Wrington

infobox UK place

country = England
latitude= 51.3617

longitude= -2.7606

official_name= Wrington
civil_parish=
population =
unitary_england= North Somerset
lieutenancy_england=Somerset
region= South West England

constituency_westminster= Woodspring to become North Somerset at next general election
post_town=
postcode_district = BS40
postcode_area= BS
dial_code= 01934
os_grid_reference= ST470628

Wrington is a village in North Somerset, England. It lies in the valley of the Congresbury Yeo river about convert|9|mi|km east of Weston-super-Mare and convert|3|mi|km south east of Yatton. It is both a civil parish and an ecclesiastical parish. Both parishes contain the nearby village of Redhill.

History

The village dates back to Roman times and there is strong evidence of Saxon occupation. [cite web | title= Roman Wrington | work=Wrington Website | url=http://www.wringtonsomerset.org.uk/history/roman/roman1.html | accessdate=2007-02-26]

Notable residents

Wrington was the birthplace of philosopher John Locke in 1632, and was home to Hannah More, who worked to improve the conditions of miners and agricultural workers on the Mendip Hills. In 1785 she bought a house, at Cowslip Green, where she lived with her sister Martha until 1828. She spent the last five years of her life in Clifton, and died on September 7 1833. She is buried at All Saints' church, [cite book |last=Toulson |first=Shirley |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=The Mendip Hills: A Threatened Landscape |year=1984 |publisher=Victor Gollancz |location=London |isbn=057503453X ] and the More family tomb is a grade II listed building. [cite web | title=More Family Monument in churchyard | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=34024 | accessdate=2007-02-26]

Church

The church of All Saints has 13th century foundations, and was remodelled with the addition of a west tower around 1450; it was restored in 1859 with further restoration to the tower in 1948. It includes stone busts to John Locke and Hannah More dating from the early 19th century on either side of the door. The chancel has gothic reredos by Charles Barry dating from 1832. The rood screen is from the 16th century. It has a tall four-stage tower with set-back buttresses which develop into crocketted pinnacles at the top stage. The top displays moulded string courses and a trefoil pierced triangular parapet with gargoyles and corner pinnacles. It is grade I listed. [cite web | title=Church of All Saints | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=34023 | accessdate=2007-02-26] According to Freeman it is "one of the "highest achievements of architectural genius".cite article |last= Brereton| first= R. P. |title= Somerset Church Towers|year= 1904, |publisher= Somersetshire Archeological Society at Gillingham |journ= The Archeological Journal |Vol= lxii. 60 collotypes prepared for a planned monograph are in the British Museum, Add. MSS. 37260-3, were published by the Society.] Wickham it dates from the period 1420 to 1450.cite book |title=Churches of Somerset |last=Wickham |first=Archdale Kenneth |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1965 |publisher=David & Charles |location=London |isbn= |pages= ] The belfry stair is in the south east turret. The height of the tower is convert|113.5|ft|m|0 to the top of the pinnacles. [cite web |url=http://www.wringtonsomerset.org.uk/allsaints/description.html |title=Description of the church |accessdate=2008-03-05 |format= |work=All Saints Wrington ]

The 17th century rectory is grade II listed. [cite web | title=The Old Rectory | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=34003 | accessdate=2007-02-26]

Primary school

The village primary school dates from the late 19th century and is grade II listed. [cite web | title=Wrington Primary School | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=34019 | accessdate=2007-02-26]

Butcombe Brewery

A major institution in the local economy is the Butcombe Brewery, a microbrewery set up in the nearby village of Butcombe in 1978 by Simon Whitmore, the managing director of Courage Western made redundant in a restructuring, and his wife Maureen. In 2003 the business was sold to Guy Newell and Paul Horsley, and moved to an industrial estate at Wrington, [cite web|url=http://www.butcombe.com/history.htm|title=Timeline|publisher=Butcombe Brewery|accessdate=2008-09-30] to be housed in a purpose-built brewery completed in March 2005; in the same year the brewery set up a joint venture with Thatcher's, the Long Ashton Cider Company producing a keg cider. In 2008 production was 24,000 barrels a year and direct outlet numbers were about 450 ["Pints West" no 79 Autumn 2008, Campaign for Real Ale Bristol, p 12] .

References

External links

* [http://www.wringtonprimary.ik.org/ Wrington C of E Primary School]
* [http://www.wringtonsomerset.org.uk/ Wrington Village web site]
*