Church Of St Michael

SO 91 SW BRIMPSFIELD BRIMPSFIELD VILLAGE

2/3 Church of St. Michael

26.11.58

GV I

Parish church of early C12 with C13 chancel and C15 tower. Ashlar and rubble limestone, with stone slate roof. Short, wide nave without aisles; eastern tower, chancel beyond; south porch and north vestry. Nave has C12 south doorway with scratch mass dial on right jamb; two 2-light windows to left and right of C13 and C15 respectively, latter flanked by two C18 wall-mounted memorials; blocked remains of C12 window also in south nave wall. Doorway now sheltered by C14 porch with internal stone seats. West nave wall is C15 replacement with 2-light window; north has projecting rood loft stair turret, two small trefoil headed C13 lancets, 2-light C15 window, and a doorway, now obscured by C19 vestry. No east window in chancel, which has narrow C13 lancet in north wall; in south, two 2-light C14 windows and square-headed priest's door. Tower is Perpendicular with string courses and crenellated parapet. Bell chamber has 2-light trefoil-headed opening in south face, with single lights to the others, all with stone louvres. Chamber said to have apsed east end. Church interior is unscraped and whitewashed. View into chancel constricted by narrow tower arches with complex piers: partly embedded C13 round columns in later tower masonry. Either side of tower a chapel: the north has stone 'mensa', both with restored C19 squints. Complete rood loft stairs; one loft support corbel survives. Fragments of medieval painting on tower piers. Nave roof is wagon type with early tie-beams at east end. C19 chancel roof of two collar and arched braced trusses with curved wind braces. In north chancel wall an aumbry, while in south a double- drained piscina. Three medieval memorial stones and fine C18 chest tomb lyre-end in chancel. In nave an octagonal carved oak pulpit dated 1658, and C15 octagonal stone font with quatrefoil panel decoration, sitting on a buttressed base. Stained glass is early C20. Early history of church is associated with a once adjoining Benedictine priory which, together with the church was founded by a Giffard. The Giffards, as Lords of the Manor, also built the C12 castle, the mound of which lies to the south of the church approach path. The church has considerable landscape importance. (A. R. J Jurica, 'Brimpsfield' in V.C.H. Glos, vii, 1981 pp. 140-149: and D. Verey, Gloucestershire: The Cotswolds, 1970).

Listing NGR: SO9420112829