The importance of Old Buildings in the Village

There are over 45 buildings in the village with 17th - 18th century dating in the village of Pucklechurch. We will start with the Church who's foundations are possibly the oldest, and then other buildings of importance will be noted in brief with a detailed history of Moat House

¤ St. Thomas à Becket Church ¤

The most notable ancient structure in Pucklechurch is the St Thomas à Becket Church built over 700 years ago in commemoration of St. Thomas of Canterbury who was murdered in his cathedral in 1170. The church construction began fifty years following his murder and was dedicated to St Thomas upon its completion. The Church of St. Thomas à Becket has a blocked Norman doorway but is generally a large 13th. Century church and testifies to an increasing wealth, initially based on agriculture as evidence by the number of large country farmhouses of the 17th. And 18th. Centuries, both within the Conservation Area and parish as a whole.

The gates to the church are guarded by twin oaks and there exists an old square sundial over the church porch. Most notable within the church is the 13th century chancel arch, spreading almost the whole width of the nave and ornamented with beautiful foliage on the capitals. The nave arcade is 14th century; the floors are paved with old tombstones, and the roof has fine old timbers. The monuments within the church include among others an effigy of a lady, c. 1325, and more recently Thomas Ridley 1714, and Edward Hathaway 1798. There is also a tablet to John Denny the English poet, who died 300 years ago and who wrote among other things six beautiful stanzas descriptive of the fisherman's country life later included in Izaak Walton's Complete Angler.

The 15th/16th centuries witnessed the building of magnificent houses in the village. The influential and important Denis family held the manor of Pucklechurch until the 18th century and it was this house that William III visited enroute from Bristol to Badminton, after the Battle of the Boyne todays Moat House). By 1718 the village was endowed with a school for the education of 10 poor boys and 10 poor girls of the Parish, this being due to the charity of the Vicar the Revd. Henry Berrow, who was the first of several benefactors of Pucklechurch. The 19th century saw great social changes in the Parish with the founding of the colliery at Parkfield by Handel Cossham.

The village in 1880 had five main nuclei; associated with the main junction/ route/village centre; around the Parish Church and Church Farm; around Pucklechurch House; around Court Farm and the village green and in the vicinity of Moat Farm. In Pucklechurch and the village environment as a whole, the role of the large houses of the 17th and 18th. century in particular has been important. Associated with these houses in the villagescape are smaller cottage-rows of similar date, constructed also of limestone rubble with pan tile roofs. The relationship between the listed larger houses and smaller unlisted properties of similar date, the church, village green and old coaching route is still evident today despite considerable 20th. Century change. There is surprisingly little 19th. Century development in the village as a whole, and despite many modern alterations and variations in detail, the characteristics of each row and building line of the unlisted cottages are remarkably similar and give a special identity to the Conservation Area. Their conservation is essential to its character. Within and between these cottages there is evidence of small workshops and shops to service the essential needs of the village.

Pucklechurch has three fine old Inns. The Star Inn is thought to be the oldest ca. 15th century but the Rose & Crown and Fleur de Lys are not far behind dating back to the 17th century.

There are many listed buildings in the village of which Moat House is one. This was thought to be the original manor house site of Pucklechurch and could have royal connections. The present Moat House and its barns are dated to the late 16th. /early 17th. Century (BaRAS). According to some reports, the original frontage of Moat House boasted seven gables, there being three remaining, of which only one is original. A fire destroyed the main frontage and 50% of the house. Here is an artists impression of the house from the 19th century in the village showing a seven gable frontage (courtesy of Ann Wilson).

The site has long been thought to be a moated site and indeed the name of 'Moat House' does indicate this. Names can, however, be spurious and indeed the name of Moat House has proven to be of fairly recent date, the former names for the house varying between the 'Old Hall' and the 'Great House', the latter being the name on the copies of the tithe maps outlined above.

Survey at Moat House in 2000 produced some interesting results with the finding of 11th. and 12th. Century ceramic, making it highly likely that a late Saxon manor also existed on this site, which also could have been moated, although there is direct no evidence as yet to support this theory. Another find of a glazed 14th. Century roof tile also indicates a high status site, although there is no structural evidence for this until the 16th. Century, represented by plaster ceiling in Moat House. In fact nothing structural was dated to the 15th century at all.

The Village Pound formed an essential part of rural life from early times, being an enclosure to pen cattle or other animals found straying or seized in payment of debt. There are indications that the Pound was situated behind the present Pound Cottage at the head of the former Pound Lane, Pound Cottage being the house of the keeper of the Pound. However, it has been suggested that the stone enclosure next to Church Farm was the village pound at some stage. However, it is also recorded by villagers as having been a carpenter's workshop at one time.