Description

BILLESLEY

SP15NW Church of All Saints
1931-1/1/9
05/04/67

GV I

Church, now redundant. C12 origin, rebuilt in 1692; C18
alterations. Coursed blue lias rubble with ashlar dressings;
steeply pitched old tile roof.
STYLE: Classical.
PLAN: 2-bay nave with east apse, west porch and south
transept, originally private pew.
EXTERIOR: apse has plain plaster cornice; round-headed window
has moulded sill, imposts and key block to architrave and
leaded glazing. Nave has quoins, moulded cornice and coped
west gable; north side has 2 round-headed windows as apse
flanking blocked medieval pointed entrance; south side has
windows flanking gabled transept with urns to kneeler and
finial incorporating stack above keyed oculus, blocked
entrance to west return has rusticated surround.
West end has gabled porch with quoins, urn finial and small
ball finial to left kneeler; entrance has thin projecting
jambs and segmental pointed arch, wooden gate and inner wooden
benches and entrance with flat arch over panelled door; window
interrupted by porch has eared architrave, frieze and cornice,
wooden spandrels forming round head, enriched round panel
above; louvred bell turret has cornice and original ogival
lead cupola and weathervane.
INTERIOR: some re-used C12 masonry including some herringbone
work; ceiled roof and moulded elliptical arch to apse, which
has vault; similar round arch to transept, which has angle
bolection-moulded fireplace.
FITTINGS: stalls to north side and priest's desk and pews to
south, probably C18, have similar balusters to fronts; box
pews to west end and C17 west gallery with fielded panelling
and benches, winding stair with stick balusters. Simple
octagonal font, probably C17 with C19 recutting, with flared
base.
CARVING: transept has ex-situ carved stones: tympanum,
Herefordshire school c1140, man attacked by snake and dragon
and aided by dove; stone with carving to 3 sides, Anglo-Saxon
tree motif and tile pattern, probably Harrowing of Hell c1150.
A good example of a C17 church serving the small community
round Billesley Manor, the village having been deserted by the
C15. Vested in the Redundant Churches Fund.
(Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Warwickshire: Harmondsworth:
1966-: 93; Victoria County Histories: Styles P: Victoria
History of the County of Warwickshire: 1945-: 61).

Listing NGR: SP1476156819

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• All Saints Church, Billesley at Wikipedia
• All Saints Church, Billesley official website
• Wikidata Q4729447

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

• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)