Today the town, and the majority of its occupants, no longer rely on agriculture as their main business, but the old centre, which was laid out in medieval times, still provides a focal point and commercial centre for the modern community.

Around the town we see other features which have historical connections. The common,which embraces some parts of the old park mentioned in the Domesday Book, is still available for use by the town and some properties in the street still have stints, which give the owners rights to keep animals on the common at certain times of the year. Common allotments remain dotted around the town and the open land at the Ridings provides the town with essential open space.

For many centuries the administration of the town was by a Bailiff and his Burgesses. This team covered all aspects of running the town including the use of town lands by the residents – these lands included the Rag, an area that is roughly what is now Couzens and Ross Close, the Common and the Ridings as well as various properties in and around the town.

Upon the creation of Parish Councils in 1894 the Bailiff and his Burgesses lost their powers, but the lands and buildings, which had their roots in ancient charities, continued to be available for the benefit of the residents of the town, but now under the control of a number of charities. Originally these benefits would have been related to keep for animals or production of crops and education but today the use is more towards leisure activities.

The core of Chipping Sodbury is now designated as a Conservation Area and this should ensure that the layout and characteristic buildings should remain well into the future. A look at the existing buildings, and old maps, tell us much about the history and fortunes of the town. The street layout tells us much about the old market place. Maps of the 1700’s show the existence of buildings in the centre of what is now Broad Street. Just by the entrance to the present Wickwar Road was the old Shambles or butchers quarters, at the bottom, near the War Memorial, was the old Market building. This was perhaps like a small version of the building at Tetbury and served, at different times, as the market office, schoolroom and even as the town lock up.

Market day mid 1920¹s. There are still a lot of horse drawn carts parked but farmers are already having some parking problems! Note the captured German field gun by the Clock Tower.

No church was included in Crassus’s original plan and inhabitants used the church at Old Sodbury. However in 1284 a Chapel of Ease was built. To build this it was necessary to use part of the gardens of a number of the original burgage plots – this “robbing of land” can easily seen be if you look at any map of the town! The church was enlarged over the years with the last major growth in the 15th century when the South Aisle was added. In the Victorian period the church underwent a restoration programme under G E Street, the noted church architect. During the rework all windows were remade, the memorials in the main body of the church were moved to the ringing chamber and the porch was added.

One of the oldest properties in the town is Tudor House in Hatter’s Lane. This is a galleried hall house and has had a chequered history. It is thought that a one time this was the home of the master weaver Richard Colymore. In the early 1900’s it served as a cheap “doss house”, by the 1950’s it had been sub divided into several cottages which had become quite squalid and was at risk of being demolished. Luckily, at the last moment, the historic significance was realised and a fund raising and restoration programme was completed after which the building became the HQ of the local Conservative Association.

A high view from the roof of the Moda Hotel. About 100 years ago showing the quite street and the view to the hills. A typical quiet scene and very different from that seen on Market Days.


Photograph courtesy
of the Historical Society