Church of St Mary the Virgin, Meysey Hampton

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St Mary's, Meysey Hampton
Meysey Hampton Church.jpg
Church of St Mary the Virgin, Meysey Hampton is located in Gloucestershire
Church of St Mary the Virgin, Meysey Hampton
Location in Gloucestershire
Coordinates: 51°41′57″N 1°49′55″W / 51.6992°N 1.8320°W / 51.6992; -1.8320
OS grid referenceSP 11706 00060
LocationMeysey Hampton, Gloucestershire
CountryEngland
DenominationChurch of England
History
StatusParish church
DedicationVirgin Mary
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designationGrade II*
Administration
DeaneryFairford
ArchdeaconryCheltenham
DioceseGloucester
ProvinceCanterbury

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. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Church of St Mary the Virgin", Heritage Gateway, English Heritage, retrieved 25 April 2011
  2. ^ Hall, p. 87
  3. ^ a b Rosewell, Roger (January 2007), "Loss Discovery and Rescue: Medieval Glass from Meysey Hampton Church (Glocs.)", Vidimus, CVMA, no. 3, ISSN 1753-0741, retrieved 25 April 2011
  4. ^ Caring for Listed Buildings, English Heritage, archived from the original on 24 January 2013, retrieved 24 April 2011
  5. ^ Verey, p. 26
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Verey, p. 135
  7. ^ "Group of Five Monuments About 41/2 Metres South of Church of St Mary the Virgin", Heritage Gateway, English Heritage, retrieved 25 April 2011
  8. ^ "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. Vol. 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

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