Description

ST 68 SW ALMONDSBURY CHURCH ROAD (south side)

12/8 Church of St. Mary 30.3.60 G.V. I

Parish church. Late C12, C13 tower, rebuilt 1834, later C19 alterations. Rubble, ashlar, brick, slate and lead roofs with stone ridges, Purbeck marble. Cruciform plan with central tower with fine lead broach spire and cross finial, 4-bay nave with north and south aisles rebuilt in 1834, north and south transepts, 3-bay chancel with north vestry, north porch. Early English style. 2-stage tower has stone quoins and string, 2-light pointed arched window on each side at upper stage with hood mould, relieving arch and bell louvres, clock on north face. West front has plinth, weathered buttresses, cornice and parapet over 3 gables with central cross finial, 3 large C19 windows, central one 4-light, outer ones of 3 lights with cusped Decorated tracery under hood moulds with stops, central studded door under pointed arch, moulded architrave and hood mould, dated ICD TWB/1713. North and south aisles have 2-light windows under flat hood moulds and 3-light windows with pointed arch and hood moulds, with mask stops on north side. 2-storey porch has raised coped verges with kneelers, gable stack with statuette in niche, entrance doorway of 3 plain orders, jamb shafts with scalloped capitals, upper chamber carried on quadripartite rib vault springing from C14 corbel heads, round arched light to front, slit windows to sides, stair turret to left. Transepts have shallow gable ends with 3-light window in stone surround with hood mould and mask stops and similar windows to both east sides, parapet and coping, weathered buttresses, south gable has sundial and wrought iron cross finial dated 1816, octagonal ashlar stair turret to east of south transept, with corbels, cornice, parapet, slit windows, and door in chamfered surround with Tudor arched head, north transept has rainwater head dated 1814. 2-storey vestry has ground floor C19 3-light window with hood mould and splayed cill, and 4-light mullion and transom window with segmental head and drip mould, 2-light window with drip mould (possibly re-set) at first floor, single storey, flat-roofed wing linking vestry to porch with Tudor-arched door and 2-light casement, both in moulded surrounds, cornice, parapet and coping. Chancel has single lancet in chamfered surround to each side of vestry, 3 similar windows to south under string course, the eastern one being larger, triple lancet at east end, central one taller, relieving arch, 2-light window above under hood mould, angle buttresses and 2 buttresses to south, coping. Low coursed rubble retaining wall with coping around chancel and south aisle. Interior: nave has plain arcade piers on high pedestals with stiff- leaf capitals and pointed arches, hammer-beam roof with moulded pendant stops to nave and aisles, north door in segmental head, with slit window to upper porch chamber above, pointed arched door to stair turret with hood mould and foliate stops, windows in deep splayed reveals, east window to north aisle has slender jamb shafts with moulded capitals. West door has wooden portico dated 1785, erected by Mr. Richard Griffith, Churchwarden, with fluted columns, dentilled pediment with oval in tympanum, upper block with corner pilasters, door with strap hinges. West arch of crossing has C19 Early English stone screen with clustered shafts and stiff leaf capitals, half-arch with plain architrave to either side which buttress the tower, pointed arches to crossing, hood moulds with foliate and mask stops, transept arches have pendant mask and stiff-leaf stops to inner mouldings, chancel arch has triple jamb shafts of Purbeck marble on moulded bases with foliate capitals supporting imposts. South transept has Early English piscina with trefoil head, all transept windows in deep splayed reveals. Chancel has rib vault supporting an upper chamber, with moulded ribs springing from half-shafts of Purbeck marble with foliate capitals and corbel heads, lancet windows with moulded innerarches and Purbeck shafts with foliate capitals, hood moulds with mask or foliate stops, in south wall on Early English double piscina with trefoil head and blocked door with 4-centred arch and and chamfered surround, 2 plain aumbries in east wall. Fittings: Norman square bowl font with scalloped edge on cylindrical pedestal and rectangular plinth. Carved oak reredos by C.E. Ponting, 1891. Brass chandelier in chancel, 1905. 2 hatchments in crossing recording gifts to the parish, dated 1717 and 1683. Royal arms above screen across west arch. C19 carved wooden pews and pulpit. East windows have stained glass by O'Connor, 1849. Monument to Edward Veele and family, in the south transept, 1577 with recumbent stone effigies resting on tomb chest with portraits of their children in Renaissance setting of fluted Ionic pilasters, canopy carried by fluted Corinthian columns, surmounted by heraldry, skull and cross finial. White marble tomb chest to Margaret Lippincott, 1845 by Tyley. Monument to Thomas Chester, 1763, and other members of the family with mourning female and gadrooned sarcophagus. Monument to Hugh Ivy, 1630, pointed stone with rosettes and shield. Slate tablet to Catherine Parrott, 1781, in decorative stone surround. Pointed stone classical tablet to John and Elizabeth Maronne, 1711. (Sources: Verey, D. : Buildings of England Gloucestershire : The Vale and The Forest of Dean. 1970).

Listing NGR: ST6034584087

External Links

• Wikidata Q17530287

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  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
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