Church Micro #740 Saul Traditional Cache
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The Church of St James the Great is a pretty country church in the centre of the village of Saul. Probably the oldest of the five churches in the Severnside Group of Parishes, there are records going back to 1140, when it was first built by the Monks of Standish as a chapel of ease. The present church was largely rebuilt in 1864-65.
Situated in the horseshoe bend of the River Severn and by the side of the Gloucester to Sharpness canal, Saul can only be approached by crossing one of the bridges at either end of the vilage.
At Sandford bridge, ducks and geese often take priority over the crossing, reminding the traveller that the pace of life can slow down, and giving time for reflection on the beautiful countryside that surrounds the village. The Church of St James the Great is in the centre of the village, a pretty country church.
,/br> Many of the houses in Saul were built by seafaring families, and this is reflected in the nautical theme of many monuments in the churchyard.
History of Saul:
The village church, St. James the Great was mentioned in 1140 in a Charter in the cartulary of the Abbey of St. Peter, Gloucester (Gloucester Cathedral). Little remains of the old village but in the 19th century prosperity came to the area with the owning of boats which could take cargoes from the River Severn, the Stroudwater Canal (opened in 1779) to Stroud and beyond. The Gloucester to Sharpness canal was opened in 1827, ships arriving from all over the world and at The Junction where the Stroudwater canal crosses the Gloucester to Sharpness canal is a boatyard (a reminder of when earlier boats were built in the area). Close by, Cadbury, the chocolate maker, had a factory where local people were employed and the canal was used by boats delivering milk, cocoa beans and sugar to make raw chocolate crumb which was then delivered to the parent factory at Bourneville, again by boat. Barge and trow owners of the 19th century built houses in Saul, the date of the buildings is on the exterior, also a school where mariners children were educated and a chapel. These buildings, sadly, have since been demolished. Many watermen and their families are buried in Saul churchyard.
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Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Onfr bs cbfg
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