St Bartholomew's Church, Chosen Hill

Image: © Derek Harper Taken: 21 Mar 2009

"The ancient church of St.Bartholomew, Churchdown, Gloucestershire, was for centuries the parish church of the villages of Churchdown and Hucclecote ... It stands on Chosen Hill which is over 511 feet above sea level ...(and) is positioned on a mound, at least partly man-made, within the enclosing banks of an Iron Age Camp and it has been almost certainly a site of ritual or military significance over a very long period of time, dating perhaps from the Bronze Age or even earlier. "The present church is Norman in foundation, with the nave being the main surviving part from this era, and Roger du Pont L'Eveque, Archbishop of York from 1154 to 1181, is thought to have been the builder in about 1175 AD." This and more history and detail is at http://www.standrewschurchdown.org.uk/history.htm and full architectural details are at http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=126555 "At the end of the 19th century it was felt that the old church of St.Bartholomew's on Chosen Hill, inaccessible as it was in bad weather and difficulty of access for the elderly or infirm, could no longer adequately serve the needs of the parish's growing population." http://www.standrewschurchdown.org.uk/history.htm Hence St. Andrew's was built further down the hill.

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