Abson
Encyclopedia
Abson is a small village
in South Gloucestershire
, England
, United Kingdom
and Pucklechurch
. It is a mainly nucleated
in pattern with some additional outlying farms and settlements. The centre of the village is a small village green
and the church.
Abson is part of the Church of England
parish
of Wick and Abson, and is within the parliamentary constituency of Thornbury and Yate
.
, as the manor of Pucklechurch (including Abson and other surrounding villages) was given to the Abbot after the murder of King Edmund
at neighbouring Pucklechurch. In the 16th century the village was called Abston, and was since shortened to Abson.
Blue Lodge, one of the houses, was once the home of Anna Sewell
, author of Black Beauty
. Whilst staying there she witnessed a man killed by a cart and this was incorporated into the novel.
) and many of the graves. The neighbouring farmhouse, stables and barn (which have been converted into homes) are all Grade II listed.
There are two fragments of carved knotwork masonry on the walls as well as a Sheela na Gig
carving of a male figure high on the East wall. This figure is believed to date from Saxon or early Norman
times.
The church contains an early 17th century pulpit
with a sounding board and 18th century woodwork.
The belltower contains six bells which are still rung by hand.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in South Gloucestershire
South Gloucestershire
South Gloucestershire is a unitary district in the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire, in South West England.-History:The district was created in 1996, when the county of Avon was abolished, by the merger of former area of the districts of Kingswood and Northavon...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Location
Abson is located on a minor road between the villages of WickWick, Gloucestershire
Wick is a village in South Gloucestershire, England.It is situated on the A420 between Bristol and Chippenham, south of the Cotswolds. The River Boyd flows through the old village, with its watermeadows facing St. Bartholomew's Church. As well as the church, the village has several shops, The...
and Pucklechurch
Pucklechurch
Pucklechurch is a village in South Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom.- Location :Pucklechurch is a historic village with an incredibly rich past, from the Bronze Age with its tumulus on Shortwood Hill, up to the siting of a barrage balloon depot in World War II...
. It is a mainly nucleated
Nucleated village
A nucleated village is one of the main types of settlement pattern found in England and other parts of the world. It is one of the terms used by landscape historians to classify settlements. An idealised village, in which the houses cluster around a central church which is often close to the...
in pattern with some additional outlying farms and settlements. The centre of the village is a small village green
Village green
A village green is a common open area which is a part of a settlement. Traditionally, such an area was often common grass land at the centre of a small agricultural settlement, used for grazing and sometimes for community events...
and the church.
Abson is part of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Wick and Abson, and is within the parliamentary constituency of Thornbury and Yate
Thornbury and Yate
Thornbury and Yate is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
.
History
The name Abson is a corruption of Abbots Ton - a place belonging to the Abbot. This was the Abbot of GlastonburyGlastonbury
Glastonbury is a small town in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,784 in the 2001 census...
, as the manor of Pucklechurch (including Abson and other surrounding villages) was given to the Abbot after the murder of King Edmund
Edmund I of England
Edmund I , called the Elder, the Deed-doer, the Just, or the Magnificent, was King of England from 939 until his death. He was a son of Edward the Elder and half-brother of Athelstan. Athelstan died on 27 October 939, and Edmund succeeded him as king.-Military threats:Shortly after his...
at neighbouring Pucklechurch. In the 16th century the village was called Abston, and was since shortened to Abson.
Blue Lodge, one of the houses, was once the home of Anna Sewell
Anna Sewell
Anna Sewell was an English novelist, best known as the author of the classic novel Black Beauty.-Biography:Anna Mary Sewell was born in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England into a devoutly Quaker family...
, author of Black Beauty
Black Beauty
Black Beauty is an 1877 novel by English author Anna Sewell. It was composed in the last years of her life, during which she remained in her house as an invalid. The novel became an immediate bestseller, with Sewell dying just five months after its publication, long enough to see her first and only...
. Whilst staying there she witnessed a man killed by a cart and this was incorporated into the novel.
The Church
Abson is centred around the church. It is dedicated to St James the Great, and is a Grade I listed building, as are the churchyard walls (with distinctive Bristol Black copingCoping (architecture)
Coping , consists of the capping or covering of a wall.A splayed or wedge coping slopes in a single direction; a saddle coping slopes to either side of a central high point....
) and many of the graves. The neighbouring farmhouse, stables and barn (which have been converted into homes) are all Grade II listed.
There are two fragments of carved knotwork masonry on the walls as well as a Sheela na Gig
Sheela Na Gig
Sheela na gigs are figurative carvings of naked women displaying an exaggerated vulva. They are found on churches, castles and other buildings, particularly in Ireland and Britain, sometimes together with male figures. One of the best examples may be found in the Round Tower at Rattoo, in County...
carving of a male figure high on the East wall. This figure is believed to date from Saxon or early Norman
Norman dynasty
Norman dynasty is the usual designation for the family that were the Dukes of Normandy and the English monarchs which immediately followed the Norman conquest and lasted until the Plantagenet dynasty came to power in 1154. It included Rollo and his descendants, and from William the Conqueror and...
times.
The church contains an early 17th century pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
with a sounding board and 18th century woodwork.
The belltower contains six bells which are still rung by hand.