Church Of St Stephen

MORETON VALENCE CHURCH LANE SO 70 NE (east side) 6/225 Church of St. Stephen 10.1.55 GV I Anglican parish church. Nave and chancel of C12, tower of C15, south aisle late C15/early C16; restored 1880-84. Coursed and dressed stone, with chamfered plinth to aisle and tower, stone slate roof partly artificial on north side, coped verges with cross finials. East ends of nave and chancel have plain string course and animal corbels. West tower, nave with north porch and chancel, with south aisle running whole length. Tower of 3 stages with string courses, stepped diagonal buttresses up to second stage, embattled parapet with gargoyles, 2-light decorative louvred belfry openings on top stage with ogee heads, west side has pointed arch door and 2-light ogee over on lowest stage, scattered small stair lights. North gabled porch has timber-framed front with bracket probably for an image, inner Norman doorway with roll-moulded arch on jamb shafts with raised capitals and chamfered abaci, scalloped and zig-zag lintel, with tympanum showing scene of Archangel Michael fighting with a dragon, small squints to each side of porch with stone wall seats below. Large 4-light Perpendicular, window to east with square hoodmould, pointed chamfered arch for priest's door and small Norman lancet with inner splayed reveal on north side of chancel. C14 three-light east window in chancel. South aisle has three 3-light Perpendicular windows to south side and similar to west and east ends. Tudor arched cavetto moulded doorway between bays one and 2, opposite north porch, with enriched spandrels and square hoodmould and original vertical battened door. Interior: Norman chancel arch similar to north porch. Two-bay tall nave arcade with octagonal concave-moulded piers, and 4 centred arches, smaller similar bay from chancel. Remains of rood loft probably of C15. Piscina in chancel and additional free- standing Norman piscina in south aisle, near baroque stone wall monument to John Harris 1727. (VCH, Gloucestershire, Vol X, 1972; David Verey, Buildings of England - Gloucestershire: the Vale and the Forest of Dean, 1980)

Listing NGR: SO7795209719