Description

PRESTON ON STOUR

SP2049 Church of St Mary
1912-1/12/130
05/04/67

GV I

Church. South wall of nave is medieval of different builds;
late C15 tower; chancel rebuilt from 1753, west entrance and
window 1756, north wall of nave and nave south windows and
parapet 1757, by Edward and Thomas Woodward of Chipping
Campden for James West of Alscot Park.
MATERIALS: limestone ashlar and coursed limestone rubble;
slate roofs.
STYLE: Gothic Revival.
PLAN: chancel, nave and west tower.
EXTERIOR: chancel has plain plinth and cornice with coped
parapet with small crocketed pinnacles. 3-light east window
with hoodmould over C14-style tracery; 3-light north and south
windows have C15-style tracery, that to north over pointed
entrance with studded door; some C18 wall tablets. 2-bay nave
has ashlar north wall, coursed rubble south wall, coped
parapet with pinnacles as chancel; 3-light windows with
C14-style tracery; jamb to former window and small high
blocked window visible to south side; wall tablet to north
side.
3-stage tower has plinth, string courses, and top cornice,
crenellated parapet with continuous roll moulding and
pinnacles; diagonal buttresses.
Giant arch to west has pointed entrance with coved jambs and
paired studded doors with 3-light window above; 2-light
Y-tracery bell openings with hoods; segmental-pointed south
entrance up steps.
INTERIOR: chancel walls have dado panelling with pointed
trefoil panels below plaster panels, rectangular to east and
of 3 ogee arches to west; rich cornice with egg-and-dart and
fluting; moulded architraves to windows, that to east with
egg-and-dart mouldings; plaster segmental vault with moulded
ribs and bosses. Segmental chancel arch has painted panels and
C19/C20 memorial tablets.
Nave has C15 roof with moulded members and rosettes; tall
tower arch mostly hidden by gallery.
FITTINGS: chancel has stalls by Phillips and Shakespear, 1754,
with panelling as dado, that to west with enriched iron
cresting and similar gates and piers by Phillips, 1755; altar
table with enriched brackets; 1910 altar rail has shield
panels. Nave has plain pews with iron lamp standards; pulpit
probably C20 with linenfold panelling; 1895 free-standing
organ to south side; C18 baluster font with shallow bowl and
gadrooning; gallery, by Salmon of Stratford, on 2
fielded-panelled posts with small late C20 rooms beneath ends,
entablature and fielded-panelled gallery front with C17 relief
carving of Royal arms; Creed, Commandment and Lord's Prayer
boards to south wall have enriched architraves; late C20
crucifix to north wall. Gallery has 4 hatchments to members of
the West family, 1799-1882.
MEMORIALS: chancel has memorials to the Marriett and West
families to north and south walls including Thomas Steavens,
d.1759, coloured marble and profile medallion; James West,
d.1797, by Sir Richard Westmacott, Grecian with standing
mourner; James West, d.1838, by R Westmacott Jnr, Grecian
style with figures of Faith and Hope. Sir Nicholas Kemp,
d.1624 and his 2 wives, said to have been brought from St
Mary's Chapel, Islington, by the patron: bracketed shelf with
kneeling figures, of front-facing man in armour with flanking
women in profile, 4 Corinthian columns of touch; entablature
with armorial bearing and cherubs holding skulls.
STAINED GLASS: brought to church by the patron; west window
has early C16 pieces, mostly armorial bearings; chancel east
window has many C17 Flemish or German panels of Biblical
scenes etc in setting dated 1754, with central c1910 panel of
Christ in Majesty; chancel north and south windows have c1760
figures and heads in decorative setting. Wall painting: 2
c1910 panels of the Annunciation flank east window.
A church important for its early Gothic Revival style and
fittings; `remarkable as one of the earliest churches of the
Gothic Revival' (Colvin).
(Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Warwickshire: Harmondsworth:
1966-: 375-6; Victoria County Histories: Victoria History of
the County of Gloucestershire: 1968-: 87-9; Bloom JH: A
History of Preston-upon-Stour in the County of
Gloucestershire: 1896-: 80-93).

Listing NGR: SP2034049936

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17528480

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

• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)