Church of St Mary the Virgin, Meysey Hampton
| St Mary's, Meysey Hampton | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Location in Gloucestershire | |
| Coordinates: 51°41′57″N 1°49′55″W / 51.6992°N 1.8320°W | |
| OS grid reference | SP 11706 00060 |
| Location | Meysey Hampton, Gloucestershire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Dedication | Virgin Mary |
| Architecture | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Fairford |
| Archdeaconry | Cheltenham |
| Diocese | Gloucester |
| Province | Canterbury |
The Church of St Mary the Virgin is a Church of England parish church in Meysey Hampton, Gloucestershire. It is in the Diocese of Gloucester and the archdeaconry of Cheltenham. It is a Grade II* listed building.
The church was built in the 13th century, possibly funded by the Knights Templar.
History and present day
The church was consecrated in 1269.[1] It is thought to have been financed by the Knights Templar.[2] The church was extended and some alterations were made to the chancel in the 14th century.[3] It was restored in 1872–74 under the direction of James Brooks.[1]
The church has been a Grade II* listed building since 26 November 1958.[1] The grade – the middle of three – is for "particularly important buildings of more than special interest".[4]
Architecture
Exterior
The church is built of rubble masonry with slate roofs. Most of the work is Early English, with later parts Decorated Gothic.[1][5] According to David Verey it is "not a typical Cotswold church".[6] Its plan is cruciform with a central tower; the nave and chancel are nearly the same length. The transepts lie to the north and south.[6] There is a porch in the middle of the south wall.[1] The central, square tower is of one stage and has two belfry lancet arches on each side.[1] It has a crenellated parapet with gargoyles.[6]
The nave and transepts also have lancet windows.[1] The chancel has three two-light windows to the south, trefoil-headed windows in an arched surrounds and ogee-headed windows in a square surrounds.[1] The three-light east window has geometric tracery and a ballflower border.[6]
Interior
Internally, the roof has five bays and has original curved bracing to the tie beams.[1] The crossing has simple, matched arches.[6]
There lectern is Jacobean, inscribed with "Christian Jacketts, 1622".[6] There is a 17th-century monument to Dr James Vaulx, with a portrait of him with his wives.[6] Medieval stained glass removed from the church in the 19th century was exhibited at the Corinium Museum in Cirencester in 2006.[3]
Churchyard
In the churchyard about 15 feet (4.6 m) south of the church is a group of five 17th- and 18th-century monuments that are listed Grade II.[7]
By north side of the church is the war grave of a World War I gunner of the Royal Field Artillery.[8]
References
Footnotes
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Church of St Mary the Virgin", Heritage Gateway, English Heritage, retrieved 25 April 2011
- ↑ Hall, p. 87
- 1 2 Rosewell, Roger (January 2007), "Loss Discovery and Rescue: Medieval Glass from Meysey Hampton Church (Glocs.)", Vidimus, CVMA (3), ISSN 1753-0741, retrieved 25 April 2011
- ↑ Caring for Listed Buildings, English Heritage, archived from the original on 24 January 2013, retrieved 24 April 2011
- ↑ Verey, p. 26
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Verey, p. 135
- ↑ "Group of Five Monuments About 41/2 Metres South of Church of St Mary the Virgin", Heritage Gateway, English Heritage, retrieved 25 April 2011
- ↑ "Bulpit, W H". CWGC Archive Online. Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Bibliography
- Hall, Michael (1993), Stratford-Upon-Avon and the Cotswolds, Newton Abbot: The Pevensey Press, ISBN 0-907115-68-3
- Verey, David (1970). Gloucestershire: The Cotswolds. The Buildings of England. 1. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. pp. 313–314. ISBN 0-14-071040-X.
- Verey, David (1982), Cotswold Churches, London: B.T. Batsford, ISBN 0-7134-3054-0
External links
Media related to Church of St Mary the Virgin, Meysey Hampton at Wikimedia Commons