Abson
| Abson | |
|---|---|
 St James the Great Church, Abson | |
  Abson Location withinGloucestershire | |
| Population | 1,930 (Wick and Abson) (2021) |
| •London | 113 mi (182 km)E |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BRISTOL |
| Postcode district | BS30 |
| Dialling code | 0117 |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Avon |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
Absonis a small village inSouth Gloucestershire,England, it forms part of thecivil parishofWick and Abson.
Location
[edit]Abson is located on a minor road between the villages ofWickandPucklechurch.It is a mainlynucleatedin pattern with some additional outlying farms and settlements. The centre of the village is a smallvillage greenand the church.
Abson is part of theChurch of Englandparishof Wick and Abson, and is part of the parliamentary constituency ofThornbury and Yate.
History
[edit]The name Abson is a corruption of Abbotston - a place belonging to the Abbot. This was the Abbot ofGlastonbury,as the manor of Pucklechurch (including Abson and other surrounding villages) was given to the Abbot after the murder ofKing Edmundat neighbouring Pucklechurch.[1]In the 16th century the village was called Abston, and was since shortened to Abson.[2]
Blue Lodge, one of the houses, was once the home ofAnna Sewell,author ofBlack Beauty.Whilst staying there she witnessed a man killed by a cart and this was incorporated into the novel.[3]
The Church
[edit]Abson is centred on the church. It is dedicated toSt James the Great,and is aGrade I listed building,as are the churchyard walls (with distinctive Bristol Blackcoping) and many of the graves. The neighbouring farmhouse, stables and barn (which have been converted into homes) are allGrade II listed.[4]
There are two fragments of carved knotwork masonry on the walls as well as a figure thought once to have been aSheela na Gig,now understood to be a carving of a male figure, high on the East wall.[5]This figure is believed to date fromSaxonor earlyNormantimes.[6]
The church contains an early 17th-centurypulpitwith a sounding board and 18th-century woodwork.[7]
The belltower contains six bells which are still rung by hand.[8]
Location grid
[edit]'Neighbouring villages, and hamlets' | |
|---|---|
References
[edit]- ^Pucklechurch Then And NowArchived22 June 2006 at theWayback Machine
- ^Richard Kent (compiler),Doynton Local History Group Booklet #2(Feb. 1990), p. 12.
- ^About Anna Sewell
- ^Listed buildings in South GloucestershireArchived9 June 2011 at theWayback Machine
- ^Figurines at Abson
- ^E Mason & D Mason,Avon Villages(Hale, London, 1982), p. 78.
- ^E Mason & D Mason,Avon Villages(Hale, London, 1982), p. 79.
- ^Abson church bellringing
External links
[edit]
Media related toAbsonat Wikimedia Commons