Most people will have heard my story about my great grandfather being stolen by gypsies when he was a child working in the fields and luckily found again after the gypsies were chased. Well this apparently happened in North Petherton where he was born in 1889. There are lot's of 'Marchants' living in North Petherton today - some distant relatives too. Hugenots However there were hugenots who moved to Bristol and I guess quite likely they came to what would have been a prosperous place. So I decided to spend a day in the quantock hills and travel to North Petherton.
My first stop was at the local cemetary on the edge of town where there was a very spiky Victorian gothic horror chapel. A lady came up to me and asked why I was there - and she happened (via a very long winded conversation) to know Paul Marchant who lives in the village and is a distant relative. However she said she was not good at remembering names so no doubt poor Paul will be wondering just who it was who visited his village.
I took around the village and saw the congregational church where there are some Marchant Plaques apparently - recently closed. Then a wander round this large village and to the huge parish church.
I then took a single track road up to Broomfield which climbed the Quantock hills with views over to Wales and the sea. Broomfield is very isolated indeed and had to travel through a wooded area and up to some high land. All Saints on top was medieval with some fine 15th cent bench ends and through reading the tablets some connections with Ireland too.
I then visited Elmore and then drove to a fantastic farm shop where I had a large omlette and then back to several other little villages. In one I entered the church (North Newton) where the Alfred Jewel (now in the Ashmolean) was found. I also thought i was going to be lost when I walked into the pitch black church and heard a key being turned. I hurried outside to find it was a lady vicar locking the vestry up - phew - I thought was going to be locked in.
A very pleasant day with some fine views
My first stop was at the local cemetary on the edge of town where there was a very spiky Victorian gothic horror chapel. A lady came up to me and asked why I was there - and she happened (via a very long winded conversation) to know Paul Marchant who lives in the village and is a distant relative. However she said she was not good at remembering names so no doubt poor Paul will be wondering just who it was who visited his village.
I took around the village and saw the congregational church where there are some Marchant Plaques apparently - recently closed. Then a wander round this large village and to the huge parish church.
I then took a single track road up to Broomfield which climbed the Quantock hills with views over to Wales and the sea. Broomfield is very isolated indeed and had to travel through a wooded area and up to some high land. All Saints on top was medieval with some fine 15th cent bench ends and through reading the tablets some connections with Ireland too.
I then visited Elmore and then drove to a fantastic farm shop where I had a large omlette and then back to several other little villages. In one I entered the church (North Newton) where the Alfred Jewel (now in the Ashmolean) was found. I also thought i was going to be lost when I walked into the pitch black church and heard a key being turned. I hurried outside to find it was a lady vicar locking the vestry up - phew - I thought was going to be locked in.
A very pleasant day with some fine views
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