Description
Henbury, a village and a parish in Gloucestershire. The village stands on the SW verge of the county, near the Fosse Way and the estuary of the Severn, 4 miles NW of Bristol, and has a post, money order, and telegraph office under Bristol. The parish contains also the tithings of Kings Weston, Lawrence Weston, Stowick, Compton, Charlton, Aust, and Redwick and Northwick. Acreage, 8552; population of the civil parish, 2026; of the ecclesiastical, 2182. Blaise Castle is the seat of the Harford family, and contains a fine collection of pictures of the old masters. In the grounds are the remains of an old chapel dedicated to St Blaisus, the patron saint of wool-combers. Ten model cottages for the aged domestics of the Harford family were erected in 1810. Henbury Court is another chief residence. Henbury Hill, on which Blaise Castle stands, had a double ditched Roman camp, has yielded many Roman coins and other relics, and commands an exceedingly varied and beautiful view. The living is a vicarage, united with the chapel-ries of Ansi, Hallen, and Northwick, in the diocese of Gloucester and Bristol; net value, £370 with residence. The church is Early English, was restored in 1878, and consists of a nave of eight bays and aisles of the 12th century, a chancel and S chapel of the 13th century, and the N chapel of the early part of the 19th century. There is a fine square tower with clock and six bells. There are Baptist and Wesleyan chapels, and a meeting-house for the Society of Friends.
Country Seats
