Church of St Oswald
CHURCH OF ST OSWALD
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1304301
- Date first listed:
- 26-Jan-1961
- List Entry Name:
- Church of St Oswald
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF ST OSWALD
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2002-07-19
- Reference:
- IOE01/06948/21
- Rights:
- © Mr John Hanson. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1304301
- Date first listed:
- 26-Jan-1961
- List Entry Name:
- Church of St Oswald
- Statutory Address 1:
- CHURCH OF ST OSWALD
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF ST OSWALD
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Gloucestershire
- District:
- Cotswold (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Compton Abdale
- National Grid Reference:
- SP0593416581
Details
COMPTON ABDALE COMPTON ABDALE VILLAGE
SP 01 NE
5/18 Church of St. Oswald
26.1.61
GV II*
Anglican parish church. C13, C15, restored 1883 by Ewen Christian
and again in 1904-5 by F.W. Waller. Nave chancel and north aisle
random limestone or limestone rubble, part of north wall of north
aisle rebuilt in ashlar. Porch, coursed squared and dressed
limestone. Stone slate roof. Plan; nave with tower at west end,
north aisle with projecting porch towards west end, chancel. Flat-
chamfered plinth to chancel. Chancel north wall, C19 two-light
window with hollow-moulded stone-mullion. Perpendicular 3-light
east window with hollow-chamfered stone mullions, small
embattlemented transom below uppermost tracery stopped hood. South
wall; two 2-light windows with hollow-moulded mullions, trefoil
tracery at top and carved spandrels. Nave; buttressed at south-
west corner. South wall; 2 rectangular C19 windows with
cinquefoil-headed lights and stone-mullions with stepped and ovolo
mouldings, trefoil in spandrels, hollow-moulded surrround. Traces
of possible blocked south doorway below left-hand window. Small 2-
light late Perpendicular or Tudor window towards west end with
cinquefoil-headed lights and trefoil tracery in upper corners,
hollow-moulded surround incorporating a carved man's head at the
centre of a 4-petalled flower (i.e. a green man) at top of
surround. Perpendicular 3-stage tower with moulded plinth with
diagonal buttresses with couchant animals on offsets. Strings
between stages. Carved heads at the ends of lower string. Man
blowing horn (probably a representation of St. Oswald) at centre of
string on west. Scratch sundial with metal gnomon on south side of
tower. Two-light pointed belfry windows with quatrefoils, stone
slate louvres and stopped hoods. Battlemented parapet with beast's
head gargoyles offset from corners. Corner pinnacles in the form
of rampant dogs/wolves with staves. Canted stair turret at north-
east corner of tower. North aisles; Perpendicular window,
matching that at east end of chancel, left of porch. Chamfered
string at east end. Early English porch (rebuilt C19) with
diagonal buttresses. Pointed entrance arch with two flat-chamfered
orders, the inner forming Early English engaged columns. Stopped
hood. Carved man's head above arch. Stepped coping to gable ends,
roll-cross saddles. Upright stone cross finial at east end of
chancel. Weathervane at centre of tower. Inside porch; stone
bench seats. C19 door with fillets within pointed Early English
hollow-moulded arch. Church interior plastered. Four-bay C14 nave
arcade with octagonal piers with moulded octagonal capitals. C14
arch from nave to tower, engaged octagonal columns with
embattlements capitals with 4-petal flower decoration. Wide C19
double-chamfered arch from nave to chancel. Wagon roofs to nave,
chancel and south aisle probably late C18-C19. Red tile floor in
chancel, limestone flags in nave. Doorless aumbry in south wall of
chancel. Opening to give access to former rood loft upper right of
easternmost arch of nave arcade. Defaced stone carving probably
representing St. George and the dragon with painted striped red and
green background set into wall above pulpit. Furniture and
fittings: C19 chalice-like stone font inside north door. C19
pews and pulpit. Monuments; four C19 white on grey marble
monuments to members of the Walker family in chancel some by Lewis.
Two C19 stone ledges in floor. C19 stained glass in east window of
chancel and in westernmost window of nave south wall. Fragments of
medieval window glass in west window of tower. Tripartite wooden
plaque in tower recording the recasting of its bells in 1880.
History; the tower was built when the church was a possession of
St. Oswald's Priory at Gloucester.
(D. Verey, The Buildings of England; The Cotswolds, 1979)
Listing NGR: SP0593416581
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 130016
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Verey, D, The Buildings of England: Gloucestershire 1 The Cotswolds, (1970)
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 06-Jun-2026 at 00:13:25.
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