Church of St Mary, Almondsbury, South Gloucestershire

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

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British Listed Buildings

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Church of St Mary

A Grade I Listed Building in Almondsbury, South Gloucestershire

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