Church Of St Martin

ST 8298-8398 HORSLEY THE STREET (south side)

20/138 Church of St Martin

28.6.60

GV II *

Parish church. C15 tower, main body rebuilt 1838-9 by Thomas Rickman. Ashlar limestone; Welsh slate roof. Broad nave with integral aisles, transepts, chancel and west tower. Broad west tower is only survival from medieval church, 4 string courses being carried over diagonal corner buttresses and rectangular stair turret on north side. Heavy hoodmould to pointed arched west doorway; restored 3-light Perpendicular traceried window above. Two-light 4-centred arched belfry openings with stone louvres and string course rising above. Crenellated parapet with crocketed corner pinnacles. Remainder of church rebuilt in thin Decorated style, 4-bay nave having tall 2-light traceried windows. Crenellated parapets, plain but low-pitched to gable ends of transepts with crocketed corner pinnacles. Central pointed arched doorway to north transept with 4-light traceried window above. More elaboration to east end: 3-light Decorated east window with enriched crocketed ogee hood with carved head stops. Empty trefoil headed image niche at centre of quatrefoil panelled parapet gable. Small low flanking vestries with crenellated parapets. Interior: wide nave with queen post truss roof supported on small machicolated stone corbels. High triplet of moulded pointed arches at crossing with slender octagonal piers. Moulded pointed chancel arch. Ribbed pointed barrel vault to chancel. Original panelled reredos has Commandments, Creed and Lord's Prayer, and flanking sedilia with openwork tracery to ogee arch with crocketed top. Later raised choir floor at centre of crossing with decorative wrought iron screen and iron openwork pulpit all added during 1887 restoration. Various C18 or early Cl9 monuments, one with broken pediment surmounted by escutcheon and flaming urns, inscribed to EDWARD WEBB, Clothier died 1751; others plainer, one in sanctuary to Thomas Davis, signed by Thomas Webb, mason and architect of Tetbury, c1782. Earlier monuments at west end include finely carved Baroque monument to Martha Bishop, died 1714; another to Joseph Chambers, died 1722 - both with good borders. Many more in tower with cartouche borders, most elaborate being Thomas Davis, clothier, died 1715. Plain C19 pews. Octagonal stone font is C19 and 'THE GIFT OF E. HEAD DALTON.' A good example of Thomas Rickman's architecture although called 'a preaching church in rather thin Gothic clothes' by David Verey. (W.J. Sheils, 'Horsley' in V.C.H. Glos. xi, 1976, pp 175-184; and D. Verey, Cotswold Church, 1976 and Gloucestershire: The Cotswolds, 1979)

Listing NGR: ST8379598018