Details
CHURCHDOWN CHURCHDOWN HILL
SO 8819/8919
12/14 Church of St Bartholomew
10.1.55
GV I
Parish church. C12, C13, C15 or C16, 1601 tower, C17, restored mid
C19, 1880's by Ewan Christian. Stone approaching ashlar to tower
and south chancel, otherwise coursed, squared stone; stone slate
roof. Nave, western tower, south aisle, north porch, chancel.
South facade: tower, plinth, octagonal turret on right, 2 slits,
string course, slit, 2-light louvred window, string course,
crenellated parapet with corner finials. Gable of south aisle on
right, 3-light window, rounded trefoil heads, with almost 3-centred
arch over: plain stone chute for valley gutter. South side, south
aisle: angled corner buttresses, plinth, with eight C17 and C18
headstones set against it on left. Above, 2-light Perpendicular
window; double-boarded door in moulded arch, buttress; to right
sides and ends of 2 chest tombs built into wall, John and Edward
Cummins, died 1706 and 1714: leaf and scroll carving, carved
figures in half relief with momenti mori. Above, 3-light window
with trefoil heads under transom just above springing of main arch,
2-light tracery above. Parapet gables with cross-gablet apices.
Right return plain, some brick repairs, late C20 monument. Plinth
to south chancel wall, 3-light window, flat head, double cusping to
top of lights: 1880 on rainwater head. Parapet gable, stone
cross on cross-gablet apex. Plinth to east wall, 3-light
Perpendicular window over. North wall, plain to chancel, with
plinth. Parapet gable to nave, cross on cross-gablet apex:
square-set corner buttress. Plinth; with blue bricks under: 3-
light Perpendicular window. Gabled, 2-storey north porch, rising
above nave, splayed infill to angles each side. Two slits on left
return, with corbelled base to probably former chimney. Arched
doorway in gable, moulded surround, wrought-iron gates: inside
boarded door in moulded surround, ribbed quadripartite vault on
corner colonnettes, moulded capitals, scalloped bases. Parapet
gable with cross-gablet apex with cross over. To right, nave set
back, 3 reset C12 stones with chevron carving; diamond-shaped
monument: square-set buttress. Tower, plinth, string course, then
as south side. West face as north, but with 4-light king-mullion
window in lower stage, 4-centred arch.
Interior: south aisle, lower part of walls rendered. Segmental
arch to door of reset chevron-moulded voussoirs. Four bay nave
arcade, circular columns, moulded capitals and bases, plastered
ceiling on line of braces to collar-rafter roof, 4 tie beams, 2
with crown or king posts. Nave stone paved, walls plastered,
moulded oversailing eaves course above aisle arcade; wide, C19
chancel arch, plain capitals; wide, semi-circular arch to tower,
datestone adjoining on north. Door from single board to stair to
porch, in steeply-arched, moulded surround. Stoup by north door,
window to porch room over. Cambered, plastered ceiling, with 5
king-post trusses. Minton-tile floor to east end chancel: piscina
with cinquefoil head under pointed arch, sunk spandrels, moved from
south aisle. Half a shallow stone bowl built into north wall.
Collar rafter roof with straight braces, 1880's. Octagonal pulpit
and sounding board, 1631: corner colonnettes and panelled and
moulded sides, reading ledge on scrolled brackets. Panelled back
with strapwork, arched top, downturned strapwork edge to sounding
board with central pendant under. Octagonal, lead-lined font,
swept stem with blind, trefoil-headed arches; foliated ogee arches
to sides of bowl. A few C17 pews survive, with more reused ends.
C17, C18 wall monuments in tower base, three C19 in south aisle,
1743 marble wall monument to Sir Robert Austen in chancel,
gadrooning, fluted Doric pilasters, segmental top with coat of arms
over. Gallery removed 1854.
(W.T. Swift, History of Churchdown, 1905; D. Verey,
Gloucestershire, the Vale and the Forest of Dean, 1970)
Listing NGR: SO8823619106
