Church Of The Holy Cross

The Church of the Holy Cross is a late 11th-century church with significant additions from the later medieval period, particularly transepts likely dating to the late 13th century. It was restored in 1902 by John Micklethwaite. The church is constructed of rubble stone with ashlar detailing on the tower, and has a Cotswold stone slate roof. It is cruciform in plan, incorporating a 2-bay north aisle and a 2-storey porch located in the northwest corner. The 3-stage embattled tower steps inwards at each string course, featuring square clock faces set diagonally on the east and north sides. The belfry has 2-light windows on the second stage, with a hoodmould and decorative stops, except for the west side which contains two blocked round-arched openings cut into by the nave roof. Complex buttressing is visible on the southeast corner of the tower. The chancel has a decorative ball frieze under the eaves, with a lowered roofline. A finely carved commemorative stone is set into the outer wall of the chancel below the 3-light east window, featuring an oval panel surmounted by an urn and drapery, although the inscription is now lost.

Inside, the large Norman doorway within the porch has a chevron arch supported on twisted shafts with carved capitals, with a 16th-century doorway inserted. The north arcade is of Norman design, featuring a single large cylindrical pier with a scalloped capital. The west tower arch has Norman shafts but a later pointed arch, while the chancel arch is Norman with a round arch and scalloped capitals. Early English arches define the transepts, each with a deep semi-circular window above. The first bay of the chancel retains Norman features, including half-roll ribs set on a flat projection, whereas the remaining bays date to the early 14th century with ridge ribs and carved bosses. Two blocked Norman windows are present in the easternmost bay, with tracery that is largely Decorated, except for an 18th-century window in the west wall. The nave is covered by a 14th-century timber wagon roof. A holy table from 1657 stands within the nave altar on the south side. The east window is a work by Clayton & Bell from 1889, and two nave windows were created around 1908 by Christopher Whall. Numerous monuments are located within the transepts. In the north transept is a kneeling effigy of Henry Brydges of Avening Court, who died in 1615, along with other 17th-century stone tablets and 18th- and 19th-century marble examples. The south transept contains a series of 17th-century monuments to the Driver family, executed in a vigorous style.