Listing Text

SO 80 SW WOODCHESTER ST. MARY'S HILL
(north side)

4/252 Church of Our Lady of the
Annunciation
23.1.85
II*

Former Dominican Priory church, now Roman Catholic parish church.
1846-49 by Charles Hansom for William Leigh. Coursed and dressed
limestone; stone slate roof. Nave with aisles, and north and
south porches; chancel with south chapel, crypt and part of east
range of Priory cloister to north. Moulded pointed south doorway,
porch arch having attached octagonal column shafts in parapet
gabled end; quatrefoil side openings. Buttressed aisles with 2-
light windows having Decorated tracery; similar smaller 2-light to
nave clerestorey. Offset buttressed west end with heavily moulded
pointed doorway and 4-light west window with Decorated tracery.
Three-light chancel and chapel windows. Large 5-light east window
with elaborate tracery including rose containing 3 spherical
triangles. Part of Priory range to north has trefoil headed
casements with narrow trefoil lancets to lower floor. Tower set
in angle with Priory range has clasping buttresses, octagonal
belfry with broaching to short spire brought down below belfry
openings, resulting in spherical triangle opening to each face and
trefoil headed opening with pierced screen below those on cardinal
faces only. The striking design is emphasised by the positioning
of the octagonal stair turret in north west corner. Small cross-
gabled north porch formerly linked with west range of Priory
buildings.
Interior: nave with 6-bay arcades having octagonal columns and
pointed arches. Wall shafts set between with head stops and
foliage capitals supporting scissor-braced trussed nave roof.
Moulded chancel arch with wall painting of the Last Judgement above
by Henry Doyle. Five-bay stone rood screen with tracery and
carved angel enrichment to string moulding. Richly coloured and
patterned chancel tiled floor with marble steps. Painted reredos
with statues in crocketed niches. Six-sided painted panelled
chancel ceiling. Triple south sedilia and shouldered arched
piscina. Pointed arched opening to Martyrs' Chapel has tomb of
William Leigh, died 1873, by Richard Boulton set below arch;
effigy is depicted holding a model of the present building. C19
choir stalls but pews are C20. Large octagonal stone pulpit with
carved panels. Tall canopied niches at east end of nave, north
containing St. Dominic, south Our Lady. Elaborate chest tomb with
robed effigy of Francis Nicholson, Archbishop of Corfu, died 1855;
against wall altar of the Rosary of c1894. Stations of the Cross
in panels set in aisles and west end of nave. Stained glass by
Hardman and Wailes. Built for the Passionist Fathers, taken over
by the Dominicans in 1850, and continuing as a parish church upon
demolition of the Priory buildings in 1971. Original scheme by
Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin discarded through cost but Hansom's design is thought to contain many Puginian influences. Stands on promentory dominating
the Bath Road below. Composition stands up well despite loss of
Priory ranges on north side. Hansom's model showing the complete
set of buildings is preserved in Arlington Mill Museum, Bibury,
together with Pugin's original plan.
(D. Verey, Gloucestershire: The Cotswolds, 1979.)

Listing NGR: SO8416101060