Church Of St Mary

Church of St Mary, St Briavels

This is an Anglican parish church of the 12th, 13th and 19th centuries, built mainly in sandstone rubble with the tower and chancel constructed in coursed and dressed sandstone. The roofs are of stone tile on coped verges, except for the south aisle which is lead-covered.

The building comprises a nave, north and south aisles, a tower positioned over the south porch, north and south transepts, and a chancel. The tower dates to 1830 and was designed by John Briggs, a builder. It is three stages high and features diagonal offset buttresses, the northern two of which break through the wall of the south aisle and project partly into that aisle. The south face has a central pointed doorway with a commemorative panel of 1904 above it. Above this is a 2-light opening with Y-tracery over a string course, followed by a square stone clock-face flanked by lancets. The upper stage contains a 2-light belfry opening with Y-tracery and louvres, topped by simple crenellation. The other faces are similar but without the clock. The south side displays lancets over 2-light and 1-light windows, and there is an ogee-cusped light serving the rood stair.

The chancel was rebuilt in the 19th century and features 1-light and 2-light windows with plate tracery on the south side, and a 3-light window with plate tracery incorporating a sexfoil and small quatrefoils on the east. The north side has 2-light plate tracery and a lean-to vestry. The south transept has a 3-light window. The north transept has battered strengthening to its north wall and a 3-light window similar to that in the south transept. The north aisle contains three windows of 14th-century pattern set between two buttresses, with the roof swept to meet that of the nave. The west front has a 2-light 19th-century window with a cinquefoil above.

The interior features a 5-bay Norman south arcade with round columns set on square abaci and double-chamfered arches. The early English north arcade comprises four bays with octagonal columns, moulded capitals incorporating a hollow necking, and double-chamfer arches. A 19th-century scissors roof spans the nave. The south triforium wall has four small deep-splayed lancets and runs behind and clear of the rebuilt tower. The south aisle contains two diagonal buttresses rising from the base of the tower, and a glazed opening of 1971 giving access to the rood stair. The north aisle is notably narrow.

The heavy Norman crossing survives despite the loss of the tower, featuring attached Norman columns, four with plain capitals and four with carved decoration. The arches display double roll mould with heavily chamfered inner orders. The arches connecting the aisles to the transepts are richly moulded. The south transept contains a cinquefoil-cusped early 14th-century tomb recess with a coffin set within the recess, decorated with early tall-flower ornament, alongside several other monuments. The north transept is largely occupied by the organ.

The chancel was rebuilt in 1861 with a 2-seat sedilia in an inner arch and a stopped scissor roof truss. It is approached by two and three steps respectively. The flooring throughout is generally stone, although some concrete slab is present in the nave and aisles, with tile flooring in the chancel.

At the west end of the south aisle stands a free-standing monument bearing two recumbent Elizabethan figures, three kneeling children, and several loose classical fragments. The font has an unusual design consisting of a round bowl set on 16 horizontal extended lobes, mounted on a moulded shaft with an octagonal base. This is of Norman design.