Farleigh Hungerford

Coordinates: 51°18′58″N 2°17′14″W / 51.3160°N 2.2872°W / 51.3160; -2.2872
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Farleigh Hungerford
Avon and Somerset
FireDevon and Somerset
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Somerset
51°18′58″N 2°17′14″W / 51.3160°N 2.2872°W / 51.3160; -2.2872

Farleigh Hungerford (

A366, between Trowbridge and Radstock in the valley of the River Frome. In 1931 the parish had a population of 98.[1]

Within this small village are the notable ruins of Farleigh Hungerford Castle, which played a significant part in the English Civil War. Evidence has also been found of occupation during Roman times; the foundations of a villa were excavated in a field just north west of the castle in 1822.

From 1985 to 2010 the village was the venue for the annual Trowbridge Village Pump Festival.

History

The manor was called Farleigh Montfort from just after the conquest when it was owned by a Norman family, the Montforts, until the fourteenth century. Then

Hundred.[3]

Farleigh Hungerford Castle gateway

It is the location of

Sir Thomas Hungerford, Speaker of the House of Commons. In the early 15th century, his son, Sir Walter Hungerford, enlarged the castle by adding the outer court that enclosed the parish church, St Leonard's, which he used as his chapel.[4] It is thought that he built the present parish church nearby to replace it.[5]

In the

Edward Hungerford (1632-1711), who had been MP for Chippenham during Richard Cromwell's brief reign,[7] entertained Charles II of England at Farleigh in about 1675. After the discovery of the Rye House Plot in 1683, the castle was raided by the government and weapons were seized.[8] The spendthrift Sir Edward was the last male of his family, but by the time of his death he had already sold the castle (in 1686) to Henry Bayntun for £56,000.[9]

Enclosed by a curtain wall with a cylindrical tower at each corner, the squarish inner

bailey contained a selection of domestic buildings. Today only two of the towers and some sections of the curtain wall survive. The south west tower stands almost to its full height of five storeys in places, but the south east tower exists only a little more than its third floor.[10] It is a grade I listed building.[11]

On 1 April 1933 the parish was abolished and merged with Norton St Philip.[12]

Farleigh House

Gothic Revival building. In 2010 it was converted to be used as the offices and training centre of Bath Rugby
.

Church of St Leonard

The

Church of St Leonard was consecrated in 1443,[13] and remodelled in 1856. It was once within the outer walls of the castle but is now separated from it by the main road. The church, which is a grade II* listed building, has a perpendicular style West Tower in 3 stages, with a pair of stone gargoyles on each face. There are the remains of some 14th-century stained glass in the north window of the nave and in the east Chancel window which are of Flemish
origin.

The church also contains a 17th-century wooden altar rail carved with open work scrolls and figures. The

angels.[14]

Village amenities

There is a spot on the river Frome which is used by what is claimed to be the only river swimming club still active in Britain.[15]

References

  1. A Vision of Britain through Time
    . Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  2. ^ "The Castle at Farleigh Hungerford". Castle Explorer. Archived from the original on 19 July 2006. Retrieved 15 July 2006.
  3. ^ "Somerset Hundreds". GENUKI. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
  4. ^ "Church of St. Leonard". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 15 July 2006.
  5. ^ "Farleigh Hungerford Castle". English Heritage. Retrieved 15 July 2006.
  6. ^ John Wroughton, ‘Hungerford, Sir Edward (1596–1648)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004 at www.oxforddnb.com and in print
  7. ^ Timothy Venning, ‘Hungerford, Sir Edward (1632–1711)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 at www.oxforddnb.com
  8. ^ "The Castle at Farleigh Hungerford". Frome Town. Archived from the original on 22 April 2006. Retrieved 15 July 2006.
  9. ^ Venning, ‘Hungerford, Sir Edward (1632–1711)’, Oxford DNB at www.oxforddnb.com
  10. ^ "The Castle at Farleigh Hungerford". Heritage Trail. Archived from the original on 16 July 2006. Retrieved 15 July 2006.
  11. ^ "Farleigh Hungerford Castle". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 15 July 2006.
  12. ^ "Relationships and changes Farleigh Hungerford CP/AP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  13. ISBN 978-1841145921
    .
  14. ^ "Church of St. Leonard". historicengland.org.uk. English Heritage. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
  15. ^ "Farleigh and District Swimming Club". Stowford Manor Farm. Retrieved 17 August 2016.

External links

Media related to Farleigh Hungerford at Wikimedia Commons

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