Details
SO 72 SE HARTPURY MURRELLS END ROAD
8/52 Church of St. Mary
2.10.54
GV I
Parish Church; C12, 14, 15, restored 1882. Roughly coursed stone
with larger quoins to tower; random rubble to nave, some
herringbone masonry; larger, coursed, squared stone in chancel and
vestry. Slate roof to nave and vestry, tiled to chancel. West
tower and porch, nave, chancel, vestry. Tower: 3 stages with plain
string courses, square-set corner: buttresses to bottom stage;
narrow, square-head windows with relieving arch to lower stages,
single-light window with louvres above, 2 light window, ogee-heads
to lights below 2-centred arch to third stage: crenellated
battlements. Early timber-framed porch on west face, sides
rebuilt, gable blind tracery on posts and braces forming doorway,
cambered tie beam with struts to collar and principals; moulded
bargeboards. Nave, south wall, blocked semi-circular arched
doorway to left, corner shafts in red stone, cushion capitals in
white. To right 2 two-light geometric-tracery windows, no
hoodmoulds. One length herringbone masonry above door, one at east
end. Parapet gables, cross-gablet to east apex with stump of stone
cross. Single-storey vestry projects, pointed arch to boarded
door, left return. 2 cinquefoiled lancets in gable; gable copings
with double outlet to flue at apex, small gabled lancets to side
and ends. Crested ridge. Chancel 2 two-light reticulated-tracery
windows, with boarded door, 2-centred arch between: relieving
arches to all three. Cross gablet to parapet gable to east. East
window butterfly tracery.
Interior: nave unplastered, plain semi-circular arch to tower, wide
ditto to chancel, one recessed arch. 5 tie beams to roof, moulded
with wall posts and braces from stone corbels to third and fifth,
corbels to third crude figure of man one side, leaf scrolls other.
Panelled, boarded barrel vault above with crown posts. Chancel
plastered, stone-paved floor, 5 bay roof, king-post trusses with 2
pairs purlins and no ridge piece. Late C19 aumbry in north wall,
trefoil head below steep gable with crockets. Chancel screen
c1900, timber, Norman style, central semi-circular opening, 3
interlaced each side, chevron moulding to beam. Hexagonal Jacobean
wooden pulpit, arched panels below, strapwork above, on C19 stone
base. Octagonal stone font, quatrefoil panelling to bowl, blind
tracery to stem; flat wooden lid, moulded edge, wooden handle,
dated 1668. C19 organ case, crocketed pinnacles each side on
octagonal bases, ogee arch in centre rising to floriate cross,
blind panelling in spandrels. Various C18 and early C19 wall
monuments, one dated probably 1704 with cherubs heads, poppies,
drapery and flaming urn. Some medieval glass in head of north-east
nave window. 7 pendant brass oil lights converted to electricity.
(D.Verey, Gloucestershire, The Vale and the Forest of Dean, 1970.)
Listing NGR: SO7806623645
