The place name Brampton means 'Broom settlement'. Abbotts is a reference to the abbot of St Peter's Abbey, Gloucester which held it in the late 11th century at the time of the Domesday survey.
St Michael’s Church was built in the 12th Century and contributes to the rich historic landscape of the Wye Valley. The Grade II* listed church has changed little in its plan since Norman times. The church was restored in the Victorian period, the north chapel being added at this time. The font has an octagonal bowl with quatre-foiled panels.
The walls are of local sandstone rubble with dressings of the same material; the roofs are covered with stone slates and tiles. The Chancel and Nave are of the 12th century, but the building was much altered in the 14th century, when a south porch was added. The chancel-arch was re-built and widened, probably in the 16th century, and the west wall repaired in 1686. The church was restored in 1848, in 1857, and again more recently when the bell-turret was largely or entirely re-built, the North Vestry added and the south porch re-built.
In 2011, a decision was made to close St Michael’s and since 2012, the Regeneration Taskforce has been working with the Brampton Abbotts Regeneration Group (BARG) and Hereford Diocese to find a new use for this delightful building.
The Churches Conservation Trust have recently been awarded a Heritage Lottery Fund Start up Grant to help them explore, with BARG, a range of potential uses for the site, including a pop up restaurant, bakery and microbrewery, which will help put St Michaels back on the road to sustainability.
They were planning to consult the local community on their findings in Winter 2014. The latest information can be found at http://www.visitchurches.org.uk/Aboutus/Regeneratingcommunities/Projectsexamplesofourregenerationwork/UseitorloseitBramptonAbbotts/.
In order to find the cache, go to the waypoint (by following the path from the lych gate, fork right towards the cross and follow the path round the back of the church) and answer the following questions:
The date that William Dew died. Day = AB, Month = C, Year = DEFG
The final location can be found at:
N51 56.(B-D)(C+G)(A+B) W002 34.(F*B)(A-B-D)(E-D)
Checksum of A+B+C+D+E+F+G = 27
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