Church of St Mary

Details

BIBURY CHURCH ROAD SP 1006-1106 (east end) 11/72 Church of St. Mary 26.1.61 GV I Parish church. Mid-late C11; late C12 and early C13 enlargement; C14 and C15 alterations. 1863 restoration by Gilbert Scott; late C19 restoration by Waller and Son. Random and coursed rubble limestone; stone slate roof. Nave with north and south aisles; south porch, north west tower and chancel. Round arched south doorway with single roll moulded order and hoodmould with stiff- leaf stops. Transitional south porch with dogtooth enrichment to pointed archway. Parapet lean-to roof to short early C13 south aisle with small lancet windows; large C15 Perpendicular-traceried window inserted right of porch. South nave wall clearly displays the progressive enlargement of the church. Section of wall immediately to left of aisle is C11 with original circular clerestory window surviving; C13 lancet below. Extension to west appears late C12 with pilaster buttresses and moulded mid-height string courses. Two lancets set at high level. C15 clerestory with crenellated parapet and 2-light windows, 3 trefoil headed, one to west with ogee tracery. Clasping buttresses to west end of nave with large 5-light Perpendicular-traceried window; crenellated parapet gable with central lancet recess and flanking recesses. Similar buttresses to lower stage of tower; C15 belfry with 2- light trefoil headed openings and crenellated parapet. Buttressed north aisle with C14 Decorated windows; C12 north doorway reset, has chevron arch and carved abaci, plain tympanum having had later trefoil cut-out. Various lancets to chancel, one on north side with low sill, formerly shuttered below glazing; elaborately carved fragment of Saxon pilaster in adjacent chancel wall. Fine arcaded east triplet dating from C13 extension of chancel. Small rectangular window on south side illuminates altar. Interior: limewashed with nave arcades of different dates. Transitional north arcade is unusual, being interrupted by short lengths of wall; one cylindrical pier has scalloped capital. East respond has elaborately carved capital, otherwise capitals are scalloped or waterleaf types. One arch has chevrons; 3 to east have keeled shafts. Saxon nave pilasters are still partially surviving in north aisle above arcade. C13 Early English 3-bay south arcade. Ten-bay Perpendicular tie-beam roof; 3 tiers of cusped windbracing. Saxon jambs and imposts to C13 chancel arch breaking through Saxon string course above. Some surviving fragments of what is assumed to be a stone rood are visible above string course; 2 blocked windows have Perpendicular cusped heads. East wall of chancel has 3 aumbries; many other aumbries in side walls. C16 seat in chancel is said to be part of a bedstead. Pulpit in nave, probably by Scott. Square early C13 transitional font in south aisle has 4 corner and one central pillar, outer with rope mouldings. Transitional 2-bay arcade to each face of bowl. Early-mid C18 set of ledger slabs in nave to COXWELL family of Bibury Court. Two fine marble memorials with obelisk backgrounds on north chancel wall, ELIZABETH WARNEFORD, died 1756, and ANNE ESTCOURT CRESSWELL, died 1791. Memorial slab in north aisle inscribed in latin: 'REVERENDI BENIAMINI WYNNINGTON', died 1673. Fine stained glass to principal windows, east by T. Willement of 1855, west by Wailes, probably 1860s. Small window lighting altar retains some C13 glass. The extent of Saxon remains allow a reasonable reconstruction of the immediately pre-conquest church. Of great interest also are the Transitional features, especially the carved capitals to the north arcade, part of a series of alterations by the monks of Oseney after their appropriation of the church in 1151. (Anon., A. Short History of Bibury Parish Church, n.d.: A.R.J. Jurica, 'Bibury' in V.C.H. Glos. vii, 1981, p 21-44; H.M. and J. Taylor, Anglo-Saxon Architecture, 1965; D. Verey, Cotswold Churches, 1976 and Gloucestershire: The Cotswolds, 1979)

Listing NGR: SP1181706510

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

127318

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
A Short History of Bibury Parish Church, ()
Verey, D, Cotswold Churches, (1976)
Verey, D, The Buildings of England: Gloucestershire 1 The Cotswolds, (1970)
Page, W, The Victoria History of the County of Gloucester, (1981), 21-44
Taylor, H M, J, , Anglo Saxon Architecture, (1965)

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