Church of St Bridget

Details

BRIDSTOW CP SO 5824

9/8 Church of St Bridget

GV II*

Parish church. C12 and C14, rebuilt except for tower in 1862 by T Nicholson. Square sandstone, sandstone and limestone dressings, crested tiled roofs with limestone gable crosses. West tower, three-bay nave with north and south aisles, two-bay chancel with north chapel, south porch. West tower is late C14, moulded plinth, two stages divided by string, coped parapet with slightly raised south-west corner above newel, gilded weathercock, angle buttresses at east corners, diagonal buttresses at west corners, newel loops to south side above 2-centred C19 doorway, restored west window has three foiled lights under 2-centred head; top stage has central 2-light trefoiled openings with quatrefoiled tracery, that to the east side with a lower cill, those to north, and south with a square headed opening beneath. North aisle has three trefoiled 2-light windows with quatrefoil tracery and labels in the north wall, a similar window but with head stops at the west end and another of three lights at the east end, rainwater heads in the form of lion-heads at east and west end of valley between roofs of north aisle and nave. North chapel has three windows each of one ogeed light in the north wall, and east door with strap hinges. Chancel has 4-light east window under 2-centred head with head stops set between a pair of set-back buttresses with weatherings, two more 2-light trefoiled windows with quatrefoil tracery and head stops on south side separated by a moulded 2-centred priest's doorway, the inner order of which is supported by a pair of shafts, ball-flower frieze beneath eaves of north and south sides. South aisle has similar windows, one of three lights with head stops to east end, three of two lights to south side and one to west end, lion-head rain- water heads serve valley between nave and aisle at east and west ends. South porch is timber-framed of one bay with trefoiled open upper side panels, scissor braces, ogeed front tie-beam and cusped bargeboard. C19 south doorway is chamfered with 2-centred head and C14 door, slightly restored, which has nails and studs, strap hinges, two major panels have trefoiled heads and tre- foiled ogees between their apices. Interior has C19 open collar trusses to all the roofs, the piers of nave arcades have different capitals carrying 2-centred double chamfered arches. Chancel arch is C12, re-set, with jambs rising from C19 scalloped bases about five feet above nave floor, two semi- circular orders, the outer with chevron pattern projecting westwards at ninety degrees from face of arch, the inner with saltire pattern incised, shafts have foliated capitals with abaci running into label on west side. Chancel has re-set C12 or C13 two-bay arcade to north with double chamfered 2-centred arches and foliated capital on C19 column and responds. C14 piscina re-set in east wall with trefoiled head and C19 octofoil drain, early C20 organ, C19 recess in north wall contains small restored late C13 reliquary with cinque- foil headed panelling divided by shafts, the top has shield and cross framed in crocketted cinquefoiled tabernacle; east window, mid-C19 for Henry and Mary Platt, died 1820 and 1854 respectively depicts the four evangelists, south- east window for Francisca Maria Tweed, "In Memoriam Coniugis Dulcissima"; south-west window in similar style. Nave has double chamfered 2-centred tower arch with the outer order dying on the west side into the tower walls; font, possibly C15 and restored has octagonal base, octagonal panelled stem, octagonal bowl with square panels; pulpit is mid-C19, octagonal with ogee- headed panels containing trefoiled openings beneath crested top rail, octagonal supporting stem has concave sides; lectern is brass, presented by Lydia Walsh of Wilton Castle 1894; north aisle has stained glass in east window of north wall of The Annunciation by Kempe with the inscription "Ave Maria Gratia Plena"; east window for Elizabeth Biss, died 1868; centre window, above plaque for seven men of the parish who died in World War II, depicts St George and has the caption:

"TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN MEMORY OF CAPT I RAMSAY WORCESTER REGT KILLED IN ACTION AT NEUVE CHAPELLE FRANCE MARCH 12 1915"

C17 oak chair with curved arms, turned front legs, back panel containing lozenge decoration and central rosette under undulating top. South aisle has another oak chair, early C17 with scrolled arms, turned front legs and arm supports, guilloche on rail below seat, back with volutes to edges and panel containing segmental arch on Ionic pilasters, partly gilded, east window has stained glass for "Whaley Armitage and Eleanor his wife, deceased 1855 and 1868" with scenes of Christ prior to The Crucifixion; east window of south wall for Colonel James Sleeman of the Bengal Army died 1889 with the inscription "Speak the Word only", referring to the healing of the Centurion's servant; near the last a brass wall plaque for Lewis Paxton Walsh decorated in the Crimean campaign, died Wilton Castle, 1917; below the next window to the west, a wall monument:

"IN LOVING MEMORY OF HERBERT CLIFFORD BERNARD COLONEL INDIAN ARMY SOMETIME IN COMMAND OF RATTRAY'S SIKHS WHO WAS KILLED AT THIEPVAL 1 JULY 1916 WHILE GALLANTLY LEADING HIS REGIMENT 10TH ROYAL IRISH RIFLES QUI SEPARABIT"

Tower contains several wall monuments of late C18 to mid-C19 date including an unusual black and white marble example with crossed feathers and poultry legs for William Wiltshire died 1803; one for the Revd Love Robertston, Vicar of Bridstow, died 1770; also a brass plaque for C W Whinfield by Thomas Pratt & Sons, London: "THE HEATING OF THIS/ CHURCH WAS CARRIED OUT ACCORDING TO HIS PLAN/ FEB 1894". Whitfield, according to his other memorial, in the north aisle, was a Lt Colonel in the Royal Engineers and lived from 1840-93. (BoE p 85; RCHM Vol I, p 28-9).

Listing NGR: SO5846024836

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

398870

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Inventory of Herefordshire I South West, (1931), 28-9
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Herefordshire, (1963), 85

End of official list entry

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