Selsley
Encyclopedia
Selsley is a village within the civil parish
of King's Stanley
and district of Stroud
, in Gloucestershire
, England. It is composed of around 175 houses-scattered around the western and eastern edge of a Cotswold spur
-located approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Stroud
. The village lacks a focused central business district
and so is conventionally divided into Selsley West and Selsley East.
Stanley Park is the original Manor House in Selsley West dating from the time of Elizabeth I. The house was rebuilt in the mid 18th century and then further remodelled when it was bought by Samual Marling in 1849. In 1949, the house was sold by the Marling family and divided into flats.
Alongside the Manor House lies Selsley Church
, commissioned by the Marling family during the mid 19th century and modelled by Bodley
in the French Gothic style
. Its stained glass
was one of the first commissions undertaken by William Morris
and his partners Rossetti, Webb, Ford Madox Brown and Burne-Jones. The design of the church derives from the squires' name. The Church is modelled on one seen in Marlengo (Marling) in the disputed area of the Italian Tyrol.
Elsewhere in the village, most of the older housing dates from the 18th and 19th century, interspersed with 20th century build.
Running through the village is Water Lane - a prehistoric track that winds its way to North Woodchester
and thence to South Woodchester and on to Bath. In parts, its banks tower ten feet overhead, cloaked by hawthorn
, blackthorn
, ash
and beech
. Spring water rushes along the two sides of the lane where the geology changes. It runs parallel to a track continuing from Bell Lane and going past a cottage down over the brook and onto the Villiers estate in Woodchester.
The western scarp
face falls hundreds of feet to the flat Severn Valley
. Beyond the Forest lie the Black Mountains
and beyond these the Brecon Beacons
. Also located on the scarp is a Bronze Age
barrow
.
Despite attempts to enclose this land, it has been vigorously defended over the years. Indeed the first recorded dispute was in the Saxon period, and the threat to enclose the Common in the 19th century met with vocal public outrage. There is one area which did become enclosed, known locally as 'Dead Man's Acre'. The story goes that a man was told that he could have as much land of the common that he could enclose in one day. The effort though, proved too much, and killed him.
Dotted over the Common are the long abandoned remains of quarries once used to supply stone for local building and walling. Lesser hollows are the remains of a medieval soldier's camp - so identified in 1942 by Captain H.S. Gracie. In addition, the grassed-over ways used by the quarry wagons can still be seen.
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...
of King's Stanley
King's Stanley
King's Stanley is a village in Gloucestershire, England, situated southwest of the town of Stroud. The village is part of what is known locally as 'The Stanleys', along with its neighbours Leonard Stanley and Stanley Downton...
and district of Stroud
Stroud (district)
Stroud is a local government district in Gloucestershire, England. It is named after its largest town, Stroud, and has its administrative headquarters in Ebley Mill, in the Ebley area on the outskirts of the town.thumb |left |Ebley Mill...
, in 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. It is composed of around 175 houses-scattered around the western and eastern edge of a Cotswold spur
Spur (mountain)
A spur is a subsidiary summit of a hill or mountain. By definition, spurs have low topographic prominence, as they are lower than their parent summit and are closely connected to them on the same ridgeline...
-located approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Stroud
Stroud, Gloucestershire
Stroud is a market town and civil parish in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It is the main town in Stroud District.Situated below the western escarpment of the Cotswold Hills at the meeting point of the Five Valleys, the town is noted for its steep streets and cafe culture...
. The village lacks a focused central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
and so is conventionally divided into Selsley West and Selsley East.
Stanley Park is the original Manor House in Selsley West dating from the time of Elizabeth I. The house was rebuilt in the mid 18th century and then further remodelled when it was bought by Samual Marling in 1849. In 1949, the house was sold by the Marling family and divided into flats.
Alongside the Manor House lies Selsley Church
Selsley Church
-Background:It is a celebrated early work by the important church architect GF Bodley, incorporating notable stained glass by William Morris and his company Morris & Co....
, commissioned by the Marling family during the mid 19th century and modelled by Bodley
George Frederick Bodley
George Frederick Bodley was an English architect working in the Gothic revival style.-Personal life:Bodley was the youngest son of William Hulme Bodley, M.D. of Edinburgh, physician at Hull Royal Infirmary, Kingston upon Hull, who in 1838 retired to his wife's home town, Brighton, Sussex, England....
in the French Gothic style
French Gothic architecture
French Gothic architecture is a style of architecture prevalent in France from 1140 until about 1500.-Sequence of Gothic styles: France:The designations of styles in French Gothic architecture are as follows:* Early Gothic* High Gothic...
. Its stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
was one of the first commissions undertaken by William Morris
William Morris
William Morris 24 March 18343 October 1896 was an English textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement...
and his partners Rossetti, Webb, Ford Madox Brown and Burne-Jones. The design of the church derives from the squires' name. The Church is modelled on one seen in Marlengo (Marling) in the disputed area of the Italian Tyrol.
Elsewhere in the village, most of the older housing dates from the 18th and 19th century, interspersed with 20th century build.
Running through the village is Water Lane - a prehistoric track that winds its way to North Woodchester
Woodchester
Woodchester is a Gloucestershire village in the Nailsworth Valley, a valley in the South Cotswolds in England, running southwards from Stroud along the A46 road to Nailsworth....
and thence to South Woodchester and on to Bath. In parts, its banks tower ten feet overhead, cloaked by hawthorn
Crataegus
Crataegus , commonly called hawthorn or thornapple, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the rose family, Rosaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia and North America. The name hawthorn was originally applied to the species native to northern Europe,...
, blackthorn
Blackthorn
Prunus spinosa is a species of Prunus native to Europe, western Asia, and locally in northwest Africa. It is also locally naturalised in New Zealand and eastern North America....
, ash
Ash tree
Fraxinus is a genus flowering plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae. It contains 45-65 species of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous though a few subtropical species are evergreen. The tree's common English name, ash, goes back to the Old English æsc, while the generic name...
and beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
. Spring water rushes along the two sides of the lane where the geology changes. It runs parallel to a track continuing from Bell Lane and going past a cottage down over the brook and onto the Villiers estate in Woodchester.
The western scarp
Fault scarp
A fault scarp is the topographic expression of faulting attributed to the displacement of the land surface by movement along faults. They are exhibited either by differential movement and subsequent erosion along an old inactive geologic fault , or by a movement on a recent active fault...
face falls hundreds of feet to the flat Severn Valley
Severn Valley (England)
The Severn Valley is a rural area of mid-western England, through which the River Severn runs and the Severn Valley Railway steam heritage line operates, starting at its northernmost point in Bridgnorth, Shropshire and running south for 16 miles to Bewdley, Worcestershire in the Wyre...
. Beyond the Forest lie the Black Mountains
Black Mountains, Wales
The Black Mountains are a group of hills spread across parts of Powys and Monmouthshire in southeast Wales, and extending across the national border into Herefordshire, England. They are the easternmost of the four ranges of hills that comprise the Brecon Beacons National Park, and are frequently...
and beyond these the Brecon Beacons
Brecon Beacons
The Brecon Beacons is a mountain range in South Wales. In a narrow sense, the name refers to the range of popular peaks south of Brecon, including South Wales' highest mountain, Pen y Fan, and which together form the central section of the Brecon Beacons National Park...
. Also located on the scarp is a Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
barrow
Tumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
.
Selsley Common
Selsley Common is a large open expanse of about 160 acres (64.7 ha) and a rich habitat for rare flora and fauna. During the summer, bird song mingles with the sound of cattle as Commoners can, and still do, exercise grazing rights.Despite attempts to enclose this land, it has been vigorously defended over the years. Indeed the first recorded dispute was in the Saxon period, and the threat to enclose the Common in the 19th century met with vocal public outrage. There is one area which did become enclosed, known locally as 'Dead Man's Acre'. The story goes that a man was told that he could have as much land of the common that he could enclose in one day. The effort though, proved too much, and killed him.
Dotted over the Common are the long abandoned remains of quarries once used to supply stone for local building and walling. Lesser hollows are the remains of a medieval soldier's camp - so identified in 1942 by Captain H.S. Gracie. In addition, the grassed-over ways used by the quarry wagons can still be seen.