Castle Eaton
Encyclopedia
Castle Eaton is a village and civil parish on the River Thames
about 4 miles (6.4 km) northwest of Highworth
. It is historically in Wiltshire
but since 1997 has been part of Swindon unitary authority. The Thames at Castle Eaton forms both the northern boundary of the parish and the county boundary with Gloucestershire
.
The village is characterised by its older buildings most of which are in The Street, the original main thoroughfare. Built of local stone, these buildings give Castle Eaton the look and feel of a traditional Cotswold village. Many of the buildings date from about 1650 to 1850, and Swindon Council has made this part of the village a Conservation Area
to protect its historical and architectural importance.
dedicated to Saint Mary the Virgin is a Grade I listed building. It has two Norman
doorways. The chancel
was built late in the 13th century in the Early English Gothic style, and at its east end has a trio of stepped lancet windows. The building was restored
by William Butterfield
in 1861-63, who added a distinctive corbel
led bellcote
on the roof above the chancel arch. The west tower has a ring
of six bells.
In the churchyard near the entrance is a medieval cross that is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
The church can be reached only on foot, via a path linking the lychgate
with the east end of The Street.
, the Red Lion. It claims to be first public house
on the River Thames after leaving its source at Thames Head
in the Cotswolds
.
National Trail between the towns of Cricklade
upstream to the west and Lechlade
downstream to the east. The Cricklade to Lechlade section of the Thames Path is 11 miles long and runs mainly alongside the river. However some detours have been necessary where riverside access has not been possible. In Castle Eaton, the Thames Path is unable to follow the banks of the river and instead makes its way through the centre of the village. On leaving the village to the east the path carries on through farmland before rejoining the river close to the village of Kempsford
, which can be seen along with its distinctive church on the opposite bank.
is managed by National Trails who have separated it into individually numbered sections for management purposes. The 184-mile path starts numerically in London with Section 1 and finishes at the river's source in Gloucestershire with Section 64. Castle Eaton marks the boundary of two sections:
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
about 4 miles (6.4 km) northwest of Highworth
Highworth
Highworth is a market town in the unitary authority of Swindon in Wiltshire, England, located about north-east of Swindon town centre. At the 2001 census it had a population of 7,996...
. It is historically 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...
but since 1997 has been part of Swindon unitary authority. The Thames at Castle Eaton forms both the northern boundary of the parish and the county boundary with Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
.
The village is characterised by its older buildings most of which are in The Street, the original main thoroughfare. Built of local stone, these buildings give Castle Eaton the look and feel of a traditional Cotswold village. Many of the buildings date from about 1650 to 1850, and Swindon Council has made this part of the village a Conservation Area
Conservation Area (United Kingdom)
In the United Kingdom, the term Conservation Area nearly always applies to an area considered worthy of preservation or enhancement because of its special architectural or historic interest, "the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance," as required by the Planning ...
to protect its historical and architectural importance.
Parish church
The parish churchParish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
dedicated to Saint Mary the Virgin is a Grade I listed building. It has two Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
doorways. 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...
was built late in the 13th century in the Early English Gothic style, and at its east end has a trio of stepped lancet windows. 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 William Butterfield
William Butterfield
William Butterfield was a Gothic Revival architect and associated with the Oxford Movement . He is noted for his use of polychromy-Biography:...
in 1861-63, who added a distinctive corbel
Corbel
In architecture a corbel is a piece of stone jutting out of a wall to carry any superincumbent weight. A piece of timber projecting in the same way was called a "tassel" or a "bragger". The technique of corbelling, where rows of corbels deeply keyed inside a wall support a projecting wall or...
led bellcote
Bell-Cot
A bell-cot, bell-cote or bellcote, is a small framework and shelter for one or more bells, supported on brackets projecting from a wall or built on the roof of chapels or churches which have no towers. It often holds the Sanctus bell rung at the Consecration....
on the roof above the chancel arch. The west tower 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.
In the churchyard near the entrance is a medieval cross that is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
The church can be reached only on foot, via a path linking the lychgate
Lychgate
A lychgate, also spelled lichgate, lycugate, or as two separate words lych gate, is a gateway covered with a roof found at the entrance to a traditional English or English-style churchyard.-Name:...
with the east end of The Street.
Amenities
The village has a public housePublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, the Red Lion. It claims to be first public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
on the River Thames after leaving its source at Thames Head
Thames Head
Thames Head is a site in Gloucestershire, traditionally identified as the source of the River Thames, a major river which runs through the centre of London. It lies near the village of Kemble and the town of Cirencester....
in the Cotswolds
Cotswolds
The Cotswolds are a range of hills in west-central England, sometimes called the Heart of England, an area across and long. The area has been designated as the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
.
Thames Path
Castle Eaton is on the Thames PathThames Path
The Thames Path is a National Trail, opened in 1996, following the length of the River Thames from its source near Kemble in Gloucestershire to the Thames Barrier at Charlton. It is about long....
National Trail between the towns of Cricklade
Cricklade
Cricklade is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in north Wiltshire in England, midway between Swindon and Cirencester.On 25 September 2011 Cricklade was awarded The Royal Horticultural Society's 'Champion of Champions' award in the Britain in Bloom competition.Cricklade is twinned with...
upstream to the west and Lechlade
Lechlade
Lechlade, or Lechlade-on-Thames, is a town at the southern edge of the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. It is the highest point at which the River Thames is navigable. The town is named after the River Leach that joins the Thames near here....
downstream to the east. The Cricklade to Lechlade section of the Thames Path is 11 miles long and runs mainly alongside the river. However some detours have been necessary where riverside access has not been possible. In Castle Eaton, the Thames Path is unable to follow the banks of the river and instead makes its way through the centre of the village. On leaving the village to the east the path carries on through farmland before rejoining the river close to the village of Kempsford
Kempsford
Kempsford is a small village in Gloucestershire, England. RAF Fairford is located near the village, as is Fairford itself.The first Kempsford Literary Festival takes place between Friday 12th and Saturday 14th March 2010...
, which can be seen along with its distinctive church on the opposite bank.
Sections
Opened in 1996, the Thames PathThames Path
The Thames Path is a National Trail, opened in 1996, following the length of the River Thames from its source near Kemble in Gloucestershire to the Thames Barrier at Charlton. It is about long....
is managed by National Trails who have separated it into individually numbered sections for management purposes. The 184-mile path starts numerically in London with Section 1 and finishes at the river's source in Gloucestershire with Section 64. Castle Eaton marks the boundary of two sections:
| Section | Between |
|---|---|
| 61 | Castle Eaton and Hannington Bridge |
| 62 | Castle Eaton and Cricklade |