Sudeley Castle, Church Of St Mary

Sudeley Castle, Church of St Mary

Parish church built circa 1460 for Ralph Boteler, with a north aisle added in the late 15th or early 16th century. The building was restored between 1859 and 1863 by Sir George Gilbert Scott for J.C. Dent. The church is constructed of well-coursed, squared stone with a lead roof.

The church consists of a five-bay nave and chancel that are structurally unified, a three-bay north aisle, and a western bell turret. The west end features a double plinth with angled buttresses, a boarded central doorway with a four-centred arch and crocketed hood mould, and a string course. A three-light Perpendicular window with crocketed hood mould is flanked by statues in ogee-headed niches with tall finials. Above this is a string course and crenellated parapets on each side of a square bell turret, slightly corbelled at the front on the west side. The turret has a two-light louvred window, string course, corner gargoyles, crenellated parapet with corner finials, and an iron weathervane.

The south face displays angled buttresses at each end, a plinth, and four square-set buttresses with a string course at sill level. This becomes a dripmould for a former low roof in the fourth bay, where the bottom of the buttress forms the jamb of a blocked doorway. Below the dripmould is a four-light squint under a cambered arch. Above are five three-light Perpendicular windows with hood moulds featuring carved-head stops, a string course, and grotesques on the buttresses. The buttresses change to diamond-set above, rising into tall crocketed finials, with a crenellated parapet at the top.

The east wall features a dripmould in place of a string course for the roof to a demolished vestry, with a blocked doorway on the left. Above this is a five-light Perpendicular window with hood mould and carved-head stops, followed by a string course and crenellations that follow the line of the low-pitch roof, topped with a short apex finial. The low aisle to the right has a plinth, a three-light mullion window, an angled corner buttress, a string course, and a crenellated parapet with missing finials.

The north wall shows the three-bay low aisle with a plinth, angled corner buttresses, and two two-light mullioned windows with a buttress and wide projection between them. The parapet is crenellated with missing finials. A boarded door on the right return has a moulded arris and four-centred arch with a hood mould and finial above the string course. To the right is a plinth, string course, and buttress on the south side, with an inserted boarded door in the last bay featuring sunk spandrels and a moulded surround. The windows and parapet above the string course match the south side.

The interior features ashlar walls, a marble floor, and stone piers to support the turret. The nave and chancel function as one space. The chancel screen spans four bays on each side with a central opening, cusped ogee heads, and heavy carving. Three sedilia on the south side have nodding ogee heads with high crocketed finials, and a similar piscina is present. A carved marble reredos with part marquetry finish adorns the east end. Two arches on the north side of the chancel lead to the aisle, with a door to the nave. Moulded beams support the roof. The openwork octagonal wooden pulpit features Decorated tracery and two brass candle holders, now electrified. An octagonal marble font has carved sides to its bowl and a clustered pillar stem. Choir stalls are returned against the screen with carved misericords and brass book rests on the front seats.

A memorial to Katherine Parr occupies the chancel, featuring an effigy by J.B. Philip on a marble chest tomb. The tomb has quatrefoils to the sides beneath a foiled four-centred arch, crocketed and swept up to a poppyhead finial. Marble pillars either side hold statues under niche heads with finials above. The stained glass is by Preedy.

The building fell into decay during the 18th century. The exterior is essentially of 15th and 16th century date, while the interior is nearly entirely the work of Sir George Gilbert Scott from 1859 onwards, representing a fine example of his restoration practice. Katherine Parr is buried in the church.