Re: Circles under churches | Forum — The Modern Antiquarian

Littlestone May 9, 2005 23:03:05

Replying to PeterH

Will check out the farmyard etc next time I'm there - thanks for that info.

> However, I believe that the churches replaced pagan SAXON sites and not prehistoric ones unless in specific cases it can be shown that the Saxons had their temples or groves on such sites. <

Sorry to harp on about the yew tree but, if it is indeed 1,700 years old, that would place it roughly 300-400 hundred years before any pagan Saxon structure that might have existed on the site (in fact the yew tree would have been standing at Alton Priors when the Romans were still in the area). Again, coupled with the nearby spring and the sarsens under the church I would maintain that Alton Priors church (as at Pewsey and possibly Ingatestone?) most likely occupies the site of a prehistoric circle.

I need to do more research on this but, thanks again for the info :-)

PeterH May 9, 2005 23:16:51

Replying to Littlestone

OK - just one thing on theyew tree. Its great age doesn't have to mean that it was located at a pagan site. This one could have been one of many and it survived when others were felled.. Yew is of course very poisonous and the old tradition that they were planted inside churchyards to keep the devil and evil spirits away is countered by the notion that they were planted inside churchyard walls where cattle couldn't get to them.

I do agree that this yew is far older than the existing church
I'm still on the fence.

Littlestone May 9, 2005 23:26:29

Replying to Littlestone

PS > I would maintain that Alton Priors church (as at Pewsey and possibly Ingatestone?) most likely occupies the site of a prehistoric circle. <

Actually, I'm no longer sure that Pewsey church actually sits on a prehistoric circle. I am sure, though, that the stones under its foundations did come from a circle but that the circle was more likely to have been in the grove down by the river. The stones were brought <i>up</i> the hill and placed under the church rather than being originally on top of the hill and then pushed down it...

Then again, of course, I might just be talking through my arse :-)