Description

DYMOCK THE VILLAGE
SO 73 SW (north side)

5/103 Church of St. Mary
(formerly listed as Church of
St. Mary, Dymock)

2.10.54

GV I

Parish Church. C11, C12, C14, C15, probably C18, Cl9 restoration.
Tower, well squared coursed stone; west end nave and east end
chancel random rubble with ashlar dressings; transepts and vestry
roughly squared, coursed stone with ashlar dressings; squared,
coursed stone to east end nave, and bottom part west end, also west
part of chancel. Tiled roofs, shingled spire. West tower and
spire, long nave, staggered transepts, south porch, chancel, vestry
and organ chamber. South face: tower, moulded plinth, octagonal
turret for stair on left, diagonal corner buttress, with 2 blind
panels at foot, ogee heads, stands for statues, coats of arms
adjoining. Slight offset in side of buttress for part of height.
Tower in 3 stages: wall monument in lowest, moulded string, slit
window for stair, square-headed window centre face with circular
clock face over. Moulded string, with pointed-headed recess above,
with creasing for gable hood over. Above stone changes from red to
green: 2-light Perpendicular-tracery window over, louvres, centre
mullion replaced with wood. Moulded string and plain parapet
above, corner finials, low pepperpot roof to stair turret.
Octagonal spire, lean-to ventilation openings to each face low
down, to cardinal faces only above: weathervane. Nave: diagonal
buttress on left: chamfered plinth, 3 pilaster buttresses to
bottom of wall: above wall monument, 1821; 3-light reticulated
tracery window to right, hoodmould. Break in stonework on right:
moulded string, pilaster buttress to eaves; semi-circular headed
lancet with nook shafts, roll moulding to arch. Further pilasters
over porch roof. Chamfered plinth to porch, twin lancet left
return, diagonal corner buttress, moulded door surround, sunken
carved spandrels over. Ogee-headed recess in gable, statue of
Virgin and Child, 1927 by Owen Wynniatt. Parapet gable with stone
cross on apex. Transept low, adjoins porch on right; plinth; 3-
light Perpendicular window, hoodmould; painted wooden sundial
over, dated 1770. To right 1818 wall monument, diagonal corner
buttress. Nave wall has slight set back to right: 3 pilaster
buttresses with string course below: above semi-circular headed 4-
light window, Perpendicular tracery: part of blocked window
immediately to left: brick infill left and right of window head.
Corner pilaster rises to eaves. Lower chancel on right: plinth,
moulded string to first section; wall cut for 2-light window,
trefoil heads, slight ogee apex: 1695 wall monument below. To
right moulded string reappears with above 2 bays blind arches, left
edge missing, centre pillar triple column, scalloped capitals,
diaper pattern infill to semi-circular heads over. Pilaster to
right slightly angled for start of polygonal apse. To right no
plinth, blocked door opening, rectangular window above, chamfered
reveals: square set buttress, 2-light window, trefoil heads, no
hoodmould: diagonal corner buttress. Parapet gable to chancel,
cross-gablet apex with floriate cross. East end, diagonal corner
buttresses, 5-light Perpendicular tracery window, 2 king mullions,
bottom of centre 3-lights infilled with quatrefoils. Dancocks wall
monument on right, 1849 (of Great Netherton farm, q.v.). Side wall
to vestry set back on right, plinth, boarded door with hoodmould,
carved heads as stops. Diagonal buttress on right, parapet gable.
North face: tower generally as south side, but no clock or stair
turret, 2-light flat-headed window in second stage. Diagonal
buttress to nave: 4 pilaster buttresses lower part of nave: 2-
light window over two buttresses, probably flanking a former
doorway. String course on left, pilaster buttresses to eaves, 3-
light reticulated tracery window with hoodmould. Transept, 2-
light window in right return, trefoil heads, no hoodmould;
diagonal corner buttress. Gable, 1860 wall monument on right: 3-
light Perpendicular tracery window, hoodmould, vertical joint to
left. Parapet gable over. Two-light window in nave over transept
roof on left, semi-circular heads to lights below flat hoodmould.
Slight set back on left: boarded door in deep recess with square
head. To left twin-gabled vestry against chancel: diagonal corner
buttresses, square set centre. Two-light window to each half,
spherical triangles in head, hoodmoulds with head stops: window on
left in projection, with offsets above, formerly carrying chimney.
Parapet gables.
Interior: porch: arch-braced collar rafter roof; plinth for
transept on right. At rear early C12 doorway, boarded door,
between pilaster buttresses, nook shafts with Ionic volutes to
capitals, roll moulding to door jamb: semi-circular tympanum with
tree of life and pellet surround, 2 rows chevrons above to arch and
hoodmould. Nave: walls scraped. West end 3-light Decorated-
tracery window to tower over boarded door: wall thickened
internally slightly above eaves, with semi-circular arch over
window. Unmoulded semi-circular arches to transepts; to east, on
north side semi-circular tympanum to low door, dummy voussoirs:
low, infilled pointed arch beyond. Outline of semi-circular arch
above, with flat relieving arch over: vertical joint to left.
South wall, part brick infill to blocked openings either side
present window. Wide chancel arch, with large, hollow chamfer, on
corner columns with volutes to cushion capitals. Wooden screen,
central doors, 3-light openings each side, leaf decoration to beam
over: blind panelling below. Plaster barrel vault to nave,
western part, flat plastered ceiling east of transepts. Chancel,
large arch on left, for organ: slab with foliate cross reset on
south window sill. Short length of Norman string course to right
of organ arch: pilaster buttress each side by communion rails,
about 2.5m high, quarter column on corners. C19 aumbry on left,
carved back, stone shelf on brackets. Segmental panelled wooden
ceiling. North transept, statue recess on east wall, ogee head
with finial, vault inside: arch braced collar rafter roof. South
transept collar rafter roof, semi-circular bracing, oak screen to
nave. Octagonal stone pulpit with marble corner columns on 4
clustered columns (fitted by c1880). Circular stone font on stem
and 4 panelled external supports, finished with angels. C17
communion rails, moulded rail, urn balusters, square newels.
Benefactions board in porch. 1718 Wintour monument in chancel,
broken pediment, Corinthian pilasters, gadrooned bases. 1670
Winniatt monument in north transept, 1790 trompe d'oeil to Ann Cam
in nave: one C17 and ten late C18 or early C19 monuments. C17
turned oak font in north transept. H.M. Taylor considers oldest
parts of church late Saxon. West tower added C15. Church restored
1870's by J. Middleton: chancel screen by Waller, 1891. Forms
group with High House (q.v.).
(H.M. & J. Taylor, Anglo-Saxon Architecture, I, 1966; The Rev. J.
E. Gethyn-Jones, Dymock down the Ages, 1966; D. Verey,
Gloucestershire, the Vale and the Forest of Dean, 1970)

Listing NGR: SO7004131231

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• St Mary's Church at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17525901

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.

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