Wyck Rissington

Wyck Rissington is a village and parish in the picturesque Cotswolds hills of Gloucestershire, England. The village is located 1.5 miles north-east of Bourton-on-the-Water.

Local Features

In the village is situated the church of St Lawrence. The present church dates back to the 12th century.

In the early 1890s composer Gustav Holst, at the age of 17, was the resident organist for the church. The organ that Holst played is still in use.

Until 1984, there existed a liturgical maze in the garden of the Rectory. This was built by Canon Harry Cheales, rector of the parish from 1947-1980. Once a year on St Lawrence day, August 10th, Canon Cheales would lead the congregation round the maze. Different points of the maze represented different Pilgrim Stations. At each station was a wood carving, twelve of which now decorate the chancel of the church. The design of the maze was such that each point could be visited without turning back. A mosaic plan of the maze is embedded in the wall of the church. The maze was dismantled when the rectory was sold on Canon Cheales' death.

Trivia

* The name 'Wyck Rissington' translates from the Saxon as "A building of special significance on a hill covered with brushwood".

Location

Latitude & LongitudeN51:53:38 W01:43:40Lat: 51.894000000 Long: -1.728000000

OS Grid reference622575.703097627 -5527063.81569211

External links

http://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=1806

http://graymonk.mu.nu/archives/2006/10/lifes_a_maze_1.html

http://www.twistedtree.org.uk/Deerhurst_dragon.htm

http://www.cotswolds.info/places/villages2.shtml