Rising above the Gloucester levels is the scenic church of St Michael at Hill. It was built by a rather extraordinary Lord and of the Manor, Sir Francis Fust, Baronet.

Bigland described the scenic village was “evil in winter, grievous in summer and never good for habitation”. So it seems Fust made the pleasant farmland habitable and scenic.

Yet the location is confusing. Why would a hill need drainage? The local map shows a region with many drains and Rhine’s but none in his parish. His memorial is a very odd design an I have long pondered over the columns on either side. Are they underground pipes?

His memorial is above the main entrance, visible to inspire parishioners as they left. The text is:

To drain this Parish from this Drowning Flood

To model and Repair this House of God

Are Patterns good set to Future Time

Free from yours ye costs & Labour mine.

Sir Frances Fust Baronet

Lord of this manor for

Ye benefit of its Inhabitants

At his own expense Pland

Built and Erected in the

Year 1759 The Great Sewer

At Pill Hill next ye River

Call’s the Imperial Driught

And ye Two Others above it.

He also in 1759 New Modled

And Repair’d this Church

All the Costs and Materials

For all the said Works

Are as a Gift from him

Freely to this Parish for

The use Above.

Let those of Ability Strive to do Good“

This memorial above the door was and is still much more than so many. It’s about democracy. And kindness.

It’s not often the discover a dead person I would loved to have met. But Baronet Fust is one of them.