Description

BAGENDON BAGENDON VILLAGE
SP 00 NW
6/7 Church of St Margaret
26.11.58

GV I

Anglican parish church. Possible Saxon origins; early-late C12;
chancel rebuilt 1460-70; some rebuilding 1830; main restoration
1889 by S. Gambier-Parry. Chancel: limestone rubble retaining
some early render (especially on the north), dressed stone quoins
and plinth. Nave, north aisle and vestry: coursed squared and
dressed limestone. Porch: coursed squared and dressed limestone
with rubble returns. Tower: coursed squared and roughly dressed
limestone, except at the base where the construction comprises
large blocks of dressed limestone; stone slate roofing. Plan:
nave, north aisle with vestry at right angles, chancel and west
tower. The narrow walls of the nave suggest a possible Saxon
origin for the church. Nave south wall: flat-chamfered plinth and
single buttress; C14 two-light window with hood, to the left of
the central porch; Perpendicular 2-light window with a rectangular
casement-moulded surround to the right; C20 double doors within a
4-centred arched casement-moulded surround with large triangular
stops within the porch. Chancel south wall: two 2-light
Perpendicular windows with rectangular surrounds; 3-light 4-
centred arched east window with stepped mouldings to the mullions;
single 2-light Perpendicular north window with a rectangular
surround and cinquefoil-headed lights. North aisle (extensively
restored C19): Perpendicular east window with hollow-chamfered
mullions and simple tracery; two C19 two-light stone-mullioned
windows to the north wall (single similar window to the north-
facing gable of the vestry) matching a late C16-early C17 window at
the west gable end. Three-stage tower: lower stages C12 with C15
diagonal buttresses. Stone drain projects out on the north from
the first floor priest's chamber. Three single-light windows with
flat-chamfered surrounds to the ground floor, one window being cut
into a single stone slab set within a flat-chamfered surround.
Similar 2-light windows one with narrow pointed-headed lights to
the stage above and to the belfry stage. The latter stage has two
stone-mullioned windows in addition. Flat-chamfered strings
between the stages. Gabled south porch (rebuilt 1962) with side
buttresses and double-chamfered horse-shoe shaped entrance. Stone
scratch sundial on the porch gable with an engaged ball finial
above. Stone bench seats and C19 roof within the porch. All roofs
ridged (including the tower) with stepped coping and roll-cross
saddles, some with upright cross finials. Remains of a Medieval
cross finial on the vestry.
Church interior; plastered with 3-bay late C12 nave arcade with
cylindrical piers, carved capitals and round arches with two
chamfered orders and hoodmoulds. The capital of the east pier is
mutilated possibly to accommodate a later parclose screen (now
removed) to a north chantry chapel. Narrow round-headed tower arch
(restored 1830) with the upper part of a flat-chamfered window,
formerly opening into a priest's chamber, above. Perpendicular 4-
centred chancel arch with moulded capitals (one mutilated). Late
C18-early Cl9 wagon roofs to the nave and chancel. Parquet and red
tile flooring, some encaustic tiling in the chancel. C19
cinquefoil-headed piscina with credence shelf in the south wall of
the chancel. Early C11 font comprising a plain cylindrical bowl
with a band around the top and a hollow moulding around the base of
the bowl. C19 pews; Cl9 wooden pulpit with blind tracery. C19
wrought iron communion rail. Carolean communion rail with baluster
legs. Monuments: C11 stone coffin lid with a raised cross
(removed from the north aisle); one C17 and two C18 monuments, set
vertically within the lower chamber of the tower. Another early
coffin lid set within the outer wall of the spiral stairs rising
from the base of the tower. North wall of north aisle; late C18-
early C19 marble monument to members of the Bell family; oval
marble monument to Ralph Oliffe, died 1762. Chancel; monument to
the Reverend John Bythesea former rector, died 1845 (q.v. Bagendon
House); monument to the Reverend Thomas Price former rector, died
1860 (both monuments by Lewis of Cheltenham); monument to William
Huntington former rector, died 1757, below the latter, with broken
pediment supported on pilasters. Stained glass: fragments of C15
stained glass in the windows on the south side of the chancel
including fragments from a crucifix window and fragments depicting
St Catherine's wheel, the Virgin, and the arms of some weavers.
Early fragments in the north aisle east window. C19 stained glass
in the windows of the north wall. North-west window by Kempe,
1890. North chancel window by hall, 1906. The advowson belonged
to the Weavers' Guild in Cirencester during the period of the
rebuilding of the chancel and chancel arch (c1460-70).
(David Verey, The Buildings of England; The Cotswolds, 1979)

Listing NGR: SP0113106649

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Church of St Margaret at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17525560

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

• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)