A Potted History of Churchminster

The village of Churchminster is mentioned as far back as the Doomsday book. In the 11th century the village was little more than a number of small dwellings, but it was unusual in the fact that it had both a Christian church and a monastery, hence the name ‘Church Minster.’ Both original buildings are long since gone, but the monastery is thought to have stood on the land that now belongs to Clanfield Hall. The present day St Bartholomew’s stands on the same site as its predecessor and was rebuilt in 1559 after a freak flash flood swept through the area. Apart from a new roof in 1832 and emergency work to rebuild the spire after it was hit by lightning in 1921, the church has barely changed and is regarded as one of the most historic in the district. To this day, it is thought that secret underground tunnels run from the village to the site of the monastery, so in times of religious persecution monks could move about freely and do their good work.

The Jolly Boot public house, situated on the edge of the village green, was built in 1624. It was originally built as a courthouse, where local criminals were tried before being turned into a coaching house in the mid nineteenth century. The pub has won countless good beer awards and holds the distinction of having the most comprehensive champagne list of any licensed establishment in the South West of England. As well as being very popular with the locals, the pub has attracted a star-studded clientele over the years, including Oliver Reed, Richard Harris and Joan Collins when she opened the Churchminster Village Show in 1983.

Churchminster is not without its fair share of legends. Hangman’s Oak, an ancient, blackened tree that stands on the far side of The Meadows is reported to have been used to hang murderers. If the bark is cut at midnight on certain nights of the year, the tree is said to bleed human blood. Another spot of local folklore is one corner of the village green, where a patch of grass always grows much darker. Legend has it that one fiendishly stormy night in 1857, local hell-raiser Thomas Barton was playing cards in the Jolly Boot with a number of other undesirables. Drunk on ale as normal, Thomas declared if he won the game he would give his soul to the devil. He went on to play the game of his life and after drinking most of his winnings on more alcohol, Thomas left the pub to stagger home. According to several witnesses he was crossing the green when, all of a sudden, the ground opened up and swallowed him. To this day, it is still known by some locals as ‘Hell’s Corner.’

Clanfield Hall, the magnificent five hundred acre estate on the outskirts of the village has been the Fraser family seat for hundreds of years. It has hosted many society events over its history, the most famous perhaps being a garden party in 1884, when The Penny Gazette reported Queen Victoria caused a scandal by bathing her feet in the fountain at the front of the hall.

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