St Annes,
Siston
Siston village, as with other place names of great antiquity,
has been recorded variously over the years as Siston, Sistone,
Syton, Sytone and Systun.
The village consists of a number of cottages and farms centered
around St Anne's Church, and the grand Elizabethan manor house of
Siston Court. Historically, the village was surrounded by Siston
Common, but this has recently been eroded by the construction of
the Avon Ring Road and housing developments. The settlement is
thought to have early origins, and Roman remains have been found in
the area. The Domesday Book of 1085 records the parish of Siston
among the lands of the Norman warlord Roger de Berkeley.
Described as 'the jewel in South Gloucestershire's crown' St
Anne's church Siston is a fascinating medley of styles, outside and
inside. There is a stunning Norman doorway with sculpture of the
tree of life, a Jacobean pulpit, wall-paintings done by Mrs Rawlins
in the 1900s who lived in Siston Court, bullet-marks in the door
left by Cromwell's men and an ornate lectern bought by grateful
parishioners when the Prince of Wales recovered from influenza. In
the graveyard is an evocative headstone for a woman who had a bad
reputation. Father Time and the Devil are depicted, claiming their
own. The site is exceptionally peaceful, although within striking
distance of Bristol.
If any body 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.