Details
MINSTERWORTH CHURCH LANE
SO 71 NE
(south side)
5/90 Church of St. Peter
10-1-55
GV II*
Parish church. 1869-70, by H. Woodyer. Roughly squared and
coursed stone, ashlar dressings, tiled roof. Nave, north aisle,
west tower, south porch, chancel, north vestry. South, river
facade: tower set back on left behind and half covered by nave:
moulded plinth, buttress projecting to west, offsets: half
octagonal stair turret in angle with nave, slit windows. Two plain
string courses, lancet with louvres over nave roof on right,
crenellated parapet with string below, turret carried up above roof
with similar parapet: iron weathervane. Nave, plain plinth,
large, timber-framed porch on left, up 4 stone steps, double
boarded doors, shouldered, flat-headed opening, glazed light over
rendered panel each side; plastered cove to jettied gable above,
rendered infill to decorative framing; decorative barge boards.
Sides 2 bays, each 3 lancets over rendered panels. To right two 3-
light Decorated windows, square-set buttress at right end: ashlar
eaves course. Slightly set back on right chancel, plain plinth,
offset at window-sill level, lancet on left, two 2-light
Reticulated tracery windows, hoodmould, buttress between, eaves as
nave. Parapet gable to chancel, cross-gablet apex with stone
cross. East end, plinth and offset to chancel only, 3-light
Decorated window over, hoodmould, with head stops: gargoyle to
valley, lower gable to right, 3-light Reticulated window with
hoodmould, parapet as chancel. North facade, to road: Vestry to
left, plain plinth, buttress near east end; to right 4 stone steps
behind low wall up to quarter landing, one step to boarded door,
hoodmould steps down to run below window sills. To right 3 lancets
and 2 buttresses, eaves as south. Slight set back to aisle, lean-
to to nave, no clerestory: plain plinth, 3 paired lancets. To
right double boarded door in moulded surround, up 5 stone steps,
hoodmould with head stops, under extended foot of tower buttress,
long offset over, with niche to right. Tower, square-set corner
buttresses, moulded plinth: 3 stages with plain strings, slit
window lowest stage, lancet second, 2-light window with louvres,
and hoodmould top: crenellated parapet as south. West face tower
as north, with arched boarded door up 4 stone steps to bottom stair
turret. Tall, 2-light Reticulated window in nave west end, cutting
plain ashlar floor to pediment: hoodmould with head stops; paired
lancets over. 1975 reconstructed stone lean-to against foot of
gable wall.
Interior: 4-bay nave, circular columns, moulded capitals, simple
bases, hoodmould with carved stops added 1884. Wide chancel arch
with no capitals, shafts each side to support hoodmould. Collar
truss with straight braces and stub king post, one pair purlins,
scalloped wind braces, exposed rafters. Oak chancel screen, with
3-lights each side of central opening, carried on turned pillars;
boarded base; large cross over. Chancel, 2 bay arcade to vestry,
with moulded capital and base to circular column, ballflower in
arches, hoodmould; infilled wooden screen in Early English style.
Two-seat sedilia below east window on south, aumbry with cinquefoil
head and ballflower in lieu hoodmould; marble reredos with angels
over. Archbraced collar trusses off plain corbels, scalloped
scissor windbracing; eastern bay ribbed, boarded, pointed barrel
vault. Datestone on north wall, with long inscription. Vestry,
aumbry as chancel. Jacobean pulpit, wooden hexagon on C19 stone
base. C15 octagonal stone font, quatrefoils to edge of bowl, blind
panelling and corner buttresses to stem. C16 needlework altar
frontal in case incorporating C14 figures. West window 1880 by
Hardman, east and 2 south in chancel by Clayton & Bell, c1870, east
window to vestry 1876 by Capronnier of Brussels. Two triangular
brass hanging lamps in chancel. 1838 benefactions board, mid C17
and three early C19 wall monuments, 1789 to Charles Barrow by
Ricketts of Bath, with portrait medallion, all in tower base.
Church rebuilt with floor 4 feet higher to avoid flooding:
previous church badly decayed.
(D. Verey, Gloucestershire, the Vale and the Forest of Dean, 1970;
inscription in church)
Listing NGR: SO7731417005
