Description

CHARLTON KINGS

SO9620SW CHURCH STREET
630-1/36/25 (South West side)
22/04/50 Church of St Mary

GV II*

Parish church. Norman, c1190; tower and south aisle
c1390-1400; remodelled in C15; north aisle and vestry added
1822-4; heavily restored and extended 1877-78 by John
Middleton including rebuilding of chancel and extension of
nave by one bay; further vestry extensions made in 1898, 1917
and 1988; stained glass mainly by Curtis, Ward and Bell, and
by Clayton and Bell; reredos by WH Fry of 1901.
MATERIALS: limestone with stone slate roof.
PLAN: aisled nave, 3 bays externally, 5 bays internally, south
porch, 3-stage crossing tower, transepts, 2-bay chancel and
north vestry. Decorated style. Chamfered plinth. Buttresses
with off-sets.
EXTERIOR: south porch has shallow 4-centred arch with
chamfered surrounds, plank door. South side has 3- and 4-light
windows with reticulated tracery to heads with recut
headstops. North side: three 3-light windows with
reticulated-type tracery to heads. West end: 3 gables with
central rose window, central pointed entrance with
roll-moulded surround on pillars with inner chamfer, between
windows with reticulated tracery.
Transepts (alike) have 3-light windows with reticulated
tracery. North vestry has 4-centred opening with plank door
between rectangular lights, two 3-light mullion window and
3-cusped-light window to vestry east end. Chancel has 2-light
window to north, 3-light to east both with reticulated
tracery, two 2-light windows to south.
Tower: diagonal buttresses, staircase to south-east, slit
openings, bands, 2-light belfry openings, traceried
crenellations with finials.
INTERIOR: nave has double-chamfered arcade on alternate
octagonal and cylindrical piers (no capitals). Traces of low
ribbed vaulting on south transept are taken to indicate that
this was the site of the Chantry Chapel (dedicated c1290) with
priest's chamber above; ogee-arched piscina. Blocked east
window in north transept (probably Norman).
FITTINGS: octagonal tub font with curvilinear traceried
decoration, probably C12 recut C14. Reredos by WH Fry of
Charlton Kings, also by Fry are oak screens across transepts.
MEMORIALS: numerous wall memorials, mostly late C18 and early
C19 villa dwellers, one in north transept to William Hunt

Prinn of Charlton Park (d.1821 by T King of Bath) also to Sir
William Russell of Charlton Park (d.1838 by Lewis of
Cheltenham).
STAINED GLASS: aisle west windows by Clayton and Bell, 3
striking windows in north aisle by Curtis, Ward and Hughes
(1911-14).
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: mass dial now in south wall near
westernmost buttress, probably c1190.
HISTORICAL NOTE: St Mary's started as a chapel of ease to
Cheltenham parish church, also St Mary's (qv). John Middleton
designed several churches in Cheltenham including All Saints,
All Saints' Road (qv); St Mark, Church Road (qv); St Philip
and St James, Gratton Road (qv); St Stephen, St Stephen's Road
(qv); and Holy Apostles, London Road, Charlton Kings (qv).
(The Buildings of England: Verey D: Gloucestershire: The Vale
and The Forest of Dean: London: 1970-: 119-20; Paget M (ed),
Charlton Kings Local History Society: A History of Charlton
Kings: Gloucester: 1988-: 100-126; Charlton Kings Local
History Society Bulletin: 1979-: 1-48; Sladen T: Notes:
1995-).

Listing NGR: SO9644520446

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17535515

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.

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