Church Of Christ Church With Railings

SO 8802-8902 CHALFORD LONDON ROAD (north side)

13/66 Church of Christ Church with railings 28.6.60

GV II

Former chapel of ease, now parish church. 1725, enlarged 1841 by T. Foster of Bristol; 1857 alterations by F.T. Gompertz, further 1890 alterations by B. Edmund Ferrey. Ashlar and coursed rubble limestone; decorative plain tile roof. Nave with north aisle, west tower and 2 south porches; chancel with north vestry. Neo- Norman style. Five tall Norman style round arched nave windows to south side with linking string course at arch springing level; sill-level string course. Two parapet gabled porches with Norman archways. Diagonal offset buttresses to ends of nave. Eight transverse gables to north aisle, 7 with round arched window containing coloured glass. Three-stage west tower with very squat broach tile-hung spire. Norman style arch to each tower stage, belfry openings being 2-light. Norman style east triplet window to small chancel, round window above. Interior: broad nave with 7-bay round arched north arcade with tall Roman Doric columns; transverse aisle tunnel vault. Timber boarded nave roof with compartment ribs and coved cornice. Three- centred chancel arch. Much panelling and fittings by Sapperton Arts and Crafts group. Openwork choir screen and organ loft panelling by Norman Jewson. Fine lectern with ivory and mother-of- pearl inlay by Peter Waals. Circular stone font with fish carving by William Simmonds has tall timber cover by Norman Jewson with silverwork by George Hart. Stained glass to south nave windows by Edward R. Payne, 1951. Wall monument with figure of mourner and urn to John William Jones, died 1860. South frontage has iron railings, principal posts with urn finials. Residents of Chalford erected a 'neat chapel' in 1725, which after considerable enlargement became a district church in 1842. (N.M. Herbert, 'Bisley' in V.C.H. Glos. xi, 1976, pp 4-40; M.A. Rudd, Historical Records of Bisley with Lypiatt, 1937; and D. Verey, Gloucestershire: The Cotswolds, 1979)

Listing NGR: SO8919102539