Mangotsfield - Shortwood - Siston - Wick - Bridgeyate:

Carsons Chocolates and Confectionery Ltd this purpose built factory once stood on Siston Common at Shortwood built 1912 now a modern development of housing stands on the site. Several firms had their own private sidings connected to the line, including the locomotive works of Peckett and Sons (from Kingswood Junction), Carson's chocolate factory at Mangotsfield, the Cattybrook brick company at Shortwood, a large grain mill at Weston and the Bath Co-operative Society's gas works and Stothert and Pitt's engineering works in the city of Bath.

Mangotsfield Rodway Manor

Tudor Rodway Hill House on Mangotsfield Common this is one of the oldest houses in the area not much is known about the house. The Domesday book states that the manor comprised of two ancient parishes: Bitton and Mangotsfield. Bitton included the hamlets of Hanham and Oldland (Young 1979: 164), though both the hamlets and Bitton itself lay outside the Mangotsfield area. Jane Seymour lived here for many years as did her brothers who lived in Bitton.

Tudor Siston Court

1598 Siston Court built at Siston opposite St Anne's Church. There is a local story that Cromwell left his boots behind at nearby Siston Court. For centuries they stood on a mantelpiece, only vanishing sometime in the 1950s. Ranulph Fiennes, the intrepid explorer of both Arctic and Antarctic poles. It is a little known fact that Ranulph Fiennes is related to the Trotman family who lived at Siston Court about the time of the English Civil War.

Siston's somewhat tucked-away church of St Ann, not far from Puckelchurch, is something of a gem. Normally kept locked between services, it's been open to interested members of the public on Sunday afternoons for the past four weeks and has, according to the vicar, attracted quite a crowd. Built not far up the hillside from St Ann's Well, possibly a pagan place of worship, the church has Saxon foundations, as can be seen from the base of its ancient font.
The pinnacled tower dates from the 13th or 14th century but the first thing that catches your eye on entering the south porch is the fine Norman doorway, surely as good as, if not finer, than anything you will discover in the Cotswolds, which seems to have a plethora of them. The shaft has scalloped capitals and the carved outer moulding has a characteristic dog tooth pattern. But the tympanum of the round arch - into which is carved a design representing the Tree of Life, its stiff little branches each with a trefoil leaf and surrounded by rope-like patterns - surely make this something exceptional.

Also inside the wonderfully preserved and immensely thick porch can be seen a stone, now chopped away to the level of the wall. This is all that remains of an ancient stoop, or holy water container, believed to have been damaged by Cromwellian troops who were billeted in the church on their way to the Battle of Lansdown in 1642. Yet another of St Ann's treasures is a lead font of Norman work, a rarity and one of only nine in the whole county of Gloucestershire (six were seemingly cast from the same mould). Full of intricate detail, it shows six figures, three pairs repeated, with Christ as Judge and Saviour. A copy can be studied in detail on the church wall.

Then, coming as a complete surprise, and a feast for the eyes once you fully enter the church, are the paintings on the walls - above the chancel and elsewhere - painted on canvas by a Mrs Rawlins and her daughter, who lived across the road at Elizabethan Siston Court in Edwardian times. Some of the pictures are from panels designed by Burne-Jones and there is a group of kneeling angels copied from frescoes in Florence's Palazzo Ricardi. The rest, all in wonderful colours, show child musicians, adoring angels and a wealth of flowers.

Don't miss the old Bible and the oak Jabobean pulpit plus, either side of the altar, two large brass seven branched candlesticks which were presented to the church by Mr Rawlings as a memorial to his nephew. Before you leave take a look around the churchyard and try to spot the richly engraved stone, a memorial to 23 year old Mary Tucker, who died 200 years ago. It show Father Time holding an hour glass (the grains of which have run out) standing next to a figure re[presenting Death, which is hurling a dart of some kind at a young woman (a possibly pregnant Mary?) on the ground. Whether there is some kind of morality tale depicted here I'll leave you to try and work out.

Siston 1960

1960 view of Siston Church the door is still plugged with bullet holes from Cromwell's Roundheads. Siston Conservation Area comprises of cottages and farms scattered around St Anne's Church, the grand Elizabethan Manor House and adjacent properties at Siston Court, together with the surrounding open fields which provide a setting for all the buildings. The open land contains elements of an 18th landscape and is thus an essential part of the area meriting protection and enhancement.

The settlement is thought to have early origins and Roman remains have been found in the area. At the time of the Roman conquest the area was entirely woodland and was known variously at Siston(e), Sy-ton(e) or Sys-tun. The name may derive from 'Sige's Farmstead' (with Saxon origins) or reflect its importance in forest life as 'Size-town'. The proximity of the palace at Pucklechurch and good hunting 'forest' probably contributed to the development of the Court and hamlet.

The character of the area drives from the relationship between the scatter of properties in a predominantly rural landscape of open pastures, small woods, hedgerows and varied topography. Within this rural setting there are two distinctive elements:- Siston Hamlet - comprising a scattering of cottages, farm buildings and St Anne's Church; Siston Court - the Elizabethan Manor House and surrounding buildings and grounds. These are linked by Siston Lane, which runs north/south through the area.

Siston 1916

1960 view of Siston Church the door is still plugged with bullet holes from Cromwell's Roundheads. Siston Conservation Area comprises of cottages and farms scattered around St Anne's Church, the grand Elizabethan Manor House and adjacent properties at Siston Court, together with the surrounding open fields which provide a setting for all the buildings. The open land contains elements of an 18th landscape and is thus an essential part of the area meriting protection and enhancement.

The settlement is thought to have early origins and Roman remains have been found in the area. At the time of the Roman conquest the area was entirely woodland and was known variously at Siston(e), Sy-ton(e) or Sys-tun. The name may derive from 'Sige's Farmstead' (with Saxon origins) or reflect its importance in forest life as 'Size-town'. The proximity of the palace at Pucklechurch and good hunting 'forest' probably contributed to the development of the Court and hamlet.

The character of the area drives from the relationship between the scatter of properties in a predominantly rural landscape of open pastures, small woods, hedgerows and varied topography. Within this rural setting there are two distinctive elements:- Siston Hamlet - comprising a scattering of cottages, farm buildings and St Anne's Church; Siston Court - the Elizabethan Manor House and surrounding buildings and grounds. These are linked by Siston Lane, which runs north/south through the area.

Bridgeyate Bridge House

Until the 1920s Bridgeyate was the boundary of Siston Parish and probably in ancient times a gate stood by the breaches (a nearby field) or Breaches-gate. This name has since evolved into Bridgeyate. The toll house opposite The Griffin had by 1963 not been used for its original purpose for a long time and has become part of the areas folklore as Miss Bences Shop.

This was a little shop full of wonderful delights, sweets, soap, polish, peas, you name it and it was there  somewhere! Unfortunately, in later years it had the unsavoury distinction of being the place where you didnt buy meat. In these modern days of refrigerated food cases and the like, the Health Inspector would have had a fit!

Bridgeyate Public Houses

There are two public houses in Bridgeyate GRIFFIN INN Large, busy, 17th century inn which was refuge from the notorious 'Cocks Road Gang' of Highwaymen. WHITE HARTE Lively traditional oak-beamed pub, sometimes known as Inn on the Green. Wakeford's Garage opened opposite the Griffin pub at Bridgeyate crossroads. The site remained a garage until 1998 when Bridgeyate Motors moved to new premises at North Common. The site has now been redeveloped for housing (2004)

Bridgeyate House

Bridgeyate Methodist Chapel

Bridgeyate Methodist Church, believed to be the oldest Methodist church in the Bristol area still holding regular services, celebrated its 150th anniversary in February this year. The little grey stone building standing at the top of Bridgeyate Common behind an ancient chestnut tree often goes unnoticed by the speeding traveller these days but when the first foundation stones were laid the pace of life was very different.

In February 1960, the chapel was packed to capacity for the four weekend celebration meetings which proved to be a great success. The final anniversary service was performed by the Reverend David Catterson who came to Bridgeyate in 1958. Long before the chapel was built, religious meetings were held in private houses. Local folk-law has it that the Rev. John Wesley may have preached nearby, on the common.

The original conveyance of 1810 decrees that 'The Chapel or Preaching House and Buildings... be peaceably used for the public worship of Almighty God, by the church and congregation that shall or may from time to time and at all times hereafter meet and assemble therein.' The original trustees of the chapel, known as the Bridgeyate Ebenezer, were all local men, several gaining employment from the brassworks at Warmley Tower. Some of their names and the name of the original owner of the land are synonymous with Bridgeyate, thus Trubody, Peacock. Jarrett, Ashley, Wilmot, Parket and Johnson.

Wick Village

The village of Wick looking down the hill from Lansdown 1908. The Rose and Crown this inn stands on the London Road in the village of Wick John Gully Champion of England of bare fist fame was born here (pub still trading today)

Wick Carpenter's Arms 1906

The Carpenters Arms public house was the spot where James Rickets was murdered. By the last house, before the Carpenters Arms, there was a stone that marked the spot where James Rickets was murdered. James was a potato merchant who sold his crops in Bristol. He was coming home in his horse and cart on 17th January, 1898, apparently he had given a young lad a lift and it is thought that they had quarrelled. At 7.00 p.m. a man named Knapp, who was a bootmaker, heard a groan about 150 yards from the Carpenters Arms. He found Mr. Rickets dying. He sent for the police and a doctor, but before they arrived he died. The doctor found a stab wound cut right through his backbone, one through the heart and slashes at his clothing.

The inquest took place at the Carpenters Arms on the 2nd February. Later at Gloucester a youth of 17 years from Barton Hill, Bristol was found guilty of the murder. He had gone to a police station in Birmingham and given himself up and confessed to the killing. He was identified as the person seen with James, and his name was Albert Griffiths. The defending counsel found that he had sustained a head injury by a cricket ball the previous summer, which had made him suffer from 'melancholia' and his character had undergone a change since the accident.

Judge Day sentenced him to death, but due to his mental condition this was reduced to hard labour of, we think, about ten years. We must remember that in the days of 1898 the road was much narrower and very dark, also it was surrounded by trees. There were no street lights here, nor were there any lights from neighbouring towns to light the sky for miles around as they do today. William Rickets was buried in Cold Ashton Church Yard.

The Carpenters Arms is situated on the banks of the River Boyd and on the side of the A420. This Inn was originally called the 'Bridge Inn'. It is thought to be approximately 380 years old. There was a shop at the side of the Inn but this has now been closed and is let for holidays.

An old member of the village remembers when the Carpenters Arms was frequented by the 'Scruffs and Roughs' of the village, while the Rose and Crown was always favoured by the 'Toffs'. When the pub was altered about ten years ago, in the back of one of the bars an old fireplace and wall were removed. Amongst the foundations a decapitated female skeleton and other skeletal remains were found. It is thought that they were 'Camp Followers' of the Cromwellian Wars. Obviously for some reason they were killed and hidden behind the thick walls. It is thought that Cromwell's men stayed at the Inn before continuing up to Lansdown.

We have confirmation that bones were discovered and examined, and a file submitted to the Coroner, but at the time of writing this has not been substantiated. However, one of the pub's customers tells us that her dog refuses to enter this bar! Steve and Lynn have been managing the pub for the last five years and it is now owned by the Grand Metropole Group.The road bridge that crosses the Boyd on the A420 was replaced in the late 18th century (1787 is the date built into the bridge and can still be seen today).

The old bridge was replaced by a 'more commodious one of four arches'. Although widened by the addition of the footpath it is still basically the same bridge. It was replaced by the turnpike commissioners during the 'troubled times' due to the Turnpike levies between Bristol and Chippenham.

Wick Village Post Office 1912

Mary Sewell achieved considerable fame, which must have rubbed off on Anna. For some years they lived at the nearby village of Abson in south Gloucestershire at a property known as Blue Lodge. While there, Mary Sewell started a series of mothers meetings which were held at nearby Wick. They were very popular and Anna would attend.
While at Blue Lodge, Anna saw a man killed by a cart, an incident she never forgot and which she incorporated into Black Beauty. From Abson, mother and daughter moved to Englishcombe Lane at Bath. It is not clear how long they lived there but ultimately they moved back to Norwich.