Church Of St Arilda

ST 69 SW OLDBURY-UPON-SEVERN CHURCH HILL (west side)

4/144 Church of St. Arilda 30.3.60 G.V. II*

Parish church. C15 tower and north porch, remainder rebuilt 1899 by Waller after fire of 1897. Coursed rubble tower and north porch, snecked rubble remainder, stone dressings, plain tiled roofs with weathered raised coped verges and ridge coping. Nave, north and south aisles, north and south porch, north- east tower, chancel. Perpendicular style tower and north porch, the rest in C14 style. At west front, nave has 3-light window with trefoil heads and hood mould, 2-light pointed arched window to each aisle with relieving arch, slit in each gable, weathered buttresses, quoins. South aisle of 3 bays has two 3-light windows in Perpendicular style, central gabled porch, door with pointed arch, chamfered surround and hood mould forming continuous string, relieving arch, pointed arched window with leaded lights in similar surround to each side, low angle buttresses; north aisle has similar window to left and 2-light to right, central porch has plinth, weathered set-back buttresses, cornice, parapet with pierced panelling and image niche, pointed arched entrance in moulded surround with stopped hood mould. 3-stage tower has single light with trefoil head and leaded lights to 1st stage east and 2nd stage north, 2-light window with bell louvres, hood mould and relieving arch to all sides at 3rd stage, weathered diagonal buttresses, strings, cornice with 2 gargoyles to each side, pierced parapet and pinnacles. Chancel of 2 bays has single light with hood mould to south, continuous string, 3-light east window with stopped hood mould and relieving arch, diagonal weathered buttresses and cross finial. Interior: north porch has framed coved ceiling, moulded beams dividing into 8 panels, round-headed arched door with chamfered surround, stopped hood mould and image niche above. Nave has arcade of 4 bays without capitals, continuous hood mould with foliate stops, 5-bay roof of arched braces rising from corbels, cambered collars, single row of purlins, braces between purlins and principals; aisles of 5 bays have roof of same construction, door to south and north with segmental head. Pointed chancel arch springing from foliate impost blocks on half-shafts, former door to rood-loft to north, 2-bay chancel has similar roof construction and framed ceiling of 36 panels, moulded beams, decorative bosses and brattished wall-plate, pointed arched door to tower in hollow chamfered surround and small aumbry to north; all windows in deep splayed reveals. All fittings of late C19, including replica of Norman font destroyed by fire in 1897. (Sources: Verey, D. : Buildings of England, Gloucestershire : The Vale and The Forest of Dean. 1970).

Listing NGR: ST6083891904