Ansty, Wiltshire
Encyclopedia
Ansty is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire
, England
, about 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Shaftesbury
and just north of the A30 road
between Shaftesbury and Salisbury
.
barrows
including a long barrow
.
In the eastern part of the parish there is bowl barrow
. The barrow may be older than the pagan
Saxon
burial from the 7th century AD that has been found in it. Grave goods excavated from the burial include a diadem
, palm cups, enamelled ironwork and an incense burner.
of Saint James
dates from before 1210. The south wall of the nave
may be a survival from that original building, and the font
too is Norman
. The chancel
may have been rebuilt and lengthened in the 14th century. A two-storeyed north porch was added in the 15th century. The windows of the church were replaced in the 16th century. The transept
s are Gothic Revival
additions. In 1842 the porch was demolished and the north transept and western bell-turret were added. In 1878 the south transept was added. Also in the 19th century the 16th century windows were replaced with ones in a 13th century style and the arches to the chancel and transept were altered.
, who founded a preceptory in the parish. The order was not formally suppressed in the Dissolution of the Monasteries
but Henry VIII
confiscated its properties in England because the order opposed his divorce from Catherine of Aragon
. Mary I
after her accession in 1553 restored the order in England and returned all its property, including that of the preceptory of Ansty. Mary was succeeded in 1558 by Elizabeth I
who suppressed the Order. The commandry was demolished in her reign but the guest house survived until it burned down in 1927. A surviving building in the village with several early 16th century windows may be the former preceptory's hospice.
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, about 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Shaftesbury
Shaftesbury
Shaftesbury is a town in Dorset, England, situated on the A30 road near the Wiltshire border 20 miles west of Salisbury. The town is built 718 feet above sea level on the side of a chalk and greensand hill, which is part of Cranborne Chase, the only significant hilltop settlement in Dorset...
and just north of the A30 road
A30 road
The 284 miles A30 road from London to Land's End, historically known as the Great South West Road used to provide the most direct route from London to the south west; more recently the M3 motorway and A303 road performs this function for much of the route and only parts of A30 now retain trunk...
between Shaftesbury and Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
.
Archaeology
In the southern part of the parish is White Sheet Hill, on which there are Bronze AgeBronze Age Britain
Bronze Age Britain refers to the period of British history that spanned from c. 2,500 until c. 800 BC. Lasting for approximately 1700 years, it was preceded by the era of Neolithic Britain and was in turn followed by the era of Iron Age Britain...
barrows
Tumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
including a long barrow
Long barrow
A long barrow is a prehistoric monument dating to the early Neolithic period. They are rectangular or trapezoidal tumuli or earth mounds traditionally interpreted as collective tombs...
.
In the eastern part of the parish there is bowl barrow
Bowl barrow
Bowl Barrow is the name for a type of burial mound or tumulus. A barrow is a mound of earth used to cover a tomb. The bowl barrow gets its name from the fact that it looks like an upturned bowl...
. The barrow may be older than the pagan
Germanic paganism
Germanic paganism refers to the theology and religious practices of the Germanic peoples of north-western Europe from the Iron Age until their Christianization during the Medieval period...
Saxon
History of Anglo-Saxon England
Anglo-Saxon England refers to the period of the history of that part of Britain, that became known as England, lasting from the end of Roman occupation and establishment of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in the 5th century until the Norman conquest of England in 1066 by William the Conqueror...
burial from the 7th century AD that has been found in it. Grave goods excavated from the burial include a diadem
Diadem
Diadem may refer to:*Diadem, a type of crown-Military:*HMS Diadem was a 64-gun third rate ship of the line in the Royal Navy launched in 1782 at Chatham and participated in the Battle of Cape St Vincent in 1787...
, palm cups, enamelled ironwork and an incense burner.
Parish church
The Church of England parish churchChurch of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of Saint James
Saint James
-Saints:*James the Just, considered the author of the Epistle of James in the New Testament, and the first bishop of Jerusalem*James, son of Zebedee, apostle, brother of John the Apostle, sometimes called "James the Great"...
dates from before 1210. The south wall of the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
may be a survival from that original building, and the font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
too is Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
. The chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
may have been rebuilt and lengthened in the 14th century. A two-storeyed north porch was added in the 15th century. The windows of the church were replaced in the 16th century. The transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
s are Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
additions. In 1842 the porch was demolished and the north transept and western bell-turret were added. In 1878 the south transept was added. Also in the 19th century the 16th century windows were replaced with ones in a 13th century style and the arches to the chancel and transept were altered.
Preceptory
In 1210 or 1211 Walter de Turberville granted the manor of Ansty to the Knights Hospitaller of St. John of JerusalemKnights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
, who founded a preceptory in the parish. The order was not formally suppressed in the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
but Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
confiscated its properties in England because the order opposed his divorce from Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
. Mary I
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
after her accession in 1553 restored the order in England and returned all its property, including that of the preceptory of Ansty. Mary was succeeded in 1558 by Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
who suppressed the Order. The commandry was demolished in her reign but the guest house survived until it burned down in 1927. A surviving building in the village with several early 16th century windows may be the former preceptory's hospice.