Church Of St Swithin

SO 81 SW BROOKTHORPE-with- STROUD ROAD WHADDON (west side), Brookthorpe

5/6 Church of St. Swithin 10.1.55

GV II*

Parish church. C13; north aisle added in 1892 restoration. Random rubble limestone and ashlar; stone slate roof. Nave with north aisle; west tower, south porch, north vestry and chancel. Moulded pointed-arched central south doorway with C19 plank door; pointed and slightly shouldered archway in parapet gabled porch with offset diagonal buttresses and C19 restored trefoil-headed side windows; C19 timber porch gates. Single 2-light C15 nave window either side of south doorway, each with cinquefoil-headed lights, small quatrefoil, and hoodmould, both restored; chamfered plinth stops short of west end. North nave wall has gabled buttress at east end with restored cinquefoil-headed lancet to right; right of this buttressed north aisle with lean-to roof; 2 triplet windows with relieving arch over each in north facing gable; cinquefoiled head to east-facing aisle lancet and Cl9 chimney at junction with nave; vestry continuous with aisle at west end with reused west facing pointed-arched doorway. Parapet east nave gable, and parapet gabled east chancel wall with small Early English lancet; narrow pointed arched priest's doorway with plank door in south chancel wall; ogee-headed C14 lancet to left and 2-light to right in square-headed opening; 2-light Early English in north wall. Tower of 2 stages with parapet gabled saddleback roof; C19 restored west lancet; ogee-headed belfry openings except south-facing which has shouldered arch; all with stone louvres; below belfry openings a narrow slit. Interior has been scraped, but partly replastered; 2-bay Cl9 pointed arched arcade to north aisle with central circular pier having undercut moulded capital; stiff leaf carved labels to arcade hoodmould; pointed tower arch; rood loft stairs to north of chancel arch have round-headed narrow doorways; 3-bay C19 tie-beam truss nave roof, each supported off restored stone corbels and having cusped strutting; very thick cusped windbraces; Early English chancel arch, with small pointed recess to south. Chancel has Cl9 raised floor with altar step; limewashed walls, C19 arcaded reredos, and C19 restored piscina in north wall; C19 wagon roof. C18 hexagonal fielded-panelled timber pulpit; carving around north nave window by Eric Gill is memorial to Detmar Blow, died 1939; C17 chalice-shaped octagonal stone font; Baroque wall memorial in tower to George Venn, died 1694; some late C18 and Cl9 marble memorials. C19 stained glass to some windows. On wall plate of south porch a carved chronogram commemorating the death of Charles I. Forms part of tight visual group with Brookthorpe Court, (q.v.) and Old Vicarage, (q.v.) (D. Verey, Gloucestershire: The Vale and the Forest of Dean, 1976.)

Listing NGR: SO8350612266