Description

KELMSCOTT
Church of St. George
SU2499-2599
10/65
12.9.55
GV II*

Parish church. Late C12 with transepts of c.1260; C15 south porch; later
additions and alterations. Rendered uncoursed limestone rubble with ashlar
dressings; stone slate roofs with stepped coped verges. Cruciform plan
comprising nave and chancel with bellcote at junction, north aisle and transepts
with lean-to south porch in angle with nave. Nave south side: moulded eaves
cornice has carving of crossed shield to centre with carved heads to corners.
Two C15 square-headed cinquefoil-headed lights with 4 quatrefoils above;
head-stops to label. Porch has 4-centred outer arch with hollow spandrels and
square label. Outline of steep-pitched gabled roof above. Stone benches inside
with blind paired chamfered rectangular openings to east wall. West end: stepped
diagonal buttress to south-west corner and stepped buttress at right-angles to
north-west corner. 3-light trefoil-headed window (c.1260) with hoodmould. North
side: eaves cornice has crossed shield to centre like that on south and two C15
clerestory windows, also like those on south. Gabled bellcote at east end has
restored C13 paired trefoil-headed openings with pierced oval above; outline of
earlier chancel roof pitch visible on east face. Outline of gabled roof visible
above south transept. This has 3-light trefoil-headed window (c.1260) in south
wall; various scratch-dials to south-west corner. Lean-to north aisle is
buttressed in 3 bays with infilled square-headed doorway to centre. North
transept: north wall has similar window to that in south transept and weathered
stone cross to gable. Small paired cusped lancets in east wall. C19 integral
lateral stack to left with moulded circular shaft. Infilled semi-circular arch
to east wall in angle with chancel and mirrored in north wall of latter may mark
position of former squint between transept and chancel. Carved head of bishop or
mitred abbot above arch in chancel. Chancel: infilled C13 lancet in north wall
and square-headed C15 east window of 2 cinquefoil-headed lights with label.
South side has 3-light trefoil-headed window to east similar to that in south
transept but with open spandrels; square-headed C15 window with 2
cinquefoil-headed lights and label to west. Interior. Late C12 round-headed
single-chamfered doorway with plain moulded imposts and roll-moulded hoodmould
has carving of 2-headed face to apex and C17 nail-studded plank door with plain
strap hinges; small consecration crosses incised in east jamb. North arcade in 4
bays has round-headed arches with hoodmoulds and recessed C13 quatrefoils to
spandrels, left with carving of a man's head, centre a queen's head and right of
a man's head with beasts to either side. Circular piers with moulded plinths on
truncated square bases have mixture of stiff-leaf and other foliage carving to
capitals, various scrath-dials to south-west corner. East respond has crocketed
capital and west respond has foliage decoration between scalloped carving.
Contemporary chancel arch is double-chamfered with inner order dying into jambs.
Similar arch between nave and south transept except that inner order has
corbelled responds with nail-head ornament to that on west. C19 tie beam roof
in 4 bays to nave is probably based on late medieval form as rests on 10 carved
stone corbels, including one depicting a green man to centre on north. Probably
C17 roof of south transept retains 5 carved stone corbels from a late medieval
roof and C19 roof in chancel sits above 2 tiers of carved stone corbels (13 in
all) from successive medieval roofs. Cusped rere-arches to chancel south-east
window, south transept window and nave west window; blocked window in north aisle
has segmental head internally. C13 tub-shaped font with moulded plinth and
circular base. Trefoil-headed piscina in south wall of south transept and a
square-headed piscina with bowl formed from a C12 scalloped capital in south wall
of chancel; sedile beneath south-east window. Infilled pointed doorway on north side cut
by large Turner monument (see below). Nave benches and pulpit C19. Traces of medieval wall
paintings to nave arcade including lozenge-shaped decoration to eastern respond
and floral decoration to underside of eastern arch. Better preserved murals in
north transept including early C14 figures under trefoil-headed arches on east
and west walls representing scenes from the Massacre of the Innocents and the
Presentation in the Temple and the Cain and Abel cycle respectively. Adam and
Eve in west reveal of north window which has remnants of a Last Judgement scene
above. Fragments of medieval stained glass in nave and late C15 equestrian
figure of St. George in east window; more fragments in south-west window of
chancel. Iron bars in all windows are probably C15. Monuments. Chancel, north
side: large marble wall memorial to thomas Turner (d.1730); long inscription
panels flanked by plain pilasters with Corinthian capitals and armorial device
in roundel above to centre. To west James Turner (d.1799); plain memorial with
open segmental pediment and urn to top. Small wall memorial to Hestera Turner
(d.1683), chancel south side and to Anne Turner (d.1816) in same style as James
Turner memorial. Late C17 grave slabs over Turner family vault in raised
sanctuary. South transept, east wall: memorial to Edward Dore (d.1733); marble
inscription panel flanked by pilasters with hanging garlands and surmounted by
armorial device. Brass plate on floor to Penelope Goodenough (d.1671). 2 putti
(presumably from a C18 monument) stand on window ledge.
(Buildings of England: Oxfordshire, pp665-6; John Edwards: The Kelmscott
Wall-Paintings: Oxoniensia L (1985), pp239-45)
[2360]

Listing NGR: SU2491999368

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17532043

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

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  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
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  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
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  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)