Church of St Mary the Virgin

Details

SO 8532 FORTHAMPTON FORTHAMPTON VILLAGE

7/49 Church of St. Mary the Virgin 10.1.55

GV II*

Anglican parish church. C13, restored 1788, north aisle added. 1847-48 by Hamilton and Medland of Gloucester, altered 1863-1866 by William Burges, chancel restored 1869 by J. Middleton of Cheltenham. Chancel; sandstone buttresses, north wall and east end blue lias, south wall coursed blue lias. Nave; coursed blue lias. Porch; coursed squared and dressed limestone. Tower; blue lias on north and south, sandstone on west, buttresses and stair-vice sandstone. Red tile and stone slate roof. Plan: nave with projecting south porch and north aisle, chancel with vestry/organ chamber on north, west tower. Diagonal buttress to chancel. Chancel south wall; early studded plank door within pointed flat-chamfered opening left. Single C19 light with cinquefoil head and moulded hood, right. C19 three-light east window with reticulated tracery moulded hood and head stops. Eroded monument on wall, lower left. Clamp and diagonal buttresses to north aisle; triangular east window with tracery and moulded hood with head stops. Two-light pointed C19 window below. Single light as in south wall of chancel towards east end. Five, 2-light pointed C19 windows with tracery. Three-light pointed C19 west window with tracery. Three-stage C13 tower with massive diagonal buttresses and projecting stair-vice with plank door in pointed flat-chamfered surround at north-east corner. Three-light Decorated west window with reticulated tracery, scroll moulded hood with eroded carved-head stops. Trefoil-headed single lights to second stage. Two-light pointed belfry windows with Decorated tracery, on each face of tower. Buttressed nave; two 2-light C19 windows with tracery either side of projecting porch. Four-light C19 double-chamfered rectangular window with Perpendicular style tracery and stopped hoods, towards east end. Buttressed C19 porch with double door with pierced decoration and hood with head stops, flag floor within. C19 plank door with flat-chamfered Tudor- arched surround from porch into nave. Eroded C12 hood with segmental section forming arc over door with beast-head stops (q.v. beasts heads at Church of St. Mary, Deerhurst) and roundels, beaded bands linking roundels with beaded outlines, grotesque-head keystone. Plastered interior; 5-bay C19 nave arcade with pointed arches on octagonal piers. C13 double-chamfered tower arch without capitals Cusped C19 timber chancel arch supported on large stone corbels with carved stone figures of St. Peter and St. John. C19 segmental-pointed archway from chancel into organ chamber with heavily moulded surround of 2 orders, inner order rises from large stone corbels each decorated with carved angels. Trefoil-headed C19 piscina in wall right of altar. Remnants of head of lancet window (reused) or possibly a piscina set low down in south wall of chancel close to pulpit. Tall pointed arch at east end of north aisle with tracery in upper part forming segmental-pointed arch below. Hood with large angel figure stops. Roof of nave plastered, C19 panelled roof to chancel, C19 arch- braced roof to north aisle. Red and black tiling. in nave, decorative encaustic tiling forming lattice patterns in chancel. Fittings; C19 octagonal alabaster font opposite entrance with biblical scenes and symbols of the apostles set in roundels on each face. Circular stone pulpit designed by Middleton in south-east corner of nave decorated with fretwork of flowers set in square outlines and circular roundels with carved heads. Stone mensa of c1300 with three consecration crosses and flat-chamfered stone legs. Fine C19 carved stone dossal probably by Nichols, Christ crucified at centre and four saints either side (originally unpainted), replacing pokerwork dossal of c1845 by Rev W. Calvert depicting Christ and two disciples, with ogee-arched frame with pinnacles, now right of south door. Alms box also by Calvert left of door. C19 pews. Reused Cl5 linenfold panels reused in C19 pews at west end of nave. Monuments in chancel; limestone ledger in front of mensa with inscription in capitals to ------- Underhill, son of John Underhill, died 1647. Two ledgers to Charles Dowdeswell of Forthampton Court, died 1647, right and left of mensa. Five marble monuments to members of the Yorke family, died 1791-1830 on south wall. North wall; C18 monument with eroded inscription and barley twist columns with Corinthian capitals, broken segmental pediment with heraldic shield at centre, above. Face of winged cherub at bottom. Five ledgers along centre of aisle, one to Hopewell Hayward, died 1722 with heraldic shield at top, another to Maria Hayward, wife of Hopewell, died 1746 and other members of the Hayward family (q.v. Vine Farm and Southfield House). Monument above pier of aisle arcade to John Raiseil, died 1631, finely carved and painted blue lias, inscription in gold lettering, depiction of recumbent skeleton below, narrow panel either side with hanging ribbon decoration incorporating skull and cross-bones. Moulded capping topped by painted scrollwork at top; Within base of tower; painted royal coat of arms and rules to be observed by ringers regarding intoxicating liquor in the belfry and irreverent and unseemly behaviour, dated 1858. Large wooden board with description of the lands and premises obtained by the governors of Queen Anne's bounty aided by Isaac Maddox, Lord Bishop of Worcester and the Honorable James Yorke for the augmentation of poor livings in England and Wales. (David- Verey, The Buildings of England: Gloucestershire; The Vale and the Forest of Dean and V.C.H., Gloucestershire, Vol. 8.)

Listing NGR: SO8588432573

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

134169

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Verey, D, The Buildings of England: Gloucestershire 2 The Vale and The Forest of Dean, (1970)
Page, W, The Victoria History of the County of Gloucester, (1969)

End of official list entry

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