Doynton

Doynton is a village in South Gloucestershire, England.

In Doynton there is a pub, The Cross House, there is also a park and playing field. In the middle of the village there is a hall which is used for meetings and entertainment purposes. The church in Doynton has been noted for its herringbone masonry (around 12th century) on the south wall. The River Boyd also runs through the northern end of the village. Doynton and the Boyd were immortalised by the poet and fisherman John Dennys, Squire of Pucklechurch, in his poem "The Secrets of Angling", the earliest English poetical treatise on fishing, published in 1613:

And thou sweet Boyd that with thy watry sway
Dost wash the cliffes of Deington and of Weeke
And through their Rockes with crooked winding way
Thy mother Avon runnest soft to seeke.^[1]

Setting

Doynton is a picturesque village situated on the lower slopes of the Cotswolds, approximately two miles south-east of Pucklechurch. The River Boyd passes through the northern part of Doynton, and the village is surrounded by rich pastures and varied topography. The village is essentially linear in character with development lining the four main roads into the village.

Doynton lies within the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is also covered by greenbelt policies.

History

Doynton's history can be traced back to the Domesday Book (1086) in which the village is mentioned as having two mills. One was probably a corn mill and the other a tucking or fulling mill connected with the Cotswold woollen cloth industry. Both these mills were important to the survival of the village and were referred to again in historical records 500 years later. The tuck mill, however, is not mentioned after the middle of the 17th century. The corn mill continued in use until the 1950s marking nine centuries of service to the village. The mill wheel and old machinery were then broken up and electrically powered equipment installed. More recently a light engineering firm has taken over the site.

The Holy Trinity Church (grade II*-listed) is at the centre of the village. It was largely rebuilt between 1864 and 1867 but dates back to Saxon times. Its features include 12th century herringbone masonry on the south wall - a style almost unique in this part of the country. It also features a 12th century leper window, again situated in the south wall and the 13th century Lady Chapel.

North-west of the church there is evidence of a group of mediaeval fishponds which provided an important source of food to supplement the diet of villagers in the Middle Ages. Doynton had a rather elaborate group of ponds made by taking water from a stream via a leat (also spelt 'lete' - a man-made watercourse) to a group of rectangular ponds situated in the field.

Character

The historic core of Doynton was designated a conservation area in February 1983. However, the area of Doynton Mill and its immediate surroundings to the north of the village are no longer part of it. Although the area has historic interest, its use for light industrial purposes and its general character are now not considered worthy of conservation area status.

Doynton has a number of interesting older buildings, many of which are listed. These include Doynton House (grade II-listed), The Old Rectory (grade II-listed), The Old Brewery (grade II-listed) and Holy Trinity Church.

The older houses are either 17th or 18th century in origin. The 17th century houses are characterised by their attractive high gables, such as Doynton House and The Old Brewery, whereas the 18th century buildings display more formal frontages and have some affinity with the architectural style of nearby 18th century Bath.

Many of the older houses, such as 'The Old Brewery Cottages', have thick, rubble-filled walls of attractive grey Cotswold stone. A number have also preserved original internal features, such as open fireplaces and ceiling beams.

Part of Doynton's charm is that it has retained its village-like quality. Doynton has changed little in recent years, development being restricted to infilling. Indeed the title map of 1840 shows how little the village has changed since then, and this adds to the charm of this Cotswold village.

References

1. ^ First half of verse 3, book 1.

External links

Media related to Doynton at Wikimedia Commons

Coordinates: 51°28′N 2°24′W / 51.467°N 2.4°W / 51.467; -2.4