St Mary's Church, Shipton Solars
Encyclopedia
St Mary's Church, Shipton Solars, is a redundant
Anglican
church in the village of Shipton Solars
, (alternative spellings Shipton Sollars, and Shipton Solers) Gloucestershire
, England . It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
.
, and removing whitewash
from the internal walls. The church continued in occasional use during the 20th century, but was declared redundant in 2005, and vested
in the Churches Conservation Trust on 15 July of that year. The trust commissioned an architect to organise a programme of repairs, in particular to make the building wind and weatherproof. As of 2010, the church is unlocked during the day, and it is cleaned and cared for by local residents.
rubble
, with Cotswold stone
slates. Its style is Perpendicular. The exterior was originally plastered
, and some of the plaster remains. Its plan is simple, consisting of a three-bay
nave and a single-bay chancel
, with a bellcote at the west end. In the north wall of the chancel there is a single lancet window
with a cinquefoil head. The east window has three lights and is Perpendicular in style. In the south wall of the chancel is a priest's doorway, standing between a partly blocked two-light window and a small lancet window. In the south wall of the nave is a doorway with a two-light Perpendicular window to its right. The west window has three lights, and again is in Perpendicular style. In the north wall of the nave is a doorway and a single-light window with a cinquefoil head. The bellcote has one bell and is surmounted by a cross finial
.
. To the left of the chancel arch is a small aumbry
, and there is another aumbry in the north wall of the chancel. In the south wall of the chancel is a piscina
The chancel walls are panelled
, the panelling behind the altar having linenfold
decoration. There are remnants of medieval
paintings of texts and inscriptions in the nave, and painted crosses in the nave and chancel. Over the chancel arch is painted the date 1212. The floor is flagged
. The choirstalls and chairs date from the 20th century. The carved oak pulpit
and tester
are from the 17th century. On the wall in front of the pulpit is an hourglass
on a stand. The font
dates from the 15th century, and consists of a plain octagonal bowl on an octagonal shaft. Around the walls of the church are monuments from the 17th and 18th centuries. The chancel windows contain 20th-century stained glass by Geoffrey Webb. The east window contains depictions of Saint Thomas
and Mary Magdalene
, the north window has the arms
of the Fieldhouse family, and the southeast window includes a depiction of the Madonna and Child
.
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church in the village of Shipton Solars
Shipton, Gloucestershire
The twin villages of Shipton Oliffe and Shipton Solars are situated just from Cheltenham. The River Coln, just a tiny stream at this point, flows through the village over two fords and innumerable little water splashes, creating ornamental lakes in private properties.The name Shipton, meaning...
, (alternative spellings Shipton Sollars, and Shipton Solers) Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, England . It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
.
History
The first record of a church on the site is that of a chapel in 1236. By the 17th century the fabric of the building had decayed, and the church was closed. In 1883 Rev Charles Pugh was appointed rector. The church was at that time being used as a cow shed, its windows were blocked, and trees were growing through its roof. With the help of his wife, the rector repaired the church and reopened it the following year. Services were held during the summer months but the condition of the church deteriorated again, and the services were discontinued. In 1929 Ernest Francis Fieldhouse, the patron of the benefice, commissioned the architect W. E. Ellery Anderson to repair and restore the church again. This work included reconstructing the roof, unblocking the north doorway of the naveNave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
, and removing whitewash
Whitewash
Whitewash, or calcimine, kalsomine, calsomine, or lime paint is a very low-cost type of paint made from slaked lime and chalk . Various other additives are also used...
from the internal walls. The church continued in occasional use during the 20th century, but was declared redundant in 2005, and vested
Vesting
In law, vesting is to give an immediately secured right of present or future enjoyment. One has a vested right to an asset that cannot be taken away by any third party, even though one may not yet possess the asset. When the right, interest or title to the present or future possession of a legal...
in the Churches Conservation Trust on 15 July of that year. The trust commissioned an architect to organise a programme of repairs, in particular to make the building wind and weatherproof. As of 2010, the church is unlocked during the day, and it is cleaned and cared for by local residents.
Exterior
St Mary's is constructed in limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
rubble
Rubble
Rubble is broken stone, of irregular size, shape and texture. This word is closely connected in derivation with "rubbish", which was formerly also applied to what we now call "rubble". Rubble naturally found in the soil is known also as brash...
, with Cotswold stone
Cotswold stone
Cotswold stone is a yellow oolitic limestone quarried in many places in the Cotswold Hills in the south midlands of England. When weathered, the colour of buildings made or faced with this stone is often described as 'honey' or 'golden'....
slates. Its style is Perpendicular. The exterior was originally plastered
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
, and some of the plaster remains. Its plan is simple, consisting of a three-bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
nave and a single-bay chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
, with a bellcote at the west end. In the north wall of the chancel there is a single lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
with a cinquefoil head. The east window has three lights and is Perpendicular in style. In the south wall of the chancel is a priest's doorway, standing between a partly blocked two-light window and a small lancet window. In the south wall of the nave is a doorway with a two-light Perpendicular window to its right. The west window has three lights, and again is in Perpendicular style. In the north wall of the nave is a doorway and a single-light window with a cinquefoil head. The bellcote has one bell and is surmounted by a cross finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
.
Interior
The interior of the church is plastered. Both the nave and the chancel have wagon roofsBarrel vault
A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve along a given distance. The curves are typically circular in shape, lending a semi-cylindrical appearance to the total design...
. To the left of the chancel arch is a small aumbry
Aumbry
In the Middle Ages an aumbry was a cabinet in the wall of a Christian church or in the sacristy which was used to store chalices and other vessels, as well as for the reserved sacrament, the consecrated elements from the Eucharist. This latter use was infrequent in pre-Reformation churches,...
, and there is another aumbry in the north wall of the chancel. In the south wall of the chancel is a piscina
Piscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium...
The chancel walls are panelled
Panelling
Panelling is a wall covering constructed from rigid or semi-rigid components. These are traditionally interlocking wood, but could be plastic or other materials....
, the panelling behind the altar having linenfold
Linenfold
Linenfold is a simple style of relief carving used to decorate wood panelling with a design "imitating window tracery", "imitating folded linen" or "stiffly imitating folded material". Originally from Flanders, the style became widespread across Northern Europe in the 14th to 16th centuries...
decoration. There are remnants of medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
paintings of texts and inscriptions in the nave, and painted crosses in the nave and chancel. Over the chancel arch is painted the date 1212. The floor is flagged
Flagstone
Flagstone, is a generic flat stone, usually used for paving slabs or walkways, patios, fences and roofing. It may be used for memorials, headstones, facades and other constructions. The name derives from Middle English flagge meaning turf, perhaps from Old Norse flaga meaning slab.Flagstone is a...
. The choirstalls and chairs date from the 20th century. The carved oak pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
and tester
Sounding board
A sound board, or soundboard, is the surface of a string instrument that the strings vibrate against, usually via some sort of bridge. The resonant properties of the sound board and the interior of the instrument greatly increase loudness over the string alone.The sound board operates by the...
are from the 17th century. On the wall in front of the pulpit is an hourglass
Hourglass
An hourglass measures the passage of a few minutes or an hour of time. It has two connected vertical glass bulbs allowing a regulated trickle of material from the top to the bottom. Once the top bulb is empty, it can be inverted to begin timing again. The name hourglass comes from historically...
on a stand. The font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
dates from the 15th century, and consists of a plain octagonal bowl on an octagonal shaft. Around the walls of the church are monuments from the 17th and 18th centuries. The chancel windows contain 20th-century stained glass by Geoffrey Webb. The east window contains depictions of Saint Thomas
Thomas the Apostle
Thomas the Apostle, also called Doubting Thomas or Didymus was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He is best known for questioning Jesus' resurrection when first told of it, then proclaiming "My Lord and my God" on seeing Jesus in . He was perhaps the only Apostle who went outside the Roman...
and Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
, the north window has the arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of the Fieldhouse family, and the southeast window includes a depiction of the Madonna and Child
Madonna (art)
Images of the Madonna and the Madonna and Child or Virgin and Child are pictorial or sculptured representations of Mary, Mother of Jesus, either alone, or more frequently, with the infant Jesus. These images are central icons of Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox Christianity where Mary remains...
.