Harescombe
| Harescombe | |
 The Church of St. John the Baptist |
|
  Harescombe Harescombe shown within Gloucestershire | |
| OS grid reference | SO8310 |
|---|---|
| Civil parish | Harescombe |
| District | Stroud |
| Shire county | Gloucestershire |
| Region | South West |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Gloucester |
| Police | Gloucestershire |
| Fire | Gloucestershire |
| Ambulance | Great Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| |
Harescombe is a small village in Gloucestershire, England.[1] It is situated 5 miles (8 km) south of Gloucester. It is thought the name of the village is derived from a combination of the Celtic term "cwm" (valley) and the Saxon term "here" (army), thus the full meaning of "Harescombe" would be "the Army's Valley".[2]
The community is indeed in a valley as it rests at the foot of the well-known range of the Cotswolds called the Haresfield Beacon and Broadbarrow Green, which were sites of ancient British and Roman encampments. These encampments were a part of a chain of fortresses expressly mentioned by Tacitus as having been raised by Ostorius Scapula between the Severn and Avon Rivers: old British works adapted by the Romans to their own requirements.[2]
The Church of St. John the Baptist
The Church of St. John the Baptist in Harescombe was constructed in the early 13th century. It was consecrated in 1315. The walls are ashlar limestone, and the roof is of stone slate. The church has an unusual bellcote and a small octagonal stone spire, as well as small octagonal pinnacles on the four sides. Small iron crosses were added to these pinnacles in 1870–71 when Francis Niblett restored the church.[3] The belfry has two bells, one of which has been determined to be the oldest bell (circa 1180) in Gloucestershire.[4]
Several of the memorial inscriptions on markers in the adjacent graveyard date from the 17th century, with the oldest being for Thomas Roberts, Gent., dated Jan 20, 1632.[5]
The Church of St. John the Baptist is a grade 2* listed building with English heritage.[6]
References
- ↑ Welbore St. Clair Baddeley (1913). Place-names of Gloucestershire: a handbook. J. Bellows. p. 78. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Melland Hall, Rev. J. (1885). Transactions – Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society. Bristol: C. T. Jeffries and Sons. pp. 67–132.
- ↑ Verey, David (1979). Gloucestershire: The Cotswolds. Penguin. ISBN 0-14-071040-X.
- ↑ "The Beacon Benefice". Retrieved 29 June 2011.
- ↑ Blacker, Rev. Beaver H (1881). Gloucestershire Notes and Queries. London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent, and Co., Ltd.
- ↑ "Listed Buildings in Stroud". Retrieved 29 June 2011.
External links
Media related to Harescombe at Wikimedia Commons