Description

BATSFORD BATSFORD VILI,AGE SP 13 SE 4/10 Church of St. Mary 25.8.60 11* Anglican parish church. Rebuilt by W.F. Poulton and Woodman of Reading 1861-2. Ashlar limestone. Reroofed with concrete tiles C20. Neo-Norman Gothic style. Plan: nave with south west tower of 3 stages and spire; polygonal access turret on east in angle with nave; outshut housing organ on north of nave towards chancel; apsidal chancel with vestry outshut on north attached to organ outshut. Nave: buttressed north, south and west walls; 3- windowed: 2-light, round-headed, stone-mullioned casements set back from face of wall on south, spanned externally by round-headed arches with neo-Norman decoration and flanking colonnettes. Hoods with foliate stops. Windows on north of similar but simpler design, flush with wall face. 3-light neo-Norman style west window with taller central light and hood following line of window heads. Apse: single-light, round-headed stone casements with chevron decoration, flanked by engaged colonnettes. Hoods as over nave windows. Continuous string below apse windows. Both nave and chancel have a continuous corbel table with neo-Norman decoration and a projecting plinth which continues around the tower also. South-west tower and spire: octagonal drum within 4 large pinnacles and cyclopean gabled spire lights of French Romanesque character. Ribbed spire. Small round-headed, single lights to tower and polygonal access turret. South and west faces of tower have large, 2-light, neo-Norman style windows lighting third stage on three sides with engaged colonnettes and hood moulds. Highly decorated quatrefoils below. Round-headed, plank door with ornate hinges within round-headed arch with neo-Norman style decoration in west wall of tower, gable over flanked by square buttresses. Interior: Simple nave with round-headed arch of three orders to chancel; round-headed arch to organ outshut off chancel. Both arches decorated in neo-Norman style. Nave roof: collar and scissor truss alternately. Step up to chancel. Chancel blind wall arcade partially pierced by windows. Arcading at east end with chip carved margins to panels within arcade at east end. Ribbed ashlar tunnel vault with incised zig-zag decoration. stone flagged floor to all. Fittings: circular limestone font with 3 marble columns around pedestal at west end. Limestone pulpit in south east corner of nave with blind arcading and marble columns. C19 pews and arcaded enclosure to family pew at west end of nave. Arcaded altar rail in similar style. All woodwork treated like masonry frequently with nail head decoration. Stained glass in window adjacent to pulpit, and in all windows in chancel by Kempe 1888-1898. Three circular Arts and Crafts style candelabras, 4 wall-hung candle holders in same style, 4 similar on walls of chancel. Monuments: mid C18 white marble tablet to Sarah White within porch wall. Nave south wall right to left: C19 marble tablet; C18 decorative marble tablet with open pediment and urn above to Elizabeth Revelry; C18 decorative marble tablet with cupids to Right Honorable Richard Freeman. Lord High Chancellor of Ireland. North wall from right to left; C19 marble tablet depicting angel by Boehm, to John Freeman-Mitford; Early C19 marble monument with free standing Ionic columns and triangular pediment with urn at apex; to Thomas Freeman; C19 marble coffin lid set in floor with foliated cross on a gold mosaic background set in floor far left possibly by Sir George Gilbert Scott. (David Verey, The Buildings of England: The Cotswolds, 1979.)

Listing NGR: SP1869233890

External Links

• Wikidata Q17537013

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Recommended Books

• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
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  Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas