History

C13 chancel and central tower, nave and aisles rebuilt C15, 2 storey S porch possibly early C16. Formerly linked with Italian monastic house in Anagni and subsequently to Tintern Abbey - see also Magor Mansion. Originally dedicated to St Leonard. Restored by John Norton, architect of The Vicarage, in 1868.

Exterior

Of red sandstone rubble with ashlar dressing and stone tile roof. SW 2 storey ashlar faced porch with diagonal buttresses with offsets and crocketed pinnacles, shallow gabled roof with blind trefoil headed arcade parapet above; moulded plinth with angled string course above; renewed Perpendicular window with hoodmould with decorative stops; pointed arched doorway, 2 diminutive engaged shafts and renewed decorative cusping; engraved at apex Josc. E wall of porch of roughly coursed small scale rubble and high blocked window; W wall has single trefoil headed light window under rectangular hood mould and incorporated stair turret with small light.

N nave aisle has two 3-light Perpendicular windows; buttresses, angled at corner, with moulded offsets; moulded string and plinth courses and blind arcade parapet continue; winged beast gargoyles over each buttress; small chamfered segmental pointed arched NE doorway. To E similar 4 light window with Perp tracery and hood mould with face stops and W a 3 light version.

Chancel of very roughly coursed rubble has steep pitched roof and apex stone with missing cross, no windows to N, to E one 3 light window with geometric tracery and hood mould with face stops; plinth courses to E; to S a C19 2 light window with simple quatrefoil geometric tracery under relieving arch; small chamfered pointed arched doorway; stone with chevron moulding incorporated into E wall.

Nave S aisle has four 3 light windows with Perp tracery, moulded eaves course and embattled parapet above; beast gargoyles; similar 4 light windows E and W; added chimney.

W wall has broader Perp window; west pointed arched doorway of 2 shallow moulded orders; on either side now inserted into rubble masonry are 2 fragments from an arch springing with bishop faces and further fragment of foliage decoration at apes; angle buttresses mark junction with N and S aisles; aisle parapet returns; apex cross on W gable.

Central tower has shallow machicolation moulding, higher attached stair turret with small lights to NW; 2 light trefoil headed louvre openings in rectangular frame to ringing chamber to N and W but plain to E and S; clock face 1888 to N and S and wrought-iron weathercock to NE.

Interior

Interior: Porch has elaborate moulded ribbed vaulting with shallow bosses and one central pendant boss, stone seats, piers to S face of porch entrance and main pointed arched N door with hood mould and multiple narrow mouldings; above is an empty ogee arched crocketed niche flanked by finials and piers representing human figures albeit worn; further vestigial niches at vault springings.

Nave has N and S aisle separated by two 3 bay arcades of rectangular piers incorporating engaged shafts of alternating widths; capitals are winged angles with scrolls (some renewed), the figures springing from the main piers and their wings meeting to form the capital of the intermediate ones. On SE pier is decorative crocketed niche with vaulted canopy and foliage base. On N wall of S aisle above spandrel, a green man corbel and in S aisle seven figurative corbels with remains of arch springings, presumably relating to a now vanished vault and 4 carved corbels, 3 foliage and one face, at the apexes of the arcade arches; 3 plain S corbels support present roof. Two stained glass windows the E from Kempe studio, the rest with renewed plain quarries. Roof all renewed; main nave 3 bays are barrel and kingpost and aisles have heavily moulded cross beams. N aisle has protuding moulded corner and chamfered segmental pointed door to parvis. Octagonal font with trefoil traceried panels and heavily roll moulded splayed base perhaps earlier, later font cover.

Central crossing has pointed unmoulded splayed chancel arches, niche to S and moulded ogee roof loft opening to N; door to tower newel stair N; openings to transepts have further mouldings. Renewed coffered door. N and S transepts have further corbels as springers and over apexes; Hodges monument of 1798. S transept has moulded pointed arch with blind tracery panelling to the thicker wall. Ring of 6 bells rehung 1886 incorporated some by Rudhall of Gloucester and made in 1785.

Plain chancel has 5 steps, C19 tiles, C19 barrel roof; E window has stained glass of 1880 by Joseph Bell of Bristol and deep splayed S window of 1988 by Geoffrey Robinson of same firm.

Reasons for Listing

Listed grade I for substantial survival of good quality medieval masonry, in particular its C15 sculpture.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• St Mary's Church at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q7594379

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)