Taynton Metal Detecting Club
The Gannets

Parish History

The parish of Taynton lies midway between Gloucester and Ross-on-Wye at the foot of May Hill and covers an area of 2200 acres. In the iron age the Dobunni inhabited this area, and later on they became Romanized. The name Taynton is Saxon, being derived from Taeta’s Tun, meaning a number of small settlements made by the family of Taeta. The settlement prospered and by the time of Edward the Confessor the tun had become two manors, Tatinton held by Ulgar and Tetinton held by Alwin. Alwin was sheriff of the new shire of Gloucester, which had been carved out of the Saxon Kingdom of Mercia. At the time of Domesday, we find that William I had given the manor of Tatinton to William, son of Norman. The name of this owner is still perpetuated in Norman's Farm and Norman's Wood. The eight manors which had belonged to Alwin had been given to William Goizenboded, but Alwin was allowed to keep Tetinton for his life time. In medieval times Tetinton became Taynton Magna (Great Taynton) and Tatinton became Taynton Parva (Little Taynton). In the English Civil War the medieval village of Taynton Parva, its castle, church and manor house were completely razed. The remains of this 'lost village' can still be seen together with the old moats and earthworks. Finds from the club have increased our knowledge of local history. In particular club members have: identified three possible stone age camp sites found iron age coins that indicate the area was controlled by the Dobunni tribe discovered two Roman iron smelting sites discovered a Roman coin hoard re-discovered site of a 1850 coin hoard and unearthed further coins discovered a Roman mosaic and villa and instigated a Time Team excavation found two unique Saxon coins, of types never before found this far west in England found artefacts from English Civil War fighting found artefacts linked to old local industries such as fruit-growing, glass-making and brass-making. located the sites of two WWII plane crashes.