Church Of St Michael

ST 67 NW STOKE GIFFORD THE GREEN (south side)

4/8 Church of St. Michael

G.V. II*

Anglican Parish Church. C14, altered mid C18, restored 1894-7 by E.H. Lingen Barker. Rubble of 2 different colours brought to courses and alternately banded in tower, freestone dressings, plain clay tile roofs, raised coped verges. Nave, chancel, south transept tower, north aisle, north porch, north vestry, all under separate gabled roofs. Nave of 3 bays, all late or post-mediaeval 2- and 3-light windows with cusps except a segmental headed 2-light west window and a north window with two plain lights, there is a blocked south door with a round head. The chancel has a 3-light cusped east window under a drip and a south window of 2 pointed lights. The 3-stage south transept tower has diagonal buttresses to first stage, flat alternating quoins above; first stage has 2-light window with drip at south, pointed door at east is approached by steps. Second stage has a single light, vestigial chimney at east rises through this and third stage which has louvred, 2-light openings to bell chamber on all sides; 4 corner gargoyles below crocketed finials, battlemented parapet between. 2-bay north aisle has a restored 2-light Decorated east window, a single segmental headed west light and a 3-light north window next to the north porch with ogee-headed arch between crocketed finials and a crocketed pinnacle. North vestry has a segmental headed door with keystone at the east, a straight headed 2-light north window and a low stack at the east gable head. Interior: plain barrel vaulted nave and chancel, cross vaulted at sanctuary; 3-bay north aisle has square fluted piers and pilasters. Fittings: C12 plain scallop font with scratched dog tooth in north aisle wall; elegant Laundian rails with turned balusters, quadruple barley sugar newel, moulded rail; good plank and nail north door. Monuments: 1662, Berkeley memorial, painted stone arms and other heraldic devices around 2 brass plates to Richard and May Berkeley; 1736, marble tablet, below broken pediment filled with arms between fluted Corinthian pilasters and above gadrooned cill and apron with putti. North vestry was in C18 a private Beaufort room open to the chancel. (David Verey, Buildings of England : Gloucestershire, the Vale and the Forest of Dean, 1970).

Listing NGR: ST6226179707