St.
John the Baptist by Isla Tuck
St Johns the Baptist is within a hundred metres of Hinton House and was once on
the edge of a village green which has disappeared and been replaced with a group
of cottages which lie apart from the village street.
Yet another building may have recently been added to Carthusian Hinton. As well
as Roman pottery and building material~ the BCAS field walk found traces of a
high status medieval house in Shepherds Mead which seems likely to date from the
Carthusian period. This poses the question as to its occupant and use. Perhaps
the lay steward of their estates?
Ecclesiastically the parish is now a Joint Benefice with Limpley Stoke and Freshford,
having lost its independence after the last war. As a result of the Priors' continual
pleas of poverty, the Bishop agreed to the tithes being taken over by the Carthusians
and the Parish Church became 'a chapel of ease' of Norton. This state of affairs
lasted until 1825 when a north aisle was added to the Church -(during which building
operation seven stone coffins were discovered, inspected by the Rev. John Skinner
and reburied) -and, with the help of a grant from Queen Anne's Bounty. a 'perpetual
curate' was appointed.
Hinton continued to have its ups and downs over the years -the Priory and then
the Grange being occupied by well-to-do county families. Much of Hinton's history
is well documented and for a small village it has, over the years, had its fair
share of local dignitaries with five High Sheriffs. This is nicely balanced by
at least three murders and a sheep rustler who lived in a cave!