{{Short description|Civil parish in Wiltshire, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}} {{Use British English|date=August 2019}} {{Infobox UK place | official_name = Seagry | static_image_name = Approach to Upper Seagry - geograph.org.uk - 1802335.jpg | static_image_caption = Approach to Upper Seagry | label_position = top | coordinates = {{coord|51.523|-2.080|type:city(500)_region:GB-WIL|display=inline,title}} | os_grid_reference = ST9480 | population = 285 | population_ref = (2011 census)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11128271&c=SN15+5EZ&d=16&e=62&g=6475886&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=0&s=1426242602172&enc=1|title=Parish population 2011|publisher=Office for National Statistics|access-date=13 March 2015|archive-date=2 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402160709/https://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11128271&c=SN15+5EZ&d=16&e=62&g=6475886&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=0&s=1426242602172&enc=1|url-status=dead}}</ref> | unitary_england = Wiltshire | lieutenancy_england = Wiltshire | region = South West England | country = England | constituency_westminster = South Cotswolds | post_town = Chippenham | postcode_district = SN15 | postcode_area = SN | dial_code = 01249 | website = {{URL|https://www.seagryparishcouncil.gov.uk/|Parish Council}} }}
'''Seagry''' is a civil parish in Wiltshire, England, about {{convert|4.5|mi|km}} southeast of Malmesbury and {{convert|5.5|mi|km}} northeast of Chippenham. Its main settlements are the village of '''Upper Seagry''', which was first mentioned in official records under the name Over Seagry (in 1317), and the hamlet of '''Lower Seagry''', which was first documented (1218) as Nether Seagry.
The toponym is thought to derive from the Old English for "sedge stream". Sedge is the common name for plants of the family ''Cyperaceae'' and stream here may refer to the River Avon, which flows through the area.
==History== There is evidence that the area was settled in the Upper Paleolithic period, and also of Saxon occupation.<ref name = WCC>{{cite web |url= https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/Community/Index/195 |title= Wiltshire Community History – Seagry |publisher= Wiltshire Council|access-date = 13 April 2015}}</ref> The Domesday Book of 1086 records 21 households and two manors: ''Segrete'' held by Durand of Gloucester, and ''Segrie'' by Drogo Fitz Ponz.<ref>{{OpenDomesday|XX0000|lower-and-upper-seagry|Seagry}}</ref>
''Segrete'' became part of the estates of the Earl of Hereford, and later passed into the ownership of Bradenstoke Abbey until the Dissolution of the Monasteries.<ref name = WCC/> A grange farm at Lower Seagry was associated with the Abbey.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1363816|desc=Tithe Barn at Church Farm, Lower Seagry|access-date=13 April 2015}}</ref>
Seagry is mentioned several times by Francis Kilvert in his ''Diary''. He was living at nearby Langley Burrell at the time, and visited the Awdry family at Seagry vicarage.{{Citation needed|date=August 2019}}
Seagry House at Upper Seagry was a five-bay mansion built in the 18th century by Nathaniel Stratton and extended to designs of Harold Brakspear in 1915.<ref name="vch" /> The house was rebuilt after a 1949 fire but the 18th-century gatepiers at the east and south entrances survive.<ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1022389|desc=Gatepiers at Seagry House on entrance drive|access-date=22 December 2019|fewer-links=yes}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1363817|desc=Gatepiers at Seagry House, to south of front lawn|access-date=22 December 2019|fewer-links=yes}}</ref>
The Seagry House estate was bought in 1785 by Sir James Tylney-Long of Draycot Cerne. Through inheritance and marriage it passed down to William, 5th Earl of Mornington (1813–1863) and then Henry Wellesley, 1st Earl Cowley (1804–1884). Christian Wellesley, 4th Earl Cowley sold most of the land in 1920, but the house remained in the Cowley family until 1949.<ref name="vch" />
==Upper Seagry== The village is on a minor road between Malmesbury and Sutton Benger at {{gbmapping|ST 947 807}}. It has a modern village hall, run jointly with Great Somerford and Startley,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Singleton-Hoare|first1=Fuchsia|title=Seal of approval for Seagry's £600k hall|url=http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/10468125.Seal_of_approval_for_Seagry_s___600k_hall/|publisher=The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald|access-date=13 April 2015|date=8 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Goss Croft Hall|url=http://www.gosscrofthall.co.uk/|access-date=13 April 2015}}</ref> a public house called The New Inn, and Seagry CofE (VC) Primary School.<ref>{{cite web|title=Seagry Church of England Primary School|url=http://www.seagry.wilts.sch.uk/|access-date=13 April 2015}}</ref> The school was founded in 1966 and has about 40 pupils. In 2008 the school federated (a process whereby two or more schools choose to share resources, in this case a shared headteacher and governing body) with Somerford's Walter Powell CofE (VA) school in Great Somerford.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/School/Details/1215|title=Wiltshire Community History - Great Somerford|publisher=Wiltshire Council|access-date=13 April 2015}}</ref>
==Lower Seagry== The hamlet is east of Upper Seagry at {{gbmapping|ST 958 810}}, towards Great Somerford.
==Local government== The civil parish elects a parish council. It is in the area of Wiltshire Council unitary authority, which is responsible for all significant local government functions.
The present parish was formed in 1971. The ancient parish was added to Sutton Benger parish in 1934, then in 1971 the newly built M4 motorway became the boundary between the parishes of Sutton Benger and Seagry.<ref name=vch />
==Religious sites== The Church of England parish church of St Mary the Virgin at Lower Seagry was founded in 1172 by Walter de Clifford, a descendant of the Fitz Ponz family.<ref>{{cite web|title=Church of St. Mary, Seagry|url=https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/Church/Details/1011|website=Wiltshire Community History|publisher=Wiltshire Council|access-date=13 April 2015}}</ref><ref name = WCC/> One of the 13th-century effigies in the church is said to be his.<ref name=chlisting>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1200024|desc=Church of St Mary|access-date=21 December 2019|fewer-links=yes}}</ref> The church was rebuilt in 1849 on the same plan as the 12th or 13th century building<ref name=vch>{{cite web|website=British History Online|title=Victoria County History: Wiltshire: Vol 15 pp186-194 - Parishes: Seagry|author-first1=A.P.|author-last1=Baggs|author-first2=Jane|author-last2=Freeman|author-first3=Janet H|author-last3=Stevenson|editor-first=D.A.|editor-last=Crowley|url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol14/pp186-194|publisher=University of London|year=1991|access-date=21 December 2019}}</ref> by one of the architects in the Hakewill family, in squared rubble stone with a west bellcote. The 12th-century stone font bowl<ref>{{cite web|title=St Mary, Lower Seagry, Wiltshire|website=Corpus of Romanesque Sculpture|publisher=King's College London|url=http://www.crsbi.ac.uk/site/2838/|access-date=21 December 2019|archive-date=22 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191222094454/https://www.crsbi.ac.uk/site/2838/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and 15th-century timber altar screen<ref name=chlisting /> were retained. Today the parish is part of the Draycot benefice, a group of five churches.<ref>{{cite web|title=St Mary the Virgin - Seagry|url=https://draycot.weebly.com/seagry.html|website=Draycot Benefice|date=|access-date=22 December 2019}}</ref>
A Primitive Methodist chapel was built at Upper Seagry in 1825.<ref>{{cite web|title=Primitive Methodist Chapel, Seagry|url=https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityhistory/Church/Details/1012|website=Wiltshire Community History|publisher=Wiltshire Council|access-date=13 April 2015}}</ref> It fell into disuse some time before 2010,<ref>{{cite web|title=Public Notice by the Registrar General|url=http://www.swindonadvertiserannouncements.co.uk/uploads/WILTSPUBLIC/PDFs/TR1934720.pdf|publisher=The Swindon Advertiser|access-date=13 April 2015|date=June 2010|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303221815/http://www.swindonadvertiserannouncements.co.uk/uploads/WILTSPUBLIC/PDFs/TR1934720.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> and was later sold for residential use.
==See also== * The hamlet of Seagry Heath is in Great Somerford parish.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category-inline}} * [https://www.seagryparishcouncil.gov.uk/ Seagry Parish Council]
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Category:Villages in Wiltshire Category:Civil parishes in Wiltshire