Eastleach is a civil parish

Civil parish

In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...

 in the county

County

A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...

 of 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....

, 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...

. It was created in 1935 when the separate parishes of Eastleach Turville and Eastleach Martin were combined as the civil parish of Eastleach. Today the two villages of the parish—Eastleach Turville and Eastleach Martin—are separated only by the narrow River Leach

River Leach

The River Leach is a river tributary to the River Thames, in England which runs mostly in Gloucestershire. It is approximately 18 miles long, springing from the limestone uplands of the Cotswolds. In parts of its course it becomes a seasonal bourn, only running above ground when there is...

, which is crossed by a stone road bridge and a stone slab clapper footbridge

Clapper bridge

A clapper bridge is an ancient form of bridge found on the moors of Devon and in other upland areas of the United Kingdom including Snowdonia and Anglesey...

.

Eastleach Martin

On the east bank of the Leach is Eastleach Martin, the smaller of the two villages. Today, the two principal structures are the church of St. Michael & St Martin, and Eastleach House

Eastleach House

Eastleach House is Grade II listed country house in Eastleach Martin, Gloucestershire, designed by the architect Walter Cave and completed in 1900.-History:...

, a stately home with a formal garden and extensive grounds occasionally open to the public. Eastleach Martin was also known as Bouthrop or Burthrop.

St. Michael & St. Martin

A Grade I listed structure, St. Michael & St. Martin is of early Norman in origin. Founded by Richard Fitz Pons

Richard Fitz Pons

Richard Fitz Pons was an Anglo-Norman nobleman, active as a marcher lord on the border with Wales.He is described as a follower of Bernard de Neufmarche, and probably first builder of Bronllys Castle. He started construction at Llandovery Castle in 1116...

, it was given to Great Malvern Priory

Great Malvern Priory

Great Malvern Priory in Malvern, Worcestershire, England, was a Benedictine monastery c.1075-1540 and is now an Anglican parish church.-History:...

 in 1120, later passing to Gloucester Abbey

Gloucester Abbey

Gloucester Abbey was a Benedictine abbey for monks in the city of Gloucester, England. The abbey was founded about 1022 and was dedicated to Saint Peter. It is recorded that the abbey lost about a quarter of its complement of monks in 1377 due to the Black Death.In 1540, the abbey was dissolved by...

. The present church is mostly 13th century; there are a Perpendicular font and some decorated Gothic

English Gothic architecture

English Gothic is the name of the architectural style that flourished in England from about 1180 until about 1520.-Introduction:As with the Gothic architecture of other parts of Europe, English Gothic is defined by its pointed arches, vaulted roofs, buttresses, large windows, and spires...

 windows terminating in tiny carved heads, but the interior is relatively plain. Although no longer used for worship, the church is maintained by the Churches Conservation Trust

Churches Conservation Trust

The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...

.

Eastleach Turville

The larger of the two villages today, Eastleach Turville has a plethora of listed houses and farm structures, in addition to the parish church of St. Andrew.

St. Andrew

Also a Grade I listed structure, St. Andrew sits directly across the Leach from St. Michael & St. Martin. Decoratively the more interesting of the two churches, St. Andrew's most prominent feature is the Christ in Majesty

Christ in Majesty

Christ in Majesty, or Christ in Glory, in Latin Majestas Domini, is the Western Christian image of Christ seated on a throne as ruler of the world, always seen frontally in the centre of the composition, and often flanked by other sacred figures, whose membership changes over time and according to...

 tympanum

Tympanum (architecture)

In architecture, a tympanum is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. Most architectural styles include this element....

 over the west door of the church. The lectern

Lectern

A lectern is a reading desk with a slanted top, usually placed on a stand or affixed to some other form of support, on which documents or books are placed as support for reading aloud, as in a scripture reading, lecture, or sermon...

 is said to have come from Tewkesbury Abbey

Tewkesbury Abbey

The Abbey of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Tewkesbury in the English county of Gloucestershire is the second largest parish church in the country and a former Benedictine monastery.-History:...

. The 13th- or 14-century tower of the mostly-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...

 church has a simple gable roof known as a saddleback

Saddleback

In general, a saddleback is the shape of a saddle.Saddleback can also refer to:Fauna* Saddleback , an endemic bird in New Zealand.* Saddleback caterpillar, a moth larva with a painful sting* Saddleback clownfish* Saddleback toad...

. St. Andrew remains a functioning parish church.

Notable people

John Keble

John Keble

John Keble was an English churchman and poet, one of the leaders of the Oxford Movement, and gave his name to Keble College, Oxford.-Early life:...

 was curate of St. Michael & St. Martin, Eastleach Martin, in the early 19th century, where he founded a Sunday School; the clapper footbridge over the Leach is named after him. The priest and antiquary Peter Bailey Williams

Peter Bailey Williams

Peter Bayley Williams was a Welsh Anglican priest and amateur antiquarian.-Life:Williams was the son of Peter Williams, a Welsh Calvinist Methodist clergyman and biblical commentator, and was born in Llandyfaelog, Carmarthenshire, west Wales...

 also served in Eastleach Martin, early in the 18th century.

The journalist, diplomat and intelligence agent, Jona von Ustinov

Jona von Ustinov

Jona Baron von Ustinov was a German journalist and diplomat who worked for MI5 during the time of the Nazi regime...

, father of the actor Sir Peter Ustinov

Peter Ustinov

Peter Alexander Ustinov CBE was an English actor, writer and dramatist. He was also renowned as a filmmaker, theatre and opera director, stage designer, author, screenwriter, comedian, humourist, newspaper and magazine columnist, radio broadcaster and television presenter...

, died in Eastleach in 1962.

External links