Details
BROMSBERROW -
SO 73 SW
5/5 Church of St. Mary
2.10.54
GV II*
Parish church. C13, 14, 1502, 1725 chapel; nave rebuilt, north
aisle added 1858, top of tower and spire 1875, vestry 1910. Nave
and chancel squared, coursed rubble, ashlar dressings; tower
poorly-squared stone, larger quoins, timber-framed top with white
painted infil: timber-framed porch on stone plinth as nave. Tiled
roofs, except spire, shingles, chancel stone slates. Nave and
north aisle, western tower, south porch, chancel and north chapel:
vestry to west of nave aisle. South facade: tower base same width
as nave: small buttress on left, pointed lancet: parapet gable on
left up to tower, Cl9 moulded kneeler. Short length vertical tile
hanging, moulded sill, timber framed wall above, 2 rows square
panels, 3 flat-headed, louvred openings in centre above with
skeleton clock face: offset above, shouldered panels, centre 3
again louvred. Octagonal spire above, small louvred opening with
lean-to roof halfway up cardinal faces: iron weathervane. Nave a
little higher than tower base: lancet with traceried head on left.
Boarded door in arched opening covered by gabled porch; original
corner posts, wide door jambs, framed gable; two 3-light timber
traceried windows each side. Timber cross on apex of gable. Arch-
braced collar truss inside. To right 3-light traceried window,
cambered head, square-set buttress, parapet gable with cross-gablet
apex and stone cross. Chancel set back slightly, 2-light traceried
window with flat head, arched boarded door in chamfered surround,
wooden sundial to right, and diagonally-set corner buttress.
Moulded timber eaves; C19 carved kneeler to parapet gable, square
base to apex cross. East face: vertical joint between chancel and
chapel, and just before matching buttress at north-east corner;
chancel and chapel east windows 3-light with traceried heads. Wall
monument on chapel north wall.
Interior: walls plastered except in tower: wide, flat-headed
opening to tower, timber beam over dated 1502, contemporary close-
studded framing above. Three-bay arcade to aisle, octagonal piers,
moulded caps and bases; wide chancel arch with no capitals. Nave
roof reused, moulded wallplate, arch-braced collar rafters with
collar purlin. Chancel collar rafter roof with curved braces and
ashlar pieces, moulded collar purlin and wallplates. Glazed
modelled tiles below cable string course around east end; ornate
piscina in corner under canopy, on stem. Plain semi-circular arch
to Yate Chapel, simple capitals (1725), wrought-iron gates and
surround (1781). Plastered barrel vault to chapel, moulded ridge
timber, decorative moulding to east end. Large marble wall
monument on west wall to John Yates, died 1749, a pyramid on a
sarcophagus: 3 other wall monuments on north side, 2 Civil War
banners in glass case. Four late C18, early C19 wall monuments
under tower, one 1621 in chancel. Plain tub-shaped Norman font on
1875 stone base. 1860 stone pulpit, ballflower cornice, lamb and
banner in full relief on corbel on one side. Communion rails
ornate carved yew by D. Smith of Ledbury, c1860. Two Yates'
hatchments in nave, 1749 and 1785, Royal Arms, 1779; benefactions
board under tower, 1845. Five stained glass windows by Kempe, some
dated 1886 and 1887. Chapel east window contains some C17 and
medieval glass. North aisle replaced 2 galleries, timber-framed
tower and spire an earlier tower with. pyramid roof. Tracery east
windows probably C19 restoration.
(D. Verey, Gloucestershire, the Vale and the Forest of Dean, 1970;
Notes and drawings in the church; F.F. Rigby, To Our Lady of
Bromsberrow, 1970.)
Listing NGR: SO7422433669
