Almondsbury

"ALMONDSBURY, a parish in the lower divisions of the hundreds of Langley and Swinehead, Thornbury and Berkeley, in the county of Gloucester, 4 miles to the S.W. of Thornbury It contains the tythings of Hempton with Patchway, Over Tockington, Lower Tockington, Almondsbury, and three other tythings, and is situated at the foot of the Cotswold hills, near the Bristol and Birmingham railway. The small stream, Boyd, which falls into the Avon, runs near the village. From the summit of the rocks under which the village stands, there is a fine prospect over the Severn to the Welsh coast.

The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Gloucester and Bristol, value £915, in the patronage of the bishop. The church is a handsome edifice in the form of a cross, and in the early English style. It has a tower and spire at the centre, and a beautiful western door. It is dedicated to St. Mary, and was formerly a cell to the priory of St. Augustine, at Bristol. There are church lands, of which the yearly income amounts to £236, a poor's house, and a small free school. It is said that here was the burial-place of Alcmond father of King Egbert. Knole House is the principal seat."

"GAUNT'S EARTHCOTE, a tything in the parish of Almondsbury, lower division of the hundred of Thornbury, county Gloucester, 2½ miles E. of the village of Almondsbury, and 4 S.W. of Thornbury."

"HEMPTON-WITH-PATCHWAY, a tything in the parish of Almondsbury, lower division of the hundred of Langley, county Gloucester, 5 miles S. of Thornbury."

"LEA, a tything in the parish of Almondsbury, lower division of the hundred of Thornbury, county Gloucester, 4 miles S.W. of Thornbury."

"LOWER TOCKINGTON, a tything in the parish of Almondsbury, county Gloucester, 3½ miles S. of Thornbury."

"OVER, a tything in the parish of Almondsbury, lower division of the hundred of Langley, county Gloucester, 2 miles S.W. of Almondsbury, and 5 N. by W. of Bristol."

"PATCHWAY, a tything in the parish of Almondsbury, lower division of the hundred of Langley, county Gloucester, 6 miles N. by E. of Bristol. It is a station on the Bristol and South Wales Union railway. In conjunction with Hempton it forms a township."

[Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)
Transcribed by Colin Hinson ©2003]