo there is a large moated site to the west of the church. This covers an area of some 2 hectares (4 1/2 acres). It is marked on O.S. maps as 'Site of Manor House'. There is no obvious 'Moot Hill' as at Guiting Power but the ancient church site and the dwelling of the 'Lord of the Manor' are ajacent. More telling is the fact that the church building is due east of the manor house site which could possibly date back to Anglo-Saxon times?? It would be interesting to know if any excavations have taken place here and what dates are given for the buildings.

Guiting Power in the Cotswolds

The church of St. Michael and All angels at Guiting Power in Gloucestershire is of interest on several counts. It is of course the name of a hymn tune set to the words 'Christ Triumphant'. Historically its roots go back to Anglo-Saxon times if not earlier. There is a tiny Saxon sarcophagus in the church and a 'barrow' in the parkland just to the north-east of the present church building. There are remains of the Norman / Early English church incorporated into the present building. Alongside the 'barrow' are the foundations of a tiny Saxon chapel and an ancient trackway runs over the field to the eastern boundary of the churchyard.
A book called 'Church and Manor' by S. A. Addey (published in 1913) talks of the foundation of Saxon churches alongside the THING-VOLLR or Moot Hill. The Tinwald Hill, the home of the Isle of Man parliament is about 130 yards west of the small chapel of St. John. The ancient records of Iceland show the Great Moot or Al-thing joined by a fenced path to the circular Law Court to the east. A little to the south of the Law Court is an oblong church.
Is it possible that, as Addy suggests, we have here at Guiting Power an ancient Norse settlement, adapted over the years into a Christian Manor and church?

The so-called 'Barrow' is to the north of the tiny Saxon church. The flat top to the 'barrow' does suggest that it could have been used for a village / district 'parliament'.


A beautifully carved Romanesque (Norman) doorway.












The tiny Saxon sarcophagus, one of the smallest found in the U.K.

Remains of Saxon chapel/church

Guiting Power in the Cotswolds - more pictures

North doorway of present church

Detail of North doorway








Sunken track to church

Saxon chapel with mound to north-west