Chapter 21

WIVELISCOMBE, a market town 6 m. N.W. of Wellington, with a station on the G.W.R. branch to Barnstaple. Population, 1417. It is a dull and uninteresting, but clean and comely little place. Of antiquities it has none, except traces, to the S. of the church, of a bishop's palace, built by John Drokensford in the 14th cent., some windows of which have found their way into neighbouring houses. The church is a tasteless building, erected in 1829, with a showy semi-Italian interior. It has an odd-looking S. aisle, containing a somewhat dilapidated monument, with recumbent effigies of Humphrey Wyndham and wife, 1622-70. In the churchyard is a time-worn cross, with an almost defaced effigy (cp. Fitzhead). In the main street is a modern town hall and market house. The town lies pleasantly in the lap of the surrounding hills, which furnish many a pleasant ramble. A mile from the station, on the way to Milverton, is a British camp, and a Danish camp is said to have existed on the site of a neighbouring mansion. _Waterrow_ is a hamlet a couple of miles to the W. on the Bampton road, lying at the bottom of a picturesque combe, through which flow the beginnings of the Tone.

_Woodspring Priory_ (formerly _Worspring_, and perhaps containing the same element as _Worle_) is about 5 m. N. of Weston, and is best reached from Kewstoke, either by the shore as far as Sand Point, or by a lane that leaves (L.) the road to Worle. It was a priory of Austin canons, who were established here in 1210 by William Courtenay, whose mother was the daughter of Reginald Fitzurse, one of the murderers of Thomas à Becker, whose death the foundation was originally meant to expiate. The remains, now used as farm buildings, consist of a church, a chantry, a court-room, and a barn. The church, dedicated to the Trinity, St Mary and St Thomas the Martyr, is approached through a Dec. arch (14th cent.), which leads to an outer court at the W. of the building. On the W. wall, flanked by angle turrets, will be seen the outline of a Perp. window, and three niches with nearly obliterated figures. From this outer court an inner court is reached, having on the N. of it the S. wall of the church (with two large windows), at right angles to which the dormitories extended (the mark of the gable is still visible on the wall). Beyond the E. wall of the court are supposed to have been the chapter-house and the prior's residence. At the E. of the nave of the church is the tower, which was originally central, the chancel having been destroyed. It is 15th-cent. work, but is believed to case an earlier 13th-cent. core. The vault has fan tracery. N. of the church are the remains of the chantry (now a cider cellar), originally founded by Robert Courtenay, father of William, showing on the outside three Perp. windows and buttresses, and containing the shrine of St Thomas of Canterbury, with a ruined piscina on the pier of one of the pillars. S.E. of the church is the court-room (now a cow-house), which is sometimes styled the refectory, but erroneously, since there is no fireplace. It is assigned to the early part of the 15th cent. The barn (14th cent.) has Dec. doorways, rounded buttresses on either side of the main entrance, and remains of finials.

_Wookey_, a village 2 m. W. from Wells, with a station on the G.W.R. Cheddar branch. The church--chiefly Perp., with a blend of E.E.--is interesting. The tower stair turret carries a lofty spirelet. Note within (1) E.E. columns in N. aisle; (2) squints, especially the one on N., combined with piscina. On the S. side of the sanctuary is a small Perp. chapel decorated with modern frescoes, containing a plain altar-tomb to Thos. Clarke and wife, 1689. In the churchyard is the base of a cross. Near the church is Mellifont Abbey, built on the site of the old rectory, and ornamented with fragments of the original building. The Court, a farm-house in the fields, was once a manorial residence of the Bishops of Bath and Wells. It has an E.E. doorway.

_Wookey Hole_ is a cavern (1-1/2 m. away) which gives its name (said to be a corruption of _ogof_, Celtic for "cavern") to the village. It is the oldest known cave in Great Britain, and was once inhabited (legend asserts) by an ancient witch. It may be reached either from Wookey Station or, just as easily, from Wells. Proceed through the hamlet to the large paper-mill and inquire at the farm opposite for a guide (fee, 1s. 6d.; 1s. each for two or more). A pathway runs up the L. bank of the stream which feeds the paper-mill, and ends abruptly in a precipitous wall of rock. The stream, which is the source of the Axe, will be seen issuing from a large natural archway at the base of the cliff. An orifice in the rock enables the visitor to descend "Hell's Ladder" to the "witch's kitchen"--a spacious chamber which, when illuminated by the primitive device of igniting the scattered contents of an oil-can, will be seen to contain some large stalagmites, the witch and her dog on guard; and by pursuing a further series of corridors, entry is gained to the witch's "drawing-room" and "parlour." The three caverns are all of considerable extent, and have a strong resemblance to Gough's caves at Cheddar, but are without the pendant stalactites so profusely displayed at the latter. The gallery is 500 ft. long, and ends in a miniature lake. Geologically the series of caverns is of much interest, on account of the varied assortment of bones of extinct cave animals once contained in them. Cartloads of these bones are said to have been thrown on the land as manure. Recently another collection of bones has been discovered in a hitherto unsuspected chamber near the roof of the main series. The visitor to Wookey Hole should extend his peregrinations to _Ebbor Rocks_, which are close by and are worth a visit.

_Woolavington_, a village 4-1/2 m. N.E. of Bridgwater (nearest stat. Cossington, 1 m.). The church, restored in 1882, retains little of interest. There are piscinas in the chancel and in a small N. chapel, and a small squint in the N. chancel pier. Note the carved stone (with sacred monogram) on the interior face of the tower.

_Woolverton_, a village 4 m. N. from Frome. The church is a small, aisleless building with a diminutive W. tower and spire. The S. porch has a ribbed stone roof.

_Wootton Courtney_, a small village 4 m. W. from Dunster. It is a somewhat sequestered little place on the fringe of Exmoor, but in summer not without a quiet charm derived from the neighbouring woods and its proximity to the hills. The church has a plain saddle-back tower, partly Norm. (observe corbel table), and one or two other features of interest. The piers of the arcade have some canopied niches on their S. face. Note (1) square columnar stoup in porch; (2) angels on rear arches of windows within, and devils on dripstone without; (3) rood staircase; (4) blocked squint on N. The churchyard contains some fine yew trees and the shaft of a cross. The neighbouring hamlet of Tivington possesses a vaulted 15th-cent. chapel, with a priest's house attached. A fine view of Dunkery and the vale of Porlock is obtained from here.

_Wootton, North_, a village 2 m. N. of West Pennard (S. & D.). The church has a low W. tower, possessing one pre-Reformation bell. The porch contains a curious stoup; the font is Norm.

_Worle_, a village 2-1/2 m. E. of Weston-super-Mare. Its church (ded. to St Martin) has the rather rare addition of a short spire above its W. tower. The most notable features of the building are the Norm. remains, viz., the S. door, the octagonal font, and the little window (cut out of a single stone), which is inserted in the later porch. Note also (1) the carved stone pulpit (once in a different position, for there is a piscina behind it), (2) the "Miserere" seats (only those on the N. are ancient, one of them has the initials P.R.S., explained as those of Richard Sprynge, Prior of Woodspring and Vicar of Worle at the end of the 14th and beginning of the 15th cents.), (3) piscina, sedilia, and aumbry in the chancel.

_Worlebury Camp_. See _Weston-super-Mare_.

_Wraxall_, a parish 5 m. E. from Clevedon and 2 m. from Nailsea Station. Its church has a tower, the appearance of which is spoilt by the windows rising above the string-courses. The pinnacles are good, and projecting above the parapets are niches for figures (_cp._ Brislington, Tickenham). The S. porch (E.E.) originally had a chamber over it; the door leading to it still remains. In the interior observe (1) the roof, (2) some screen-work, partly ancient and partly modern, (3) on the N. side of the chancel a tomb with two effigies, believed to be those of Sir E. and Lady Gorges. In the churchyard is a fine 15th-cent. cross. The view of the church, as it is approached from Clevedon, is particularly pretty, the woods near it seeming to embower it; whilst from its vicinity a fine prospect is obtainable.

_Wrington_, a large and compact village 10 m. S.W. of Bristol. A light railway connects it with Yatton. In size and arrangement it is practically a little town, and is surrounded by some very pretty country. The glory of Wrington is its church, which possesses one of the finest towers in Somerset. It is a stately and harmonious composition, with long and graceful belfry windows, and bears a strong family likeness to the towers of Evercreech and St Cuthbert's, Wells. The church as a whole is worthy of its tower, though the chancel is, as usual, low and undignified. Both inside and out the design is rich without being florid, and the workmanship good. The beauty of the interior is much enhanced by the insertion of "vaulting shafts" beneath the corbels of both nave and aisles. It contains few curiosities. Note (1) aumbry in N. wall of sanctuary, (2) richly carved font. Externally should be observed (1) panelled W. door, (2) canopied niches in buttresses at E. end, (3) sanctus bell-cot. John Locke, the philosopher, was born here, as his mother was at the moment staying in the village. A tablet once fixed to his actual birthplace is built into the churchyard wall. There is also a tablet in the church to Hannah More, who resided at _Barley Wood_, a large house on the Redhill road.

_Writhlington_, a small colliery village on a hill 1 m. E. of Radstock. The church, rebuilt in 1874, lies in a valley at the bottom of a steep lane, half a mile from the village. Near the church is an old manor house, at which Cromwell is said to have stopped on his march into Somerset.

_Wyke Champflower_ (or _Wyke Chapel_), a hamlet 1-1/2 m. W. of Bruton. The little chapel, said to have been built in 1482, was rebuilt in 1623. It contains a stone pulpit, and the ceiling is ornamented with nine escutcheons, including those of the Tudor sovereigns. There is an old black-letter Bible of 1623.

_Yarlington_, a village 3 m. S.E. from Castle Cary. The church, which has been much altered and enlarged, contains a finely carved font. In the wall of the churchyard is an old stone coffin, found during the restoration of the building.

_Yatton_, a large village (with a station), 12 m. S.W. of Bristol. The first syllable is perhaps the same as the second part of _Symond's Yat_. The place has an interesting church, with a central tower which is rendered conspicuous by being surmounted by a truncated spire, and by having its stair-case attached to a diagonal buttress (instead of replacing it, as is usual). The plan of the church is cruciform, the transepts and chancel being short, and the latter very low. The oldest part is the base of the tower, which belongs to the E.E. or Dec. period; and there is a very good Dec. window in the S. transept; the remainder of the building is Perp. Externally, the most impressive feature is the W. front, with turrets at the corners (as at Crewkerne), a recessed and richly carved doorway, and above the window a representation of the Father holding the crucified Son (cp. S. Brent). The S. door has a groined and panelled porch, and the N. door an ogee moulding. Within, the nave is lofty, with slender pilasters ascending to the roof. In the N. transept is the alabaster tomb of Sir Richard Newton (d. 1448) and his wife; and under foliated recesses a male and female effigy (attributed to the 13th cent.). Attached to this transept is a chapel which is noticeable for being loftier than the adjoining chancel, and has a fine turret at its N.E. angle. It contains a pillar-piscina, and the tomb of Sir John Newton (son of Sir Richard) and his lady, above which is a relief of the Annunciation. S.E. of the church is the Rectory, dating from the 15th cent., whilst on the N. are some old alms-houses.

YEOVIL, a town of some importance on the river Yeo, in the S.E. corner of the county, doing a considerable trade in the manufacture of leather and kid gloves. Its population in 1901 was 9838. It lies chiefly on a slope which shelves down towards the little stream from which it takes its name. The G.W.R. and L. and S.W.R. have a joint station in the town, and another G.W.R. station is at Pen Mill just outside. Yeovil seems to have outgrown its original intentions and is still rapidly increasing. The older streets have the usual congested appearance of a small country town, but more spacious thoroughfares are now spreading outwards in every direction. The chief glory of the place is its fine church, remarkable alike for architecture and situation. It is a cruciform Perp. building, said to date from 1376, with a severe-looking W. tower. The interior is of great impressiveness owing to the size of its windows and the loftiness of its arches. The most noteworthy feature of the church is its 13th-cent. crypt, now used as a vestry. A groined roof rises from a central pillar, and the entrance to the communicating stairway is groined also. Otherwise the church, though noble as a whole, is somewhat devoid of objects of interest. Note, however (1) the fine roof, (2) old brass lectern with ungrammatical inscription, (3) 16th-cent. brass on floor of chancel, (4) 15th-cent. brass to an ecclesiastic. Yeovil contains few old houses, as it was burnt out in the 15th cent., but in Middle Street two buildings deserve attention: (_a_) an old chantry house, now transformed into the "Castle" Inn, (_b_) almost immediately opposite, the "George," a good specimen of an old half-timbered hostelry. Some alms-houses in Bond Street, called Woborne's alms-houses, go back, as a foundation, to the reign of Edward IV. (1476). A good view of the low lying alluvial plain which stretches around the foot of Glastonbury Tor may be obtained by following for a short distance the road to Mudford. But this is only one of the many interesting walks in the neighbourhood: Yeovil is a good centre for excursions, and Windmill and Summerhouse Hills should both be climbed.

_Yeovilton_, a parish 2 m. E. of Ilchester. Its church retains but few features of interest, but notice should be taken of (1) the remains of the stoups in the N. porch and at the W. door; (2) the two piscinas (that in the chancel has a quaint carving below it); (3) the bracket in the S. wall of the nave, and the old corbels built into the walls of the chancel; (4) the fragments of ancient glass in the W. and E. windows, the former displaying the arms of Bishop Beckington, and the latter having the letters R.S. and the figure of a swan, the initials and rebus of Richard Swan (one of Bishop Beckington's executors), who was rector here. There is also an incised slab to the memory of Sir John Hunt of Speckington (d. 1626). One of the bells dates from 1435.

APPENDIX

Places of interest mentioned in the text, but not entered under separate headings in the alphabetical list. The figures refer to pages.

Alfoxden 156 Allerford 209 Barlynch Priory 122 Blackmoor Farm 75 Bower Farm 127 Brymore House 77 Cockercombe 213 Combwich 201 Creech Hill 130 Danesborough 214 Devil's Punch Bowl 80, 182 Dundon Beacon 107 Ebbor Rocks 283 Gaulden Farm 246 Goblin Combe 98 Gothelney Hall 83 Gurney Street Farm 78 Halsway 56 Halswell House 146 Hanging Chapel 169 Hare Knap 156 Hautville's Quoit 224 Hestercombe 167 Higher Wadeford 106 Holwell Cavern 32 King Ina's Palace 205 Lamb's Lair 80, 149 Lytes Cary House 84 Malmesmead 199 Marshwood Farm 78 Mouncey Castle 122 Mynchin Buckland 127 Naish Priory 105 Parkfield Monument 117 Richmont Castle 149 Sedgemoor 18, 88, 273 Seven Wells Combe 213 Sexey's Hospital 68 Small Down 90 Stantonbury 225 Stoney Littleton 254 Sutton Court 234 Tarr Steps 122 Walton Castle 103 Wansdyke 11, 52, 129 Weary All Hill 145

INDEX OF PERSONS

A

Aethelm, Bp. Aldhelm, Bp. Alfred, King Allen, Ralph Alphege, Archbp. Arthur, King Asser, Bp. Audley, Lord Austen, Jane

B

Bacon, Roger Bagehot, Walter Barbara, Saint Barlow, Bp. Barnes, Bartholomew Beaufort, Cardinal Beckford, William Beckington, Bp. Bennett, Rev. W.J. Bere, Abbot Berkeley family Berkley, Sir M. Bird, Prior Bisse, George Blake, Robert Blanchard, William Botreaux, Sir W. Bradney, Joel de Bray, Sir R. Brett, John Bridport, Visct. Brito (Brett) Briewere, William de Bubwith, Bp. Buckingham, Duke of Buckland, Walter Burgess, Dean Burnell, Bp. Burne-Jones Butler, Bp. Byam, Rector Bytton, Bp.

C

Cantlow, Prior Carent, William Carew, family Ceawlin Cenwealh Chard, Col. Chard, Prior Charles I. Charles II. Charlotte, Queen Chatham, Lord Cheddar, Sir T. de Choke, Sir R. Church, Dean Clarke, Thomas Clarkes of Chipley Cole, Richard Coleridge, Hartley Coleridge, S.T. Coles, Humphrey Colthurst, Edmund Coryate, Thomas Courtenay, William and Robert Coutances, Bp. Geoffrey of Cromwell, Oliver Cromwell, Thomas Cudworth, Ralph Cuffe, Robert

D

Dampier, William Danbery, Henry Danbery, Sir Giles Daniell, Samuel David, St De Courcy family Decuman, St De la Mere, Sir J. Denham, Sir J. Douay, Walter de Dovell, Abbot Drokensford, Bp. Dubricius, St Dummer, Sir J. Dummer, Sir W. Dunstan, St Dyves, Sir Lewis

E

Edgar, King Edmund Ironside, King Edmund, King Ela, Countess Ethelgar, Archbp. Eveleigh, J. de Everard family Evercy, Sir Peter d'

F

Fairfax, Sir T. Farewell, J. Feversham, Lord Fielding, Henry Fitz-James, Bp. Fitz-Odo, Serlo Fitz-Roger, Sir H. Fitz-Roger, Simon Fitzurse, Reginald Fitzurse, Robert Fitzwalter family,

G

Gainsborough, Thomas Gates, Sir J. Gorges, Sir E. Goring, Lord Gray, Robert Grenville, Sir B. Grobham, Nicholas Gunthorpe, Dean Guthrum, Gyvernay, Sir G. and Sir R.

H

Hallam, Arthur Hallam, Henry Halswell, Sir Nicholas Hammet, Sir B. Harewell, Bp. Harington, Baron Hautville, Sir J. Henry VII. Henry of Blois Herlewinus, Abbot Hertford, Marquis of Hext, Sir R. Hine, Henry Hodges family Hood, Viscount Hooper, Bp. Hopton, Sir R. Horne, Bp. Horner, Sir G. Hubba Hugh of Avalon Hungerford family Hunt, Sir J. Husee, Treasurer

I

Ina, King Irving, Sir H.

J

Jeffreys, Judge Jennings, Robert Jennings, Sarah Joceline, Bp. Jones, Inigo Joseph of Arimathea

K

Kemble, Rev. C. Ken, Bp. Keyne, St King, Bp. Oliver Kinglake, A.W. Kinglake, W. Kingsmill, Sir F. Kirke, Col. Knight, Bp.

L

Lake, Bp. Landor, W.S. Langton, Bp. Lawrence Sir T. Leversedge family Lightfoot P. Locke, John Lovel, R. Luttrell family

M

Magee, Archbp. Mallet family Marchia, Bp. de Marlborough, Duke of Martok, John Matilda, Queen Maurice, Prince Merriet family Misiers, Louis de Mohun, William de Monington, Abbot Monmouth, Duke of Montague, Bp. Monteagle, Lord More, Hannah Mowbray, Robert de

N

Nash, Richard Nelson, Viscount Nelson, Rev. Earl Newton, Sir J. Newton, Sir R. Norris, Edwin

O

Odda, Earl Oldmixon, John Orange, Prince of Osric

P

Palmer, John Parry, Sir J. Patrick, St Penruddock, Col. Percival, R. Phelips family Poole, Anthony Poole, Thomas Popham, Chief-Justice Portman family Poulett (Powlett) Prowse, William and Ann Prynne, William Pym, John

Q

Queckett, J.T. Quin, James

R

Raleigh, Sir W. Raleigh family Ralph, Bp. Reginald, Bp. Robert, Bp. Robert of Normandy Rodney family

S

Savaric, Bp. Selwood, Abbot Servington, Sir O. de Sexey, Hugh Shaa, Mrs Sherborne, Prior Sheridan, R.B. Smith, Sydney Sodbury, Abbot Somerset, Protector Southey, Robert Speke family Sprynge, Richard Staling, Nicholas Stawel (Stawell) family Stephen, King St Maur, John Stone, John Strode family Sugar, Dean Swan, Richard Sydenham family

T

Tennyson, Lord Thackeray, W.M. Thomas à Becket Thurstan, Abbot Toplady, A.M. Trevelyan, John Turberville, Bp.

V

Vernais, De Verney, Sir J. Verney, Sir R. Villula, Bp. John de

W

Wadham family Wagstaff, Sir J. Wake family Waller, Lady Waller, Sir W. Walshe family Walrond, Humfrey Warbeck, Perkin Warr, Lord de La Warre family Wellington, Duke of Whiting, Abbot William of Gloucester Winter family Wolfe, General Wolsey, Cardinal Wood (father and son) Wordsworth, W. Worman, Simon Wulfric, St Wyndham (Windham) family

Y

Young, Thomas