Details
SO 71 NE CHURCHAM BULLEY
11/10 Church of St. Michael
23.9.55
GV I
Parish Church; C12, C15, 1886 restoration by S. Gambier-Parry.
Flattish random rubble with larger, squared quoins in nave, ashlar
quoins and strings to chancel, timber-framed porch: tiled roof,
shingled spire and bellcote. Nave, chancel, vestry, south porch,
bellcote and spire over west-end of nave. South facade: low, plain
plinth; main door left of centre, covered by 1886 porch. Flat-
headed boarded door with cover strips: above, plain, semi-circular
tympanum with moulding to outer edge. Nook shaft each side, with
different capitals, one with a volute: chevron moulding to arch
above. Beyond double chevron moulding all round. Voussoirs to
both arches alternating red and white stone, probably originally
same to jambs of doorway. Gabled porch on stone plinth with open,
pointed arch on entry, 3-light windows in side walls; timber bench
each side internally and open, rafter roof. On left of porch a
small, C12 lancet, head carved from single stone. On right 2-light
Perpendicular window, no hoodmould. Alternate ridge tiles crested.
Left gable has copings for bottom half, then becomes hip for short
section, followed by tiled, set back gable. Above square bellcote,
with sloping sides, each with 2-light louvred opening: above
broach spire with weathervane. Chancel, semi-octagonal east end.
Plain plinth, moulded string at window-sill level, plain at
springing level and window arches, continuing round them as
hoodmould. Above plain, projecting eaves with hipped roof above,
terminating in an iron cross. On south side 2 round-headed windows
with splay to arris, in 3 eastern faces a single round-headed
window, with a roll-moulding. Below, on eastern wall, a cross in a
circle.
Internally, nave and chancel plastered, stone margins to window
reveals. Chancel arch has 2 recessed orders, columns with
scalloped capitals, plain abacus extended on string across east
wall of nave. Chevron moulding to both arches over, all in
alternate red and white stone. Open C19 waggon rafter roof, with 2
trusses to carry bellcote. Traces of chevron painting on surrounds
to two C12 north windows. Semi-octagonal east-end to chancel, wide
arch to vestry, plain roll moulding to arch. String course at
window-sill level, corner shafts with roll moulding to inner frame
of eastern windows, plain splay to southern. Piscina to north,
sedilia to south. Last, windows and vestry arch all alternate red
and white stone. Boarded, pointed barrel vault ceiling. C12 font,
plain bowl with roll moulding to upper and lower edges, on a plain
circular shaft. Semi-octagonal panelled Jacobean pulpit, on C19
stone base. One 1763 wall monument. 1886 restoration renewed
roof, bellcote, and spire, rebuilt porch and chancel and built
vestry. (D. Verey: Gloucestershire, The Vale and the Forest of
Dean, 1970; old photographs in church, painting in Churcham County
Primary School).
Listing NGR: SO7617119756
