Osborne Monument In The Churchyard About 9 Metres West Of The Porch Of Anglican Church Of St Thomas À Becket

The Osborne Monument is a chest tomb dating from 1814, situated within the churchyard approximately 9 metres west of the porch of the Anglican Church of St Thomas à Becket. Constructed from sandstone, it features a hipped top with a stepped edge, a plinth, and fluted corner pilasters. An inscription panel is present on the south face, commemorating Thomas Osborne, who died in 1814.

The village of Pucklechurch has Roman origins and was a significant settlement from the later Anglo-Saxon period, serving as an administrative and judicial centre. It was once part of the Forest of Kingswood and possibly a royal burh in the later Saxon period, famously being the site of Edmund, King of Wessex’s hunting lodge, who was murdered there in AD 946. The manor was granted to Glastonbury Abbey in AD 950, later transferred to Bath Abbey in the 13th century. Following the Dissolution in the 16th century, a period of rebuilding and gentrification occurred, leading to the construction of several large houses in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, indicative of the village’s relative wealth. Further expansion and prosperity followed from the mid-19th century with the opening of local collieries.

The parish church was founded in the Norman period and largely dates from the 13th century, with a north aisle and south porch added in the 14th century, along with parts of the tower. A chantry was established in 1337, now the site of the Lady Chapel. Further alterations occurred in the 17th century and two major phases of work in the 19th century.

The monument is designated at Grade II for its architectural interest as a good example of an early 19th-century chest tomb and its design commemorating a local family member. It also possesses group value due to its relationship with the Grade I listed church of St Thomas à Becket and other listed tombs within the churchyard.