Description

BRIZE NORTON STATION ROAD
SP20NE, SP3007 (West side)
5/40, 17/40 Church of St. Britius
12/09/55

GV II*

Church. Late C12; early C13 north aisle and chapel, and late C13 west tower;
restored in 1868 by G.E. Street. Walls, mostly replaced by Street, of coursed
limestone rubble; gabled stone slate roof. Chancel, nave with north aisle and
chapel, and west tower. Geometrical 3-light east window, to south of similar mid
C19 window. 4-bay north wall has, from east, a Norman window, early C14
three-light window, early C13 lancet flanked by worn corbel heads, early C13
pointed chamfered doorway with hood and another early C14 three-light window:
early C14 3-light west window with reticulated tracery. South side of chancel
has plain Norman doorway with chamfered hood flanked by mid C19 three-light
C13-style window and plain C14 transomed window in blocked C13 opening (C13
rere-arch). Nave has early C13 lancet and mid C19 lancet window flanking late
C12 Transitional south porch with round double-chamfered arch on shafts with
moulded capitals. Fine late C12 Norman south door: arch has roll moulding and 3
bands of chevron decoration, the outer one carried on shafts with cushion
capitals - one with carving of 2 birds; the tympanum has a symbol of the Tree of
Life carved in the centre of a chequer pattern. Mid/late C13 three-stage tower
with string courses: has lancets and 2 corbels to left; 2-light belfry openings
of plate tracery; corbel table of stars and carved heads has billet decoration
also. Nave roof has sanctus bellcote. Interior: C13 cusped rere-arch over
south-east window, sill of which is dropped to form sedilia with carved stone
arm-rests. On north wall of chancel is part of Norman string course and 2 paired
blocked Norman windows under dogtooth-carved hood; early C13 double-chamfered
pointed arch to north-east chapel. C13 double-chamfered chancel arch with head
corbels. C15 rood screen, with moulded nuntins and traceried heads to open
panels, has mid C19 brattished cornice and painted decoration. Nave has painted
mid C19 pulpit and lectern; late C12 Norman font with blind arcading and
laid/late C19 base; late C13 hollow-chamfered archway to tower; early C13
four-bay north arcade has double-chamfered arches set on heavy round piers with
moulded capitals and square bases. Mid C19 roofs and fittings. Monuments: C17
and early C18 ledger stones in chancel. In north-east chapel is shallow arch
over stone effigy of knight John Daubyngy, d.1346, in a sunken tomb: carved head
and shoulders, and crossed feet, are sunk into tomb with shield and crest set
over solid stone "blanket" in middle. This is the only church in England
dedicated to St. Britius, a C5 French saint.
(Buildings of England: Oxfordshire, pp.487-8; Bodleian Library, Topographical
Drawings, has many C19 views of church including exterior and interior drawings
of 1821 by J.C. Buckler (M.S. Top. Oxon; National Monuments Record).

Listing NGR: SP2999607596

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17533552

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

• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)