Marshfield is a village in the local-government area of South Gloucestershire, England, on the borders of the counties of Wiltshire and Somerset.

To the south, the view and the country is quite different, for one is quickly into the wooded valleys and hedge-lined fields of Bath and North East Somerset.

The eastern part of the village contains the parish church, Manor House and Home Farm, a group of historic buildings noted for their architectural features.

Near the toll house stand the fine almshouses of 1612,[3] built for the use of eight elderly villagers by two sons of Marshfield, Nicholas and Ellis Crispe,[4] who had gone to London and made their fortunes largely through the West Indies trade.

The former vicarage, now known as "Marshfield House", whose front was rebuilt in the 1730s by Mrs Dionysia Long, is particularly handsome with its barn, stable block, and large walled garden fringing the market place.

Ashwicke, ancient seat of the Webb family, was bought and rebuilt by John Orred in 1857, replacing an older house that stood nearby.

The two houses employed many people from the parish in the past and the footpath running from the village to Ashwicke is a reminder of those days of service.

Sir Bevil Grenville (whose monument now stands on the site of the battle) died in Cold Ashton rectory and as the Royalists fell back on Marshfield for repairs almost every house had wounded men on its hands.

As a piece of local doggerel composed 200 years later had it "The empty niche above the door, where Mary's image stood, And ravaged reredos testify to their revengeful mood."

Canon Trotman further presumed that the figure of the Virgin may have been taken from its niche in the porch by the Parliamentary troops, but adds forcefully, "Even they could scarcely have done more havoc with the church than the hand of the so-called restorer in 1860 who, while substituting the pitch pine seats...for the old carefully locked pews and capacious gallery, effaced at the same time much that should have been interesting to us today."

With Cromwell's victory in the Civil War, the period of the Commonwealth ensued during which time marriage was treated as a secular rather than religious ceremony.

There was clearly no long-term disadvantage in all this for Mr Goslett for a tablet to his memory was nevertheless placed in the church, beside the east window of the north aisle.

David Long, from Pennsylvania, reports that on the flat open land between his village and the lane you can often find musket balls, on the battlefield of Lansdown.

[18] After the Dissolution of the Monasteries the right of presentation of the benefice was given to the warden and fellows of New College, Oxford, by Queen Mary, in lieu of property of which they had been robbed by Henry VIII of England.

[19] A chalice of 1576 and a paten probably dating from 1695 are in regular use,[13] and Communion plate given by the Long family in 1728, including two large flagons, is used for the Christmas Eve midnight service each year.

The chapel of St Clement in the north aisle was restored to its original design in 1950 as a memorial to the late Major Pope of Ashwicke Hall, a considerable benefactor of Marshfield.

[21] Every Boxing Day at 11:00am increasing numbers of visitors come to the village to see the performance of the celebrated Marshfield Mummers or The old time paper boys.

Seven figures, led by the Town Crier with his handbell, dressed in costumes made from strips of newsprint and coloured paper, perform their play several times along the high street.

[22] Beginning in the Market place after the Christmas Hymns which are led by the vicar the mummers arrive to the sound of the lone bell.

In the past centuries the mummers were probably a band of villagers who toured the large houses to collect money for their own Christmas festivities.

The vicar's sister Violet Alford, a leading folklorist, encouraged the survivors of the troupe and some new members, including Tom Robinson (whose place was later taken by his brother), to revive the tradition.

There was some dispute between Miss Alford and the elderly villagers as to how the play should actually be performed, and the resulting revival was a compromise which differs in several respects from other versions: St George has apparently become King William and Father Christmas appears as an extra character.

The Paper Boys' play is a fertility rite with traces of medieval drama and incorporates the story of St George and the Dragon.

The multiple and changing versions demonstrates its origins as a story handed down by word of mouth, a small remnant of largely lost oral traditions in the UK.

They include Old Father Christmas (the presenter of the play), King William who slays Little Man John who is resurrected by Dr Finnix (Phoenix, a rebirth theme).

There's also Tenpenny Nit, Beelzebub who carries a club and a money pan and Saucy Jack who talks about some of his children dying—there are many references in mummers' plays about social hardship.

Cattle, sheep, and pigs which were brought in for sale were penned in hurdles in front of the houses on one side of the High Street and White hart lane, causing much confusion, and clearing up afterwards.

Gradually the weekly markets at Bath, Chippenham, and Bridgeyate took the business away from Marshfield fairs: they no longer paid their way therefore and so ended.

[25] In Oakford Lane leading down to St Catherine's Valley lived Major Jeremy Taylor who was a captain in the 23rd Hussars (Tank Regiment) and was decorated in World War II.

He later worked as an Animal Wrangler in the film "Lawrence of Arabia" and performed the "long" camel riding shots for Peter O'Toole.