Britford
Encyclopedia
Britford is a village and civil parish beside the River Avon
about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) southeast of Salisbury
in Wiltshire
, England
. The village is just off the A338 road
.
settlement. Excavations in 1938–39 revealed the sites of granaries, storage pits and a circular house nearly 50 feet (15.2 m) in diameter.
Great Woodbury, 1 miles (1.6 km) from the village, is the remains of an Iron Age hill fort.
of the Church of England parish church
of Saint Peter
is Saxon
, built probably in the 9th century. On each side of the nave there is a round-headed Saxon arch into a porticus (small space for a side-chapel).
The church was extended in the 14th century, when the north and south transept
s were added making it the cruciform building it is today. Each transept is next to the Saxon porticus on its respective side and includes the east wall of that porticus. The arches where the transepts meet the nave are Decorated Gothic, as is the east window of the chancel
. A 15th century tomb chest monument in the church is supposed to be that of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham
who was executed in Salisbury
in 1483. The building was restored
by George Edmund Street
in 1873.
In the first half of the 13th century Britford had an anchoress
called Joan. In 1215 King John
granted her an income of one penny
per day. She received royal gifts of oaks in 1226, 1231 and 1245. In 1237 the sheriff
of Salisbury was ordered to ensure that the courtyard around her house was securely enclosed with a wall.
St. Peter's has a ring
of six bells. Five including the tenor were cast in 1765 by Robert Wells I of Aldbourne
. The treble was cast in 1899 by Thomas Blackbourn of Salisbury.
. Southwest of St. Peter's is a moat
ed house that externally is early 19th century Georgian
. There are Georgian cottages on the main A338 road, built for the Longford Castle
estate.
In 1664 an Act of Parliament
authorised the conversion of the River Avon into a navigation
between Salisbury and the English Channel
at Christchurch
. Canalised channels were dug to straighten sections of the river, including one about a 1 miles (1.6 km) long through Britford parish. The river had ceased to be navigable by 1737 but bridges over it and remains of locks
still survive around Britford.
primary school. Salisbury District Hospital
is in the parish about 1 miles (1.6 km) southwest of the village. The village has a Park and Ride
bus service to Salisbury.
River Avon, Hampshire
The River Avon is a river in the south of England. The river rises in the county of Wiltshire and flows through the city of Salisbury and the county of Hampshire before reaching the English Channel through Christchurch Harbour in the county of Dorset....
about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) southeast of Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, 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...
. The village is just off the A338 road
A338 road
The A338 is a major trunk road in southern England, that runs from the junction with the A35 at Bournemouth in Dorset to the junction with the A420 at Besselsleigh in Oxfordshire, roughly long.-Route:...
.
Archaeology
Little Woodbury, 0.5 miles (804.7 m) southwest of the village, is the site of an Iron AgeBritish Iron Age
The British Iron Age is a conventional name used in the archaeology of Great Britain, referring to the prehistoric and protohistoric phases of the Iron-Age culture of the main island and the smaller islands, typically excluding prehistoric Ireland, and which had an independent Iron Age culture of...
settlement. Excavations in 1938–39 revealed the sites of granaries, storage pits and a circular house nearly 50 feet (15.2 m) in diameter.
Great Woodbury, 1 miles (1.6 km) from the village, is the remains of an Iron Age hill fort.
Parish church
The naveNave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
of the Church of England parish church
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
is Saxon
Anglo-Saxon architecture
Anglo-Saxon architecture was a period in the history of architecture in England, and parts of Wales, from the mid-5th century until the Norman Conquest of 1066. Anglo-Saxon secular buildings in Britain were generally simple, constructed mainly using timber with thatch for roofing...
, built probably in the 9th century. On each side of the nave there is a round-headed Saxon arch into a porticus (small space for a side-chapel).
The church was extended in the 14th century, when the north and south transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
s were added making it the cruciform building it is today. Each transept is next to the Saxon porticus on its respective side and includes the east wall of that porticus. The arches where the transepts meet the nave are Decorated Gothic, as is the east window of the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
. A 15th century tomb chest monument in the church is supposed to be that of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham
Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham
Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, KG played a major role in Richard III of England's rise and fall. He is also one of the primary suspects in the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower...
who was executed in Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
in 1483. The building was restored
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
by George Edmund Street
George Edmund Street
George Edmund Street was an English architect, born at Woodford in Essex.- Life :Street was the third son of Thomas Street, solicitor, by his second wife, Mary Anne Millington. George went to school at Mitcham in about 1830, and later to the Camberwell collegiate school, which he left in 1839...
in 1873.
In the first half of the 13th century Britford had an anchoress
Anchorite
Anchorite denotes someone who, for religious reasons, withdraws from secular society so as to be able to lead an intensely prayer-oriented, ascetic, and—circumstances permitting—Eucharist-focused life...
called Joan. In 1215 King John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
granted her an income of one penny
Penny
A penny is a coin or a type of currency used in several English-speaking countries. It is often the smallest denomination within a currency system.-Etymology:...
per day. She received royal gifts of oaks in 1226, 1231 and 1245. In 1237 the sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of Salisbury was ordered to ensure that the courtyard around her house was securely enclosed with a wall.
St. Peter's has a ring
Change ringing
Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called "changes". It differs from many other forms of campanology in that no attempt is made to produce a conventional melody....
of six bells. Five including the tenor were cast in 1765 by Robert Wells I of Aldbourne
Aldbourne
Aldbourne is a village and civil parish about northeast of Marlborough in Wiltshire, England. It is in a valley in the south slope of the Lambourn Downs, part of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
. The treble was cast in 1899 by Thomas Blackbourn of Salisbury.
Secular history
Northwest of St. Peter's is a 17th century house with a symmetrical front of three baysBay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
. Southwest of St. Peter's is a moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
ed house that externally is early 19th century Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
. There are Georgian cottages on the main A338 road, built for the Longford Castle
Longford Castle
Longford Castle is located on the banks of the River Avon south of Salisbury, Wiltshire, England.In 1573 Thomas Gorges, of Langford acquired the manor , which was originally owned by the Cervingtons. Prior to this the existing mansion house had been damaged by fire...
estate.
In 1664 an Act of Parliament
Acts of Parliament in the United Kingdom
An Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom is a type of legislation called primary legislation. These Acts are passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom at Westminster, or by the Scottish Parliament at Edinburgh....
authorised the conversion of the River Avon into a navigation
Navigability
A body of water, such as a river, canal or lake, is navigable if it is deep, wide and slow enough for a vessel to pass. Preferably there are few obstructions such as rocks or trees to avoid. Bridges must have sufficient clearance. High water speed may make a channel unnavigable. Waters may be...
between Salisbury and the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
at Christchurch
Christchurch, Dorset
Christchurch is a borough and town in the county of Dorset on the south coast of England. The town adjoins Bournemouth in the west and the New Forest lies to the east. Historically in Hampshire, it joined Dorset with the reorganisation of local government in 1974 and is the most easterly borough in...
. Canalised channels were dug to straighten sections of the river, including one about a 1 miles (1.6 km) long through Britford parish. The river had ceased to be navigable by 1737 but bridges over it and remains of locks
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
still survive around Britford.
Amenities
Britford has a Church of EnglandVoluntary controlled school
A voluntary controlled school is a state-funded school in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in which a foundation or trust has some formal influence in the running of the school...
primary school. Salisbury District Hospital
Salisbury District Hospital
Salisbury District Hospital is a hospital located in the city of Salisbury in Wiltshire, England.Previously Salisbury Hospitals comprised three units...
is in the parish about 1 miles (1.6 km) southwest of the village. The village has a Park and Ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
bus service to Salisbury.