Details
ST 67 SE WICK AND ABSON C.P. CHURCH ROAD (north side)
7/385 Church of St. Bartholomew
G.V. II*
Parish church. Begun 1845 from plans by Charles Dyer of Bristol, completed 1850
by William Butterfield. Limestone freestone with stone dressings and quoins,
slate roofs with raised coped verges, cross finial to chancel, pyramidal stone
tiled roof to tower. West tower, nave, south porch, chancel, north vestry.
Early English style, highly sympathetic early Gothic tower of robust quality by
Butterfield. 4-stage tower has plain lancet at first stage north and south,
lancet with stopped hood mould at 2nd stage west, to all sides of top stage a
2-light window with polygonal mullion and jamb shafts, roll-moulded pointed arch
and bell louvres; heavy weathered clasping buttresses, string courses; stair
turret to south has door with shaped head, small lancet and pitched roof; cockerel
weathervane on tower roof. 5-bay nave has 5 tall lancets to north. 2nd from
left with cusped trefoil head, single storey addition with pitched roof to right;
south nave has 4 similar lancets, with cusped trefoil head to right; heavy
weathered clasping buttresses, plinth and string course. 2nd bay from left has
porch, with steep gable and cross finial, plinth, pointed arched doorway with roll-
moulded surround springing from jamb shafts (as at tower windows), hood mould with
shield and mask stops, paired narrow lancet to each side; porch has common rafter
roof with one row of purlins, inner double doors with decorative strap hinges,
segmental head, hood mould with foliate stops. 2-bay chancel has to north single
storey vestry attached with paired lancet with quatrefoil above, door with shaped
head as on tower; to south, trefoil-headed lancet, 2-light window with pointed
arch, plate tracery quatrefoil above, stopped hood mould and relieving arch; tall
triple east lancet with hood mould carried over all 3 lancets, with stops and high
relieving arch, cornice across gable and blind trefoil; buttresses and string
course raised beneath cills of east windows and continued to south; plinth.
Interior: tall pointed tower arch has hood mould with mask stops, triple broach
stops at base of jambs; panelled wooden screen (by Butterfield) with blind
trefoil-headed panels. Nave has 6-bay roof with arched-braces rising from stone
corbels, principal rafters, collars and curved upper struts; hollow-chamfered
segmental heads to windows. Wider pointed chancel arch has moulded inner
imposts for inner order, chamfered and broach-stopped jambs, hood mould with mask
stops; to left, upper lancet to organ chamber. Chancel has common rafter roof,
upright members at base of rafters rising from wooden corbels, collars with lower
struts to each side; piscina and sedilia to right. Fittings: stone font in
nave on central stem with 4 outer shafts, cable moulding around edge and square
bowl, by Butterfield; wooden pulpit and benches in nave by Butterfield. Stained
glass quarries by Powell. (Sources: Verey, D. : Buildings of England
Gloucestershire : The Vale and The Forest of Dean, 1970. Thompson, P. :
William Butterfield. 1971. Incorporated Church Building Society, file 3617).
Listing NGR: ST6963472754
