Details
ST 77 SW WICK AND ABSON C.P. ABSON
8/360 Church of St. James the Great
G.V. I
Parish church. C12 origin, C15 tower, east wall of nave rebuilt c. 1600, with
contemporary windows, chancel restqred by Ewan Christian 1873-4. Coursed
limestone freestone tower, random rubble with stone dressings and quoins,
sandstone rubble porch, plain tiled roofs with raised coped verges and cross
finial to chancel, stone tiled roof to porch. West tower, nave, south porch,
chancel. Norman style north and south doorways, Perpendicular style tower,
chancel has Early English east window. 3-stage tower has west door with fleurons
round the architrave, crocketed ogee hood with angels carrying shields as stops,
double doors, pointed arched 6-light window above with hood mould, 2 mullions and
transom, lattice glazing; 2nd stage has single light to north and south, 2-light
to west, all pointed arched windows with hood mould and stone bell louvres,
similar larger 2-light window to all sides at 3rd stage; weathered angle
buttresses with crocketed pinnacles, string courses continued around stair turret
but not buttresses, embattled parapet with blind trefoil-headed recesses, central
merlon each side has crocketed pinnacle and niche, in east niche a sculptured
figure, 2 fine gargoyles to each side, including an anthropophagus to south, the
victim's feet resting on the string course and his calves grasped by the dragon's
hands; stair turret to south east, with lancets, similar parapet to tower, obelisk
and ball. 3-bay nave has to north a stair turret (for rood stair) with lancet
and pitched roof, two 6-light mullion and transom windows with lattice glazing and
hood mould, blocked C12 doorway with jamb shafts with scalloped capitals, round
roll-moulded head and hood mould, small lancet with lattice glazing, weathered
buttresses; to south, small C19 pointed arched 2-light window, 2 similar 6-light
mullion and transom windows to right; 2nd bay from left has porch, large and
gabled, with stone sundial fixed in gable above pointed arched door with hood
mould and relieving arch; inner door has round head, jamb shafts with scalloped
capitals, roll-moulded head, image niche above, C19 door, stone bench to each side
and ceiled wagon roof with moulded ribs; stack rising behind porch to right.
2-bay chancel has to south a blocked, priest's door with pointed arch, 2 paired
lancets with trefoil heads, no window to north, east window of 3 lancets, the
central one being taller, all lattice glazing; inserted phallic figure in east
wall, probably not pre-Conquest. Interior: tall printed tower arch in surround
of 2 chamfered orders, C19 panelled screen with door; nave has ceiled wagon roof
with 3 tie-beams, blocked north door has pointed arch and imposts remaining, also
remains of smaller inserted door with pointed segmental head; similar head to
south door. Tall pointed chancel arch in 2 hollow-chamfered orders, to left the
segmental-headed upper door to former rood loft; chancel has common rafter roof
with collars and struts below collars, pointed segmental head to blocked priest's
door. Fittings: Perpendicular octagonal bowl font in nave, bowl enriched with
arcading, quatrefoils and flowers on an arcaded shaft; pulpit in nave, c. 1630,
panelled with sounding board; fine altar table, c.1600, with carved female
figures as legs; dado of C18 pew ends in nave; seats in nave dating from 1901,
choir stalls perhaps by Ponting; parts of carved wooden mediaeval screen preserved
in nave. 3 early C18 brass memorial plates in nave, to Gabriel Ivy, Richard Ivey
and Deborah Ivyleafe, 1737; C18 ledger stones in nave; marble tablet in nave, to
Mrs. Christian Haynes, 1818, by Emett of Frenchay. All windows lattice glazed
except north east nave window with stained glass of 1952. (Sources: Verey, D. :
Buildings of England Gloucestershire : The Vale and The Forest of Dean. 1970).
Listing NGR: ST7052674843
