To find the cache look for the tall Saxon type cross in the church cemetery at N51 26.559 W001 36.387.
You will see the date of birth and the date of death of the occupant (a Lieut General) written on the stone as
Born AB July CDEF
Died GH October IJKL
The cache can be found at N51 A(A+B).(H+C)(B-E)(K-J) W001 (G+I)(J-G). (A-E)(L+L)(C+E)
If anybody would like to expand to this series please do, I would just ask that you could let Sadexploration know first so he can keep track of the Church numbers and names to avoid duplication
To view the church micro stats page, please click here
Ramsbury - West Saxon Origins
It is thought that Wessex came about as Saxons arrived in Briton around the year 500 AD and moved up the Thames and settled in what we now know as Berkshire and Wiltshire, spreading into Hampshire, Sussex, Kent, Dorset, Somerset and Devon.
One theory of the early history of Ramsbury or Hraefn burh (ravens fort) is that it developed as a Saxon manor when a Saxon leader called Hraefn moved in sometime after 556 AD and converted a former Roman villa estate into his fortified dwelling.
Growing into a sizable community with its own iron smelting forge it attained a considerable degree of importance.
A bit of Early Christian History in Wessex
Christianity was introduced into Wessex around the year 635 when an independent missionary Birinus, converted the king Cynegils (611-43). The King made Birinius the first bishop of the West Saxons with his seat (episcopal see) at Dorchester.
Birinius left Wessex suddenly and for some years Wessex had no bishop. Then Bishop Agilbert, a Frank, arrived around the year 650 and king Cenwalh (643-72) made him the second bishop of Dorchester.
Later around the year 660 the king established a second bishopric at Winchester to which he appointed Wine, a Saxon, as bishop.
Agilbert soon after left Wessex, the Dorchester area passed to Mercia and Winchester was the only diocese of Wessex for nearly half a century.
It was the king Ine who first organised the church in Wessex. He created a separate bishopric at Sherborne in 705 to look after the needs of ‘Wessex beyond Selwood’ and appointed Aldhelm as the first bishop (705-9).
The sees of Winchester and Sherborne were the only sees in Wessex for more than two centuries.
Ramsbury Church of the Holy Cross
Ecclesia Corvinensis (Church of the Raven)
The bishopric of Ramsbury was created in AD 909 as part of a division of the two Wessex bishoprics into five smaller ones. Wiltshire and Berkshire were taken from the bishopric of Winchester to form the new diocese of Ramsbury. It was occasionally referred to as the bishopric of Ramsbury and Sonning.
A cathederal was built and Aethelstan was the first bishop.
Ramsbury was quite a significant diocese producing three Archbishops of Canterbury until the Normans came. Oda the Severe(942), Sigeric the Serious(990) and Aelfric (995).
However, the see of Ramsbury proved to be too small to be self supporting so in 1058 the bishopric was united with Sherborne and in 1075 both were relocated to Old Sarum (now known as Salisbury) as part of the restructuring of the church by the new Norman Archbishop of Cantebury Lenfranc.
The present Church of the Holy Cross is thought to have been built on the site of the old Saxon minster around AD 1240.
During restoration in 1891 some Saxon stones were found embedded in the south wall. Some of these stones are thought to make up one or maybe two Saxon memorial crosses and can presently be seen inside the church.
For more information on the stones see Journal of Antiquities
Following extensive and in-depth consultation across the Diocese of Salisbury in 2011, the Bishop’s Advisory Group recommended that a Bishop of Ramsbury be appointed.
The current Canon Residentiary of Canterbury Cathedral in the Diocese of Canterbury and treasurer and director of education in Canterbury Cathedral, the Rev Edward Francis Condry's appointment was announced on 19 June 2012.
© Copyright Mike Searle and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
The Ghost
Oh! by the way, this church has a ghost story: according to local legend, if you count the hundred studs on the north door at midnight, it will open, and the ghost of 'Wild' William Darrell of Littlecote House will come out. (I actually counted 105 studs on the door).
See GC3TH4E for more.