Abbots Leigh
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Abbots Leigh | |
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| OS grid reference | |
|---|---|
| Unitary authority | North Somerset |
| Ceremonial county | Somerset |
| Region | South West |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Police | Avon and Somerset |
| Fire | Avon |
| Ambulance | Great Western |
| UK Parliament | Woodspring to become North Somerset at next general election |
| European Parliament | South West England |
| List of places: UK • England | |
Abbots Leigh is a village located in North Somerset, United Kingdom.It has one pub The George Inn (Abbots Leigh)
The manor house there, also named Abbot's Leigh, was a resting place of Charles II during his escape to France in 1651. He arrived on the evening of 12 September, staying at the home of Mr and Mrs George Norton, who were friends of the Kings's travelling companion, Jane Lane. The Nortons were unaware of the King's identity during his three-day stay.
A description of the house appears in the book "The Escape of Charles II, After the Battle of Worcester" by Richard Ollard:
"Abbots Leigh was the most magnificent of all the houses in which Charles was sheltered during his escape. A drawing made in 1788, only twenty years before it was pulled down, shows a main front of twelve gables, surmounting three storeys of cowled windows; a comfortable, solid west country Elizabethan house."
While staying at Abbots Leigh, Charles deflected suspicion by asking a trooper, who had been in the King's personal guard, to describe the King's appearance and clothing at the Battle of Worcester. The man looked at Charles and said, "The King was at least three inches taller than you."
The name "Abbot's Leigh" is also given to a rather fine Hymn Tune written by Cyril Vincent Taylor (1907 - 1991). The tune fits with a number of different hymns, and is, amongst others, sung to "Glorious things of Thee are Spoken" and Father Lord of All Creation"
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