Little Rissington

"LITTLE RISSINGTON, a parish and township in the lower division of the hundred of Slaughter, county Gloucester, 4 miles S. of Stow-on-the-Wold, and 7 E. of the Shipton station on the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton railway. The village, which is of small extent, is situated on an eminence, from which there is a view of the vale of the river Windrush, which separates it from the adjoining parish of Bourton-on-the-Water. The inhabitants are chiefly engaged in agriculture.

The substratum of the hills is oolitic limestone. The soil on the high grounds consists of stonebrash, while that of the low lands is a rich clay. A large portion of the land is meadow and pasture, some of which is very rich. The Stow and Burford turnpike road runs along the eastern boundary of the parish. The greater part of the tithes were commuted for land in 1712, the glebe contains about 175 acres.

The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Gloucester and Bristol, value £350, in the patronage of the lord chancellor. The church, dedicated to St. Peter, has a tower and chancel lighted by lancet windows. It was thoroughly restored in 1859 at the joint expense of J. Bennett, Esq., and the rector, the former gentleman being lord of the manor. A mansion has been recently erected by J. Bennett, Esq. There is a National school erected and endowed in 1840 by the late rector, the Rev. R. W. Ford."

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