Church Of St George

SO 4967; 10/106 11.06.59

ORLETON CP, KING'S ROAD (south side) Church of St George

GV I

Parish church. C12, extended C13 and 1686, restored 1863 and extended early C20. Coursed rubble with ashlar dressings, machine-tile and shingle roofs. C13 west tower, C12 nave with north porch of 1686, C13 chancel with early C20 organ chamber to north and south vestry.

West tower of three stages with timber broach spire. Roll-moulded and battered plinth. Belfry has a 2-light square headed window to each wall. The first stage has a semi-circular headed window to the north and south walls. In west wall the entrance has a re-set C12 semi-circular head of two chamfered orders, with a C13 lancet above. Nave of three bays divided by C14 stepped buttresses with diagonal corner buttresses. Two outer bays contain windows, that to west of two cinquefoiled lights with quatrefoil under a two-centred head with label, the headstops much weathered. The eastern window of three trefoiled lights with tracery in head under two-centred arch and label. South door blocked, north door early C14 with two-centred head and label. North porch timber-framed with close-studded walls, and open balustraded windows. Gable end has arch-braced tie beam, with two balusters below the collar, bargeboards and finial. "1686/RS" inscribed on tie beam. Chancel: C13, rebuilt 1863. North wall of two bays, C20 organ chamber to west has two trefoiled lancets, to east a C13 lancet. South wall has three trefoiled lancets above the flat-roofed C20 south vestry. East window consists of two lancets, with a small trefoiled lancet high in gable. South vestry has a window of three trefoiled lights to west and one similar light to east, all under square heads, flanking a door with Tudor arch, and square label.

INTERIOR: C13 tower arch is two centred of two chamfered orders. Above it the rere-arch of a C12 window, and higher still the line of an earlier, narrower, nave roof. C14 chancel arch of two chamfered orders, two-centred, with moulded imposts to inner order and label with head stops. Early C20 lancet from organ chamber into nave. Two painted corbels in the nave walls, carved as heads, apparently supported the rood. Chancel has a (probably re-set) south door with semi-circular arch. Piscina in south-east corner with two-centred head. Roofs of nave, C19, of six bays, three central trusses have arch-braced tie-beams with struts to collar and king-post above. Chancel roof of two bays with a cusped collar truss, the common rafters with canted ashlar pieces, and scissor-bracing. Fittings: pews C19, pulpit of panelled woodwork of three tiers with arcaded central tier. Font: C12 of Hereford School, cylindrical bowl with nine-bay arcade, each bay containing a figure, one identifiable as St Peter with key. Fragments of C14 stained glass in north-east nave window, including heads of priest and female saint.

Listing NGR: SO4943467174