Church Of St Kenelm

The Church of St Kenelm is a parish church with early 12th century foundations, featuring some remaining traces in the north transept. The crossing tower and the roofs of the nave and chancel date from the 14th century, while alterations were made to the north transept in the 16th century. The church was largely rebuilt by the Atkyns family at the beginning of the 18th century. It is constructed of squared and coursed rubble stone, with the nave and south transept made of ashlar. The roof is covered with Cotswold stone-slate and has coped gables topped with cross saddlestones, with an additional cross finial on the chancel gable. The church has a cruciform shape with a tower located to the east of the transepts.

The tower consists of two stages with offsets and features double belfry openings with trefoil heads on the top stage, a broach spire, and a weathercock. The south transept has twin gables and a moulded entrance doorway on the left, along with an animal head gargoyle situated between the round-headed nave and chancel windows, which contain some of the original clear greenish glass from the early 18th century. The east window is a three-light design with Decorated tracery.

Inside, the tower is supported by four 14th century arches, and there is an ogee-arched tomb recess beneath the north arch. The font, located in the south porch, is from the 15th century and is accompanied by contemporary linen-fold benches. The church features carved pew ends, panelling in the south transept, a gallery frontal, and an oak cornice, all of which were salvaged from Sapperton Park, which was demolished around 1730.

There is a notable collection of monuments within the church. In the chancel, several 17th century wall tablets can be found, including one dated 1584. This tablet and a large monument to the Poole family, dated 1574, which features a recumbent stone knight and a Renaissance canopy, are located on the east wall of the north transept and are attributed to Gildo or Gildon of Hereford. Also in the north transept is a large Renaissance tomb of Sir Henry Poole, who died in 1616, complete with kneeling marble effigies of him and his family. In the south transept, there is a monument to Sir Robert Atkyns, a historian of Gloucestershire who died in 1711, created by Edward Stanton. This monument features a reclining figure of Atkyns under an Ionic canopy with an elaborate carved structure above and a long inscription at the back.