Details
ST 8082
12/19
BADMINTON CP
BADMINTON PARK
Church of St. Michael and All Angels
5.5.61
GV
I
Parish Church (Anglican).1785 by Charles Evans of London, after Gibbs' St. Martin-in-the-Fields; chancel and apse added in 1875. Ashlar; hipped slate roof behind coped parapet, balustraded to the apse; moulded cornice. West tower and flanking single storey entrance wings to north and south; Nave; North and South aisles; Chancel and Apse. Plain west tower, breaking the pediment of the west elevation of the church: 3 stages, balustraded parapet, obelisk pinnacles surmounted by urns; 2nd stage has single round window and 3rd stage has round headed window, both with louvres. Flanking the tower are 2 single storey entrance ways, the public one to the south and the private one to the house at the north: niches on west elevation. Panelled doors under fanlight on west and south elevations of tower. The main body of the church is extremely plain: 5 bays; round headed windows with leaded glazing; keyed circular window to the chancel; 3 round headed windows to the apse. The glory of the church is its interior and particularly the monuments.Tunnel vaulted nave with ornamental panelled plasterwork. 4 bay arcades with columns on tall pedestal bases, capitals with attenuated acanthus, entablature over columns only. 4 saucer shaped domes to the aisles, springing from corbels bearing the entablature. Family gallery at west end: 4 Tuscan columns support a balustraded parapet which in turn supports twin Corinthian columns. Pulpit with sounding board and horse-box pews, all 1785. Organ case, choir stalls, reredos and communion rail by Temple Moore, 1908. Stained glass by Thomas Willement, 1845-7; blue borders with Beaufort heraldry. Brass chandeliers. Monuments. On the north wall of the chancel is Grinling Gibbons' monument to the First Duke of Beaufort, died 1700: marble; the Duke in garter robes and a wig reclines on a sarcophagus which rests on a plinth with a relief of St. George and the Dragon; above are two heavenly winged cherubs framed by drawn drapery; the subject is framed by twin Corinthian columns heavily embossed,supported by an inscribed plinth and supporting an entablature which has flaming urns and the ducal arms with a coronet on a coronet on top; 2 full length female figures which stood on the plinth are missing. East end of north aisle: monument to 2nd and 3rd Dukes by Rysbrack, 1754: marble; the Dukes are in Roman costume, one seated holding a female medallion with drapery cascading down over the black sarcophagus, the other standing, on an inscribed plinth and against a dark marble, flat obelisk background with 2 cherubs holding the ducal coronet and motto. East end of south aisle: monument to 4th Duke by Rysbrack, 1756: marble; the Duke is standing and dressed in a Roman toga; seated cherub to left holding a coronet; on inscribed plinth. South-east end of south aisle: 5th Duke, by Sir R. Westmacott; sarcophagus draped with ducal robes and coronet on cushion. North-east end of north aisle: 6th Duke, 1839 by J. Edwards after a design by T.H. Wyatt; classical white marble tablet with heraldry above. Elizabeth, Duchess, 1828, by H. Wood of Bristol: white marble tablet with draped chest on grey marble; niche background. Lord Edward Somerset, 1822, by H. Wood of Bristol; white marble with draped Greek chest above. Charlotte, Duchess, 1854, by J. Edwards; mourning marble females and medallion portrait. West end of south aisle: Mary, Duchess, 1714; very fine white marble chest tomb with grey marble top; corner baluster and much heraldry. Many other wall tablets and plaques to the Somerset/Beaufort family.
This church was constructed on a new site, 15 yards to the east of the medieval church.
Country Life, 14.IX.07;25.XI.39; 2.XII.39
Verey, D. Buildings of England: Gloucestershire, the Cotswolds, 1970.
Listing NGR: ST8068482866