Watts Monument In The Churchyard About 22 Metres South Of Anglican Church Of St Thomas À Becket

The Watts Monument is a chest tomb dating to 1812, located in the churchyard approximately 22 metres south of the Anglican Church of St Thomas à Becket in Pucklechurch. Constructed from sandstone, the tomb features a flat top with a cable-moulded edge, a moulded plinth, and reeded corner pilasters. Inscription panels are present on all four sides, each adorned with foliage at the corners. The monument commemorates John Watts, who died in 1812, and other members of his family.

Pucklechurch has Roman origins and was a key settlement from the later Anglo-Saxon period. It was the administrative and judicial centre of the Hundred and the site of a hunting lodge for Edmund, King of Wessex, who was murdered there in AD946. The manor was granted to Glastonbury Abbey in AD950, later transferred to Bath Abbey in the 13th century. Following the Dissolution in the 16th century, the village experienced rebuilding and gentrification, with the construction of large houses in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, reflecting the settlement's relative wealth. Further expansion and prosperity occurred from the mid-19th century with the opening of collieries in the parish.

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

The Watts Monument is designated at Grade II for its architectural interest as a good example of an early 19th-century chest tomb, notable for its design and commemoration of members of a local family, and its group value in relation to the Grade I listed church of St Thomas à Becket and other listed tombs within the churchyard.