Description

SJ 81 SW
4/25

BLYMHILL
Parish Church of St Mary

19.03.62

GV
I

Parish Church. C14, C15, but with much work by G.E Street of 1856-59 and minor later alterations. Red sandstone ashlar using white sandstone to all dressed work; brown tiled roof with verge parapets; west tower, nave, north aisle under separate roof, north porch, pent south aisle, south vestry and chancel.

Early C15 tower of four stages, two-stage angle buttresses, string courses to top stage only with gargoyles at centres; crenellated parapet and small angle crocketed pinnacles; blocked west door now C19 two-light pointed window, small square lights to third stage and two-light pointed arch bell chamber openings with trefoil heads and louvres between. North aisle and porch by Street of three bays divided by buttresses with cusped gablets. String course at cill level; various window types on north side 2-3-3 lights in plate, Geometric and 'Y' tracery; rose window to east and three-light pointed to west - the latter with bas relief carved panels to spandrels of tracery below quatrefoil and leopard gargoyle to right.

North porch: pointed arch to inner and outer doors, engaged squat columns to springing and cusped moulding with ballflower and label over; quatrefoil side window. South aisle and vestry by Street: angled buttresses to 2-1-2-1-2-light windows, of trefoil-headed and plate tracery to two lights; continuous range of three-light hipped dormers to pent over of 1876; Arts and Crafts and not by Street. Vestry gabled with triangular apex window of trefoil and quatrefoil plate tracery. Elaborate strap hinges to priest's door below; large carved Lion gargoyle clutching buttresses between aisle and vestry.

Chancel: C14, lower than nave; restored two-light windows to north and south and three-light east window, with trefoil-headed lights and quatrefoil and mouchette tracery; gabled dresser tomb engaged to south with labelled three-centred arch to recess and diapered edge to table top.

INTERIOR: nave: of three bays, north and south arcades similar, of which the south is original; octagonal columns, moulded capitals to pointed arches; rendered wall with plain arch to west, remainder of interior and fittings by Street, including north arcade, pointed, heavily moulded chancel arch on corbelled stub columns and collar trussed roof with arch braces, toothed lower faces, cusped wind braces and struts forming trefoils.

North aisle: squat engaged marble columns up to springing of rear arch of east window to Bridgeman Chapel and pointed arch to chancel, the latter with heavily undercut stiff leaf capitals on double columns. Chancel: inlaid marble floor and similar roof to nave, but with brattished wall plate, continued in vestry. Trefoil-headed and marble columned sedilia, piscina and aumbry; circular font on engaged marble columns and carved spike cover, octagonal pulpit on similar base, all by Street; part-painted timber reredos arcaded screen of 1876, circular brass communion rail and brass and wrought-iron screen of floral diaper pattern between chancel and north aisle; C19 choir stalls with poppy head finial. Painted timber altar with slender columns at angles, capped by armorials, to Bridgeman Chapel.

Glass mid C19: aisles by Wailes, chancel by Hardman and east window by Burlison and Grylls, C20 east window to north aisle.

Monuments: framed bas-relief marble angel to north and German wooden bas relief of Nativity to south of chancel; three inscribed oval and circular monuments in marble and stone 1776-1849 to Dickenson family. Engraving dated 1797 in vestry shows church before Street's alterations.

Listing NGR: SJ8085112232

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• St Mary's Church, Blymhill at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q7594282

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

• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback