Dauntsey

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dauntsey is a small village in the county of Wiltshire in England.

It gives its name to the Dauntsey Vale in which it lies.

It takes its name from Saxon for Dantes- eig, or Dante's island. It is set on slightly higher ground in the flood plain of the early Bristol Avon.

Today, the village is split by the M4 motorway, with a chain of historic smaller settlements spread either side of the motorway - Dauntsey Green, Dauntsey Church at the entrance to Dauntsey Park, and Sodom and Dauntsey Lock on the eastern side of the motorway. Dauntsey Lock is on the former Wilts and Berks canal, the course of which runs alongside the Bristol-London mainline railway.

St James the Great Church situated on the edge of the village can be accurately dated back to 1177 when Malmesbury Abbey claimed it, in 1263 it was gifted to the Lord of Dauntsey Manor and has belonged to the village ever since. Between the 14th and 17th century the nave,north and south aisles and the bell tower were added. There are many historical features in the church worth viewing the prime one being the 14th century Tympanium (Doom board) one of only 5 in the country it is situated above the Rood screen with Christ in the centre of the top and the Devil depicted by a firebreathing monster at the bottom right, it was designed to put the fear of God into all who viewed it.