Church of St Thomas of Canterbury

Details

TODENHAM MAIN STREET SP 23 NW (north side) 1/170 Church of St. Thomas of Canterbury 25.8.60 GV I Anglican parish church. C14 nave, aisle, chapel transept, south porch chancel, vestry and tower. North chapel and restoration of north aisle early C16. Restoration by J.E.K. Cutts 1879. Coursed squared and dressed limestone, slate roof. Nave with aisle on north, south transept adjoining porch, west tower, chancel with chapel and vestry on north. Nave south side: 3-light pointed window with tracery left of porch. Painted C20 part glazed plank door with cover strips to porch within roll-moulded arched surround with stopped hood. Scratch sundial fixed to wall above door, another incised into wall left of door. Decapitated figure forming water spout right of door. Buttressed south transept with moulded plinth with string above. 2-light C19 stone mullionea window with ogee cusping, similar but original 3-light window at east end of transept with row of traceried lights at top. Diagonal buttresses to chancel. Chancel south wall, C19 pointed arched window with tracery and stopped hood. Plank priests door right within C14 moulded surround with cusped head with engaged finial from apex of hood. 2-light stone mullioned window with ogee headers lights with carved spandrels right. String continued around chancel below windows from south transept stepped up to form hood over priests door. Plinth continued around chancel also. Siltstone tablet with eroded inscription to John Mander died 1723, far right. Inscription flanked by Doric columns with open triangular pediment above, carved skull within pediment with crossed bones below, heraldic shield with carved lion head above between decorative brackets supporting tablet. 5-light pointed C14 window at east end of chancel with original tracery and hood. 2-light stone mullioned window with ogee headed lights and carved spandrels at east end of vestry. North chapel moulded plinth with string above. 2-light hollow chamfered stone mullioned window with stilted headed lights and carved spandrels, diamond leaded lights and hood with diamond stops at east end. Similar 4-light window in north wall, with plank door with decorative hinges lower right with buttress on right. North aisle: 3 stepped buttresses. Central north door (now blocked) within pointed arch with hood with stops in the form of heads. Two C16 tall stone-mullioned casements with leaded panes far right and left. Single C19 light with ogee cusping at west end. 2 stage west tower with diagonal buttresses continued up to form pinnacles around ribbed, octagonal spire with 2-light lucarnes with limestone louvres and crocketed ogee heads on each side. 2- light bellcote windows with stopped hoods and limestone slate louvres. Roof: slightly stepped gable-end coping to nave chancel and porch, roll-cross saddles with upright cross finials on porch and chancel gable ends. Small C14 sanctus bellcote at east end of nave. Interior stone roofed porch with double door with fielded panelling into nave, in deeply moulded pointed arched surround with stopped hood. Nave: limewashed walls. 3 bay C14 pointed arched arcade to north aisle with diamond shaped piers without imposts. C14 pointed arches to chancel, south transept and west tower. Heavily moulded 4-centred arched openings from north aisle to north chapel and from chapel to chancel. Stone steps up to former rood loft from north chapel, with remains of C12 scalloped capital below. C14 piscina with credence shelf and cusped head, now partially obscured by C16 arch, right of C12 capital. Similar piscina in south wall of south transept which bears traces of medieval wall painting also. Chancel: plank door within ogee shaped hollow-chamfered surround to vestry. C14 piscina with credence shelf right of altar with ogee cusping,Crocketed hood stops, in the form of heads and engaged finial in south wall. String stepped up over piscina and door to vestry continued around south transept also. Three C14 stone sedilia right of piscina with ogee heads with finials one engaged at apex of each. Medieval trussed rafter roof to chancel, C19 rafter roof to nave. Coloured tile flooring. Fittings: circular C12 font on octagonal base in south west corner of nave. C18 - early C19 polygonal pulpit in south east corner of nave with cusped openwork and carved spandrels. C20 wooden altar, late C19 - early C20 wooden altar rail supported on wrought iron brackets with foliate decoration. C19 stained glass in east window of chancel. Monuments etc: early Victorian hatchment bearing royal arms within west tower. Hatchment depicting arms of Pole family (q.v. Todenham Manor) on south wall of transept. White and black marble tablet to Lady Louisa Pole, died 1852 also on south wall. C18 engraving of Thomas Merkin, Bishop of Carlisle and rector of Todenham on same wall. Various C18 recumbent stone ledgers in floor of chancel. brass plaque to William Moltin, died 1614, depicting 2 kneeling figures with an inscription in verse on north wall of chancel. (David Verey, The Buildings of England: The Cotswolds, 1979).

Listing NGR: SP2431636323

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

128817

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Verey, D, The Buildings of England: Gloucestershire 1 The Cotswolds, (1970)

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.