This Place of Worship was founded in the 12th century.
St Catherine's Church is a Grade II Listed Building. Kelly's Directory of 1923 describes it as "an ancient building of stone in the Early English style, consisting of chancel, nave of two bays, north aisle, south porch and an embattled tower on the south side containing 2 bells".
In the church is a monument, by Westmacott, to the Holford family, and another to R.S. (Robert Stayner) Holford esq. M.P. d.1892. There is a tablet to the memory of the men of the parish who fell in the Great War, 1914-1918. The parish register dates from 1611 "but is very imperfect". The living was then a rectory with Lasborough annexed.
The Holford family dominated the community of Westonbirt from the late 17th century, following the marriage of Sir Richard Holford, to Sarah, heiress of the owner, John Crewe in 1665. However it was Robert Stayner Holford who was responsible for Westonbirt as it is today. He created the arboretum in 1829, on former common land, and in the 1840s enlarged the park surrounding the 17th century manor house. Its extension involved the rerouting of several roads, culverting of a brook, and resiting of the part of the village. It was rebuilt further to the west, where the school and some cottages already stood. A golf-course was laid out before 1936 on the site of the former village.
The prefix of the name -"Weston" - derives from it being to the west of the original road, to distinguish it from Easton Grey (Wiltshire), on the opposite side. The affix Birt, first recorded in 1309, supposedly relates to when the manor was in the hands of the Bret family.
The cache can be found at: N 51º 36.CA(D-D)
W002º11.(E+F)B(E+F)
****************** ********************
For full information on how you can expand the Church Micro series by sadexploration please read the Place your own Church Micro page before you contact him at churchmicro@gmail.com.
See also the Church Micro Statistics and Home pages for further information about the series.
****************** *******************