Stourton, Wiltshire
Encyclopedia
Stourton is a village in Wiltshire
, England
, at . The village is close to the county boundary with Somerset
and about 8.5 miles (13.7 km) south of the Somerset market town
of Frome
.
Stourton is part of the Stourhead
estate, now in the ownership of the National Trust
.
The Church of England parish church
of Saint Peter
contains family monuments of the Hoare
family, owners of the estate. The architect
and mason
Nathaniel Ireson
was churchwarden
in the 1720s and may have done work on the church himself. The antiquarian
William Coxe
was rector from 1801 to 1811.
Two miles south-west are the earthwork remains of a motte-and-Bailey
castle known as Castle Orchard.
Part of the parish of Stourton was within the Norton Ferris
Hundred.
The civil parish of Stourton with Gasper consists of three ancient manors: Stourton, Bonham and Gasper. Bonham and Gasper were in Somerset until 1895, when a boundary revision passed the entire parish to Wiltshire. The 2001 census
recorded a parish population of 201.
Stourton is home to Kilmington and Stourton Cricket Club who play in Division Two of the Somerset Cricket League.
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...
, at . The village is close to the county boundary with Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
and about 8.5 miles (13.7 km) south of the Somerset market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
of Frome
Frome
Frome is a town and civil parish in northeast Somerset, England. Located at the eastern end of the Mendip Hills, the town is built on uneven high ground, and centres around the River Frome. The town is approximately south of Bath, east of the county town, Taunton and west of London. In the 2001...
.
Stourton is part of the Stourhead
Stourhead
Stourhead is a 2,650 acre estate at the source of the River Stour near Mere, Wiltshire, England. The estate includes a Palladian mansion, the village of Stourton, gardens, farmland, and woodland...
estate, now in the ownership of the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
.
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...
contains family monuments of the Hoare
Hoare
Hoare may refer to:Individual people* C. A. R. Hoare , British computer scientist* Des Hoare , Australian cricketer* Desmond Hoare , British sailor & educator...
family, owners of the estate. The architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
and mason
Masonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
Nathaniel Ireson
Nathaniel Ireson
Nathaniel Ireson was a potter, architect and mason from Wincanton working in Somerset, England.He rebuilt much of the centre of Wincanton following a fire in 1707....
was churchwarden
Churchwarden
A churchwarden is a lay official in a parish church or congregation of the Anglican Communion, usually working as a part-time volunteer. Holders of these positions are ex officio members of the parish board, usually called a vestry, parish council, parochial church council, or in the case of a...
in the 1720s and may have done work on the church himself. The antiquarian
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
William Coxe
William Coxe
William Coxe , English historian, son of Dr. William Coxe, Physician to the Royal Household, was born in London. After his father's death his mother Martha married John Christopher Smith, who was Handel's amanuensis ....
was rector from 1801 to 1811.
Two miles south-west are the earthwork remains of a motte-and-Bailey
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
castle known as Castle Orchard.
Part of the parish of Stourton was within the Norton Ferris
Norton Ferris (hundred)
The Hundred of Norton Ferris is one of the 40 historical Hundreds in the ceremonial county of Somerset, England, dating from before the Norman conquest during the Anglo-Saxon era although exact dates are unknown. Each hundred had a 'fyrd', which acted as the local defence force and a court which...
Hundred.
The civil parish of Stourton with Gasper consists of three ancient manors: Stourton, Bonham and Gasper. Bonham and Gasper were in Somerset until 1895, when a boundary revision passed the entire parish to Wiltshire. The 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
recorded a parish population of 201.
Stourton is home to Kilmington and Stourton Cricket Club who play in Division Two of the Somerset Cricket League.
See also
- List of places in Wiltshire
- List of civil parishes in Wiltshire
- List of civil parishes in England
- Wiltshire Victoria County HistoryWiltshire Victoria County HistoryThe Wiltshire Victoria County History is an encyclopaedic history of the county of Wiltshire in England. It forms part of the overall Victoria County History of England founded in 1899 in honour of Queen Victoria...
External links
- GENUKI - Stourton