Church Of St Mary

SO 72 NE UPLEADON -

4/266 Church of St. Mary

2.10.54

GV I

Parish church; C12, C15, C18, restored 1850, 1879 by Ewan Christian; vestry added 1884. Timber-framed tower, brick nogged, on squared, coursed stone plinth: nave large, coursed squared stone to left of door, smaller to right and above. Chancel squared, coursed stone, vestry squared, brought to courses; stone slate roofs, except tower, Welsh slate. Nave, chancel, west tower, south porch, north vestry. North facade: tower on right, close-studded timber framing in 4 stages, no intermediate rails in stages. Sill covered ashlar on sides, but not west face. Brick nogging appears to be set on edge. Square, louvred opening top stage. Four-light mullioned opening lowest stage, 2-light mullion and transom second on west face, Perpendicular tracery. Wide eaves, bellcast to pyramid roof, lead hips, wrought-iron weathervane with gilded cock on apex. Nave has diagonally-set corner buttress to right: plain plinth. To right of centre double boarded doors, behind open doors covered netting: roll moulding to jambs, semi-circular tympanum over, with agnus dei and 2 lions. Nook shaft each side, scalloped capital on right, carved animal on left: chevron and cable moulding round arch. On left one stone has small square cut out of bottom, probably for scaffolding pole during erection. Billet-moulded string course, curves slightly to clear doorhead. Above semi-circular headed lancets each end, 2-light flat-headed window with Perpendicular tracery in centre, head cuts projecting stone course, probably original eaves line, eaves now a little above. Parapet gables, octagonal base on eastern apex, minute crenellations, short tapered section, probably originally carrying a cross. Vestry on left, plinth higher than nave: lancet in end wall, parapet gable, cross- gablet apex: 2 lancets in left return. North wall chancel plain: parapet gable, cross-gablet apex with floriate cross. Interior: nave walls plastered, wide arch to chancel, moulding off short marble columns each side, carried on corbels. Roof 3 bay, king-post trusses with 2 pairs struts, 2 pairs purlins, plank ridge, long windbraces cut rafters; mortices in tie beams suggest a flat, plastered ceiling, presumably removed in C19. Tower base fully open to nave: interior plastered, large, curving St. Andrew's cross bracing to walls, rising to above ceilings from sill; side walls; set much higher to nave. Chancel plastered, wide blind arch to vestry; collar rafter roof, arch braces rise from spurs at eaves level, no ridge piece. C19 circular stone font on stem; panelled timber pulpit, dated 1661, on C19 stone base. Communion rails wooden, rail on trefoil-headed arcade. Early chancel arch removed in 1879 restoration: chancel said to be rebuilt in C19. Nave roof probably before mid C18. Forms group with Court and barns (q.v.). (D. Verey, Gloucestershire, The Vale and the Forest of Dean, 1970.)

Listing NGR: SO7688626955