Description

SO 38 S.E; 4/157

HOPESAY C.P.,
HOPESAY

Church of St Mary

21.03.86

I

Parish church. Late C12 and early C13, restored c.1880. Uncoursed
limestone rubble with ashlar dressings; machine tile roofs, those to
chancel and organ chamber with coped verges on carved stone kneelers.
Nave, chancel, west tower, south porch, north organ chamber and C20
lean-to on north side.

Tower: low and squat and heavily buttressed,
those to south-east and north-west angles probably original, south-west
C14 or C15 and remainder C17 or later. Narrow rectangular openings on
north and west. C17 double-pyramidal top (c.f. Clun and More):
roughcast belfry with paired louvred openings on north, south and
west; pointed openings flanking clock on east. Nave: south side
has broad cusped C19 lancet to west, followed by mid-C14 window (restored)
of two cusped lights with elongated quatrefoil above. Similar C19 window
to east of slightly squatter proportions. Gabled porch may be C17 but
heavily restored in C19. Tudor arch to outer tie beam but rest of roof
structure looks C19: rubblestone outer walls may replace timber frame.
Mid-C19 wrought-iron gates; two early C19 memorials fixed to east wall.
Late C12 round-headed south doorway has one order of shafts and roll
moulding over plain tympanum; leaf decoration to left capital and
scalloped capital to right. Nail-studded plank door, probably C17.
Two Decorated-style C19 windows to east of porch. North side has broad
single-chamfered lancet to east (c.1280) and C19 lancet immediately to
west of C20 rubblestone lean-to to left of centre. Late C12 or early
C13 lancet to west with C19 broad cusped lancet above to right. Chancel:
2-light cusped window with elongated quatrefoil to head (c.1350) to left,
west light with blocked rectangular lowside window beneath. Late C12
single-chamfered round-headed doorway with contemporary lancet above-and
another taller lancet to right. 3-light C19 east window with reticulated
tracery has medieval hoodmould and head-stops. Two lancets of c.1200 in
north wall. Gabled C19 organ chamber projecting to north has lancets in
north and west walls and external stack to north.

INTERIOR: main
feature of interest is late C15 moulded arch-braced collar beam roof in six
bays to nave. Two tiers of purlins with double-ogee moulding and three
quatrefoil wind braces to each side. Raking cusped struts from collars
forming quatrefoils with cusped principal rafters plus moulded tie beams
to centre and end trusses; indentations for former roof visible on east
tie beam. Below the wall plate on either side are bands of ornamental
vertical panelling with a variety of Perpendicular-tracery patterns
[c.f. Clun and Clunbury (q.v. under Church of St. Swithun, Clunbury C.P.)].
C19 panelled roof to chancel. Double-chamfered segmental-pointed chancel
arch with semi-circular responds and moulded capitals and bases probably
c.1200. Pointed doorway to tower and C13 pointed piscina in chancel.
Mid-C19 gallery at west end has cast-iron column to north end but retains
wooden board from C17 predecessor with superscription "BUILTE AT THE
CHARGE OF EDWARD BLOOME ESQ ANNO DNI 1631". C19 pews incorporate C17
panelling (some decorative with a variety of floral and geometric motifs
and dragon-like figures) from former box pews - also used to wainscot
panelling and choir stalls. Priest's door probably medieval on inside
and dug-out chest by south door has C13 iron-work. Wooden pulpit 1897
and richly carved late C19 octagonal font; altar and reredos c.1909.
Stained glass: fragments of late C14 stained glass in quatrefoil of second
window from west in nave south wall including coat-of-arms of Richard
Fitzalan, Earl of Arundel. East window commemorates Charles Henry Beddoes
(died 1856); late C19 and early C20 glass in nave. MONUMENTS: most
notable is to Whitehall Harris (died 1751), painted oval-shaped stone with
armorial device - south side of chancel arch. Plain mid-to late C18
memorials in chancel and mid-C19 tablets in nave. Coat-of arms of
George III (west wall), bottom edge lettered "Daniel Bird. Thos. Morris.
Church Wardens 1776". Framed wooden board attached to west tie beam of
roof has painted lettering "Tho: Perks/Gave to this/ Parish / Forty Pounds".
The wrought-iron gates to the porch were probably made by John Disley in
1840 and cost £4. 12s. 0d.

Listing NGR: SO3892083283

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• St Mary's Church, Hopesay at Wikipedia
• St Mary's Church, Hopesay official website
• Wikidata Q15978800

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  For the Record
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)