Description

SO 81 SW BROOKTHORPE-with- STROUD ROAD WHADDON (west side), Brookthorpe

5/6 Church of St. Swithin 10.1.55

GV II*

Parish church. C13; north aisle added in 1892 restoration. Random rubble limestone and ashlar; stone slate roof. Nave with north aisle; west tower, south porch, north vestry and chancel. Moulded pointed-arched central south doorway with C19 plank door; pointed and slightly shouldered archway in parapet gabled porch with offset diagonal buttresses and C19 restored trefoil-headed side windows; C19 timber porch gates. Single 2-light C15 nave window either side of south doorway, each with cinquefoil-headed lights, small quatrefoil, and hoodmould, both restored; chamfered plinth stops short of west end. North nave wall has gabled buttress at east end with restored cinquefoil-headed lancet to right; right of this buttressed north aisle with lean-to roof; 2 triplet windows with relieving arch over each in north facing gable; cinquefoiled head to east-facing aisle lancet and Cl9 chimney at junction with nave; vestry continuous with aisle at west end with reused west facing pointed-arched doorway. Parapet east nave gable, and parapet gabled east chancel wall with small Early English lancet; narrow pointed arched priest's doorway with plank door in south chancel wall; ogee-headed C14 lancet to left and 2-light to right in square-headed opening; 2-light Early English in north wall. Tower of 2 stages with parapet gabled saddleback roof; C19 restored west lancet; ogee-headed belfry openings except south-facing which has shouldered arch; all with stone louvres; below belfry openings a narrow slit. Interior has been scraped, but partly replastered; 2-bay Cl9 pointed arched arcade to north aisle with central circular pier having undercut moulded capital; stiff leaf carved labels to arcade hoodmould; pointed tower arch; rood loft stairs to north of chancel arch have round-headed narrow doorways; 3-bay C19 tie-beam truss nave roof, each supported off restored stone corbels and having cusped strutting; very thick cusped windbraces; Early English chancel arch, with small pointed recess to south. Chancel has Cl9 raised floor with altar step; limewashed walls, C19 arcaded reredos, and C19 restored piscina in north wall; C19 wagon roof. C18 hexagonal fielded-panelled timber pulpit; carving around north nave window by Eric Gill is memorial to Detmar Blow, died 1939; C17 chalice-shaped octagonal stone font; Baroque wall memorial in tower to George Venn, died 1694; some late C18 and Cl9 marble memorials. C19 stained glass to some windows. On wall plate of south porch a carved chronogram commemorating the death of Charles I. Forms part of tight visual group with Brookthorpe Court, (q.v.) and Old Vicarage, (q.v.) (D. Verey, Gloucestershire: The Vale and the Forest of Dean, 1976.)

Listing NGR: SO8350612266

External Links

• St Swithun's Church, Brookthorpe at Wikipedia
• St Swithun's Church, Brookthorpe official website
• Wikidata Q7595501

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

• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Shredded Chef: 120 Recipes for Building Muscle, Getting Lean, and Staying Healthy
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990