Description

SO 9005 BISLEY-WITH-LYPIATT CHURCH HILL, Bisley Village
(west end)

13/24 Church of All Saints

28.6.60

GV II*

Parish church. C13 and C14; extensive 1862 rebuilding by Rev.
W.H. Lowder (possibly with G.F. Bodley's assistance). Ashlar and
coursed rubble limestone; stone slate roof. Nave with north and
south aisles, south porch, west tower; chancel with north vestry.
C19 restored moulded pointed south doorway with Purbeck marble
shafts and delicate foliage capitals. Parapet gabled porch with
Early English style arch, short shafts with foliage terminals.
Windows with Decorated tracery to aisles all appear C19, possibly
copying some original windows. Square recesses to clerestory with
alternating cinquefoil windows and blocked pointed openings. North
doorway in gabled projection. Bold diagonal buttresses to C14
three-stage tower, south larger incorporating stair turret with
pointed arched doorway. Three-light west window with reticulated
tracery set in same recess as moulded pointed arched doorway below
with quatrefoils in spandrels; 2-light middle stage window. Two-
light belfry openings with stone louvres. Octagonal broach spire
with small lucarnes to cardinal faces at base. Chancel mostly
early C14 with 3-light Decorated east window; cinquefoil headed
north window, 2-light south window with Decorated tracery. Large
C14 cusped mortuary recess on south side; stone chancel gutters.
Vestry with lean-to roof on north side. Paved walkway around
church has many late C17 and C18 brass memorial plates.
Interior: limewashed with ashlar dressings. Four-bay C19 nave
arcades, north with octagonal piers. Nave roof also C19 with
cusped windbracing. Various corbel heads from original roof reset
in north aisle. Tall pointed tower arch; pointed doorway set high
above, lower part of doors having 2 quatrefoil openings. Wide C19
chancel arch with carved angels playing musical instruments forming
terminals of hoodmould; incised painted decorative band above.
Part of rood loft stair survives, passing through wall adjoining
south of chancel arch. C19 tiled chancel floor; four bay roof
with painted panelling, arched braced traces supported on finely
carved corbels. Rere-arches to all chancel windows, east with
Early English shafts and head terminals; cinquefoil cusping to
rere-arch above south chancel window with sedile below. Incised
decoration to reredos with central cinquefoil and 4 trefoil-headed
side panels; triple Purbeck marble shafts. Double piscina in
south chancel wall appears to be C19, reusing 2-light traceried
window as elaboration. Octagonal stone pulpit with painted
decoration, marble columns and deeply undercut capitals is possibly
by G.F. Bodley. Norman stone font bowl with rich basket and cable-
moulded ornament incorporating fleurs-de-lys stands on Norman-style
C19 base, also with very convincingly unsophisticated carving.
Below one bay of south arcade is C13 effigy of knight on
reconstructed chest base, effigy moved from external mortuary
recess. Many medieval coffin lids set in north aisle wall.
Various other fragments scattered throughout church, most resulting
from C19 restoration. Tower contains many carvings from original.
nave roof and many late C17 or C18 brass memorial plates. Stone
tablet with fluted pilasters and pulvinated frieze set very high
up. Good stained glass to east window by Clayton and Bell. Royal
arms of George III above tower arch. The spire forms a prominent
landmark in the surrounding flat uplands.
(N.M. Herbert, 'Bisley' in V.C.H. Glos. xi, 1976, pp 4-40; M.A.
Rudd, Historical Records of Bisley with Lypiatt, 1937; and D.
Verey, Cotswold Churches, 1976 and Gloucestershire: The Cotswolds,
1979)

Listing NGR: SO9036705932

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17538320

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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