Frampton Mansell is a small English village 5 miles (8 km) east-south-east of Stroud, Gloucestershire, in the parish of Sapperton. It lies off the A419 road between Stroud and Cirencester. It has a prominent mid-19th century, Grade II listed church with a set of five original stained-glass windows.
Village
Frampton Mansell takes its name from the valley of the River Frome, in which it lies.[1] It was first mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book, as Frantone.[2] The Victoria County History found one reference to it as Moises Frampton in 1462/3.[3] In the 13th century, the manor passed to the Maunsell family, from whom the second part of the name derives.[4]
Frampton has a village hall and a pub, the Crown Inn – a "cider house" that also offers meals and accommodation. The Thames and Severn Canal, the river and the railway all follow the valley down towards Stroud. The railway viaduct is a prominent feature. Occasional steam excursions along the valley are popular with trainspotters.
The village is served by several bus routes. Destinations include Stroud, Gloucester and Cheltenham.[5] The nearest railway station is at Stroud, 6.6 miles (10.6 km) away.
Parish church
St Luke's Church in Frampton Mansell was built in 1843 by Lord Bathurst as a chapel of ease for the village.[6] and consecrated the following year. It saved local churchgoers a two-mile walk to Sapperton Church.
St Luke's is an English Heritage Grade II listed building[7] in a prominent hilltop position. Designed by J. Parish, it is in a neo-Romanesque style reminiscent of the Alpine churches of northern Italy. A set of five original stained-glass windows lighting the apse are dedicated to Christ and the four Evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
The church and its congregation belong to the Diocese of Gloucester and the Thameshead group of parishes. Closure in 1979 was averted by founding a new local charity to restore and maintain the building.[8] There is a Sunday service about four times a month.[9]
References
^A. D. Mills and A. Room, A Dictionary of British Place-Names
^N. M. Herbert, R. B. Pugh (editors), A. P. Baggs, A. R. J. Jurica, W. J. Sheils (1976). "Sapperton: Introduction". A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 11: Bisley and Longtree Hundreds. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 30 December 2012. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
