Photo Advent - 7th December

[byslantedlight]

Turns out the local church is very pretty indeed, inside - a friend asked if I'd go to a Christmas choir concert with her, because she wanted to see what they were like (she sings), so I did. It was very village-choir-singing-carols, and a nice excuse to just sit and gaze about me, while trying not to fret because I had a headache all day and still needed to finish half the day's work.. *g* (Blimey - and I've just read that the church dates from the fourteenth century - I shall have to find out more! ... Okay, and the village is in the Domesday book - well I didn't know that - and there's a bronze age hillfort nearby. Cool. *g*)

Comments

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I will definitely have to do some proper exploring of the village - I hope I get to stay here long enough this time!

The Domesday book was a kind of land survey that William the Conqueror made of his new kingdom, in 1086. It listed all the villages and properties and so on, and who had what kind of incomes. There's a website for it here, or info here from the National Archives.

The entry for Glastonbury, where I was living before I went to Aus and NZ, apparently reads "Glastingberie / Glaestingeberia: Glastonbury Church. Vineyard. 5 cobs, 58 cattle, 20 pigs, 50 goats."

Oh - the entry for Bath is a bit different: "
Bada / Bade: Before 1066 it paid tax for 20 hides when the shire paid tax. The King has 64 burgesses who pay £4; 90 burgesses of other men pay 60s there. The King has 6 derelict houses. This Borough, with the said BATHEASTON, pays £60 at face value and 1 gold mark. Besides this, the mint pays 100s. Edward the Sheriff pays £11 of the third penny of this Borough. From this Borough 1 house has been taken away. Hugh the Interpreter holds it; value 2s. Of the third penny (of) ILCHESTER William of Mohun pays £6 at 20 (pence) to the ora; of MILBORNE (Port) 20s; of BRUTON 20s; of LANGPORT 10s; of AXBRIDGE 10s; of FROME 5s."